What happened in Tucson Arizona, is not something that is unexpected or unusual in todays worldwide society. Political assassination attempts, happen all over the World, the United States is not exempt from someone taking the law into their own hands, and creating mayhem, thinking they are justified in their actions.

Those of you who read the daily news reports in the local newspapers, know that violence is a give, at any time, and any place, with out cause or reason! It the events can happen any where, with no advance warning.

What happen in Tuscon, is just one of the symptoms of what has always been wrong in society. Individuals who think that they are allowed to take the law into their own hands, and dispensing their own form of justice out on those that they detest.

No law on our country's books, prevents these terrible situations from happening, and nothing can stop a person from their dastardly deed! The law can only prosecute and hold trials to determine the guilty or innocents of the person charged with the terrible crime.

What happened in Tucson, can happened any where at any time, and there is little that can be done to prevent the lone assassin from their mission. Only with everyone respecting everyone else's rights of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" spelled out in the "Declaration of Independence", and the reminder that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

SFC Steven H. McGarthwaite
U. S. Army, Retired, 1968 -1995