The sheriff of Pima County, AZ, had this to say about the politics of the shooting:

"There's reason to believe [the shooting suspect] has a mental issue and I think that people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol... The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately, Arizona has become the capital. We have become the Mecca of prejudice and bigotry."

– Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik, from CNN

Comments

[Suzy Slaughter]

Sheriff Dupnik: Who do you think you are giving your political opinion on this shooting. You're a liberal Democrat, and you've already spoken about the new AZ law and your ideas of racism and bigotry. The most overrun state on the border and you want to play "patty-cake". Investigate this stupid mentally ill kid who has no politics, he just wanted to kill someone and be famous. STOP YOUR POLITICS, nobody cares about your ideology, they just want this kid prosecuted.....he didn't give a damn about illegals (like you should) or politics. It was a 5 minute gig to get famous - maybe he was bullied, or the bullier, he was sick, not political and how dare you espouse your political views.

[Bruce A Jacobs]

Suzy,

Wishing that the political climate in Arizona were irrelevant doesn't make it so. I understand that all of this is very discomforting for you. It should be.

[Kelly]

as usual, no respect for authority. it's funny how ppl who aren't on the front lines of the criminal justice system feel they have opinions about what the police see every day. also going to be funny to see how ppl take what this person announced was a political statement, and try to say it wasn't, just because it makes their side look bad.

being crazy and being political are not mutually exclusive - in fact, in american, it is becoming a requirement to be both at the same time. bill clinton said it best when he said that the rhetoric falls on the ears of the sane and insane equally. when you speak in public, you have to think: who is my audience? it is everyone. if you don't want strange men leering at you, don't become a stripper. if you don't want weirdos killing people in your honor, don't incite them. simple as that.

if they spent more time thinking, and less time reacting - is that even possible? do your research! the sheriff sees it every single day, he lives it. you just watch it on tv or read it in the newspaper. you don't know the half of what goes on around you. the sheriff knows more than he wants to. when you become the lead investigator into all the crimes in your area, then you tell the world what is what.