RIGHT: Strategy came up a bit short

I would like to comment on the lull in political hate we are in since the tragedy in Arizona. The right-wingers and tea-partiers sure have backpedaled their hate rhetoric. Maybe, having politicians depicted behind bulls-eyes and calling for Second Amendment solutions wasn't the best political strategy the Republicans could have come up with.

On conservative talk shows they're shifting blame for the escalating hate that has spawned since President Obama took office to the left. They are in denial or lying as usual about the hate speech that's been spewing from their networks continually while supporting such things as the Tea Party disruption of democratic Town Hall meetings as free speech and admiring armed citizens outside the events. It's from the Right.

Remember the president being shown in effigy with a noose around its neck, death threats of Congress by mail and phone, Congress members being spat on, the president being called a liar during a speech, Congressional offices being vandalized? It's from the Right.

Speech should be free, but words must have consequences. If you incite, you need to be held accountable.

Just recently Congress voted to be more civil with one another. Did they have to vote on civility? As the righties say, "We need to take back America." I say, "We need to take back America from the crazies on the right."

MIKE MARTEN

Coeur d'Alene