It's been nearly 50 years since a youthful first-term president was cut down in the streets of Dallas, TX. Not more than five hours later, a newsman of some repute by the name of Chet Huntley provided the nation with a poignant summary of the fateful events and a stern warning to those who trafficked in violent and hateful language of the "consequences" of it.
Yesterday in Tucson six people, including an innocent 9-year old little girl, lost their lives in an event that was best summed up brave Sheriff Dupnik:
"It may be free speech, but it does not come without consequences."
So catch the Huntley report below the fold and ask yourself, "Have those who still use violent and hateful rhetoric against their political opponents learned anything in nearly 50 years?"
In the wake of the attempted assassination attempt on Representative Giffords and the killing of six other innocents as well as several wounded, Chet Huntley's words are as meaningful and true today as they were on the 22nd of November, 1963. Listen to how he describes the venue to which President Kennedy was to go to speak, and what he was going to speak about. Listen, in particular, to his stern words of warning to those who employ the language of hate and violence (beginning around the 6:30 mark).
There have numerous diaries since yesterday that pointed out the individual examples from Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Glenn Beck, Sharon Angle, Stephen Broden, Jesse Kelly, the Tea Party leaders and others, so I'm not going to trot out any others here.
But I need to say to them all (and to anyone from the Progressive side who might also think it's cool or just part of the "game" of politics): Please, stop-Stop-STOP yelling "Fire!" in the theater!
Words have consequences. Fifty years after such a pure and simple lesson was drawn on the streets of Dallas, have you really learned nothing? Have you no shame?!?