Don't blame political discourse

This tragic shooting in Arizona was the fault of the shooter. Period. If the media must go beyond that, I suggest looking into his parenting, his faith and his friends. The media is of course blaming the political discourse in America, with a wink, wink, nod, nod toward the tea party movement. The media and the Arizona sheriff say to tone down the rhetoric. So which side needs to shut up?

Should Americans ignore the out of control spending, the looming debt crisis, the violence on our borders, a health care bill that a majority of Americans don't want and the corruption in Washington, D.C.? Or will the leftists just go away and let conservatives try to fix the mess this country is in? I dare say neither will happen.

I have been outraged by what I've seen coming out of Washington, D.C., for several years now, but I have not even thought about using violence to get my message across to my representatives. Harsh words, maybe. Constant phone calls, yes. Trips to Washington, D.C., yes. Trips to Jefferson City, yes. But violence, never.

This young man in Arizona was a mental case. It is a shame that his family, friends or associates didn't intervene in his life before these killings happened.

LINDA REUTZEL, Cape Girardeau