Laying Claim To The Crazed

This is how the beginning of the end of civilization looks. Not only do the weak succumb to the maddening pressures of the sabotaged world created by their incompetent leaders, but those left to witness the carnage waste no time in searching for signs that will prove that the perpetrator is part of the enemy camp. And while I realize that I become a participant in the macabre kabuki dance simply by acknowledging the story, some things simply cannot remain unsaid.

As I write these words, there are better people than I already scouring every corner of the electronic universe feverishly trying to find the smoking gun that will tie Andrew Joseph Stack, 53, to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Fortunately, as of this writing, the only confirmed death in this case is that of the perpetrator, but the sad truth is that had the toll been much worse, it would not have mattered to the ideologues currently "digging for that gold". I dare say that a much more gruesome outcome would only sweeten the pot for some to prove that Stack is a right-wing nut.

Lost in the wake of the fervor to discover what made this man tick is the more important question of whether he is alone in his desperate frustration. I certainly do not suggest that his is a terrorist act as part of a coordinated group, but I know there are those out there who will equate it with a simple act of terror, thus diluting the significance of true Islamic terrorism. But while this is clearly the work of a lone, bitterly angry man, there can be little question that there are a great many out there who may not be quite near this extreme, but who feel the same notion of wits end.

In the days ahead, the picture will become much clearer as to where Stack derived his information. Two things are certain. If he is found to have been a fan of talk radio and Rush Limbaugh, et al, it will be headline news. If he is found to have been an Obama supporter and a Democrat, we'll never know.

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