We've seen plenty of violent rhetoric over the last few years, ever since the mythical Death Panels were inserted into underinformed Conservative's minds. We've seen the Tucson shooting coming for a long time (and indeed saw it previously in CA with the Tides Foundation shooter).
Of course, all the "Boys and Girls Who Cried Unconstitutional" in the Tea Party will deny that they are responsible. I've already seen sick posters on the Democratic Party Facebook saying Ms. Giffords deserved it for her "attempts to let illegals vote and give them money and kiss their ass". Oh, they'll say, we never meant for anyone to be hurt.
So we must hold them accountable. We all know the crazy in each of our areas. If you live somewhere whose candidates (or current elected Reps) have talked about "Second Amendment Remedies" or "bullet box solutions" or any other call to violence based on perceived "injustices", then start a list now. Find news reports or news releases or references, mark down the day and time and the web link, and compile them.
The Tea Party has a two-part call to violence. First, they bring up notions of patriotic founders with quotes like "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Indeed, an important quote and a great idea. If you don't live in a Constitutional Democracy, that is. The second step, once the macho stage is set, is to point at whatever they disagree with politically and scream "tyranny". The final step, then, is to be shocked, schocked, when violence erupts.
See how that works? Patriots kill tyrants. And this person is a tyrant. So........wink wink.
Don't let anyone get away with it. Put those two steps together. If you're represented by one of these speakers of violent rhetoric, post the quotes on their facebook, with links and dates. Connect the dots.
It's the only way to force the middle to understand the workings of the Tea Party.