Inciting hate and intolerance matters

On July 27, 2008, unemployed truck driver Jim David Adkisson entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church in the middle of a children's musical program. He was carrying a guitar case, leading members of the audience to believe he was part of the program.

He quietly put the case down, opened it, and removed a 12 gauge shotgun. He began firing randomly into the audience, shooting eight people, two of whom later died.

Why? Quite simply because Adkisson hated liberals. According to a local television station, Adkisson targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country.

He felt that the Democrats had tied the country's hands in the war on terror and that they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets.

When the police searched Adkisson's home, they discovered copies of "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder" by Michael Savage, as well as books by Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. Words matter. Inciting hate and intolerance matters. Physically attacking those who think differently than you matters.

Greg Newlin

Naperville