Senseless

Third Strike enjoys describing "how crazy" we are: making off the wall jokes, non sequitur comments, and unexpected references.

The approach is intended to entertain, amuse, and serve as a positive outlet for the off-the-wall thoughts that we have. And while posts may attack fictional characters, tease celebrities, or mock news events, they are meant to be in good fun.

The events that occurred in Tuscon, Arizona were truly senseless; whatever destructive seeds that germinated in the shooter's mind led to a foolish, indefensible act. The terrible assault echoes other equally stupid and pointless events, such as those at Virginia Tech, Columbine, and the attack at the Holocaust Museum. These were shameful, random, cowardly, and pathetic: it takes no courage to arm oneself with guns and attack unexpecting, unarmed, innocent people.

Out of the darkness of this event, there emerges a true miracle of modern medicine: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has survived a shot to the head, and is fighting for her life. Doctors and surgeons are hard at work to facilitate her medical stabilization. I hope that everyone's thoughts and prayers are with her, and for the others whom were so sadly taken from us and their families.

This is a humor blog, and I must apologize for dwelling on a sad subject. But for just one post, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor to write about this (if for nothing else to help me).

I hope that we can take two lessons from this weekend.

First off: we should be try to remember that our words are powerful. The media, over next several months, will no doubt review the sad ironies of Sarah Palin's "gun crosshairs" on the political map targeting Giffords, and her "Don't Retreat, Reload" comment. I do not accept the notion that she is responsible for this incident, and news reports paint the picture that the shooter was completely unbalanced and politically naive.

But ultimately, blame is irrelevant. If Sarah or anyone has used violent political imagery and doesn't regret doing so, I hope they will reconsider; if nothing else, consider the sad ironies and misconceptions that come from using inflammatory language. Even in sports, war references get frequently used; these insult both the sacrifice of those going to war and the remarkable beauty of a society that can have friendly rivalries between peaceful opponents.

Second: if you know anyone who is in obvious need of mental health evaluation, I suggest making that known, helping them seek it, and in cases where they are turning violent, alerting the authorities. We can all do our part to try and avoid having more weekends like this one.

Let's keep insanity trapped in the world of silly, peaceful blogs.