On stupidity compounding tragedy

I love Popehat.  They’re certainly a brash bunch, but when there’s a spade around that needs to be called a spade, they can be relied upon to do it:

 Tragedy Generates Stupidity

Tragedy makes people say, and do, stupid things. 

Let’s note just a few of the stupid things said in the last 48 hours. This is by no means an exclusive list. Nor is it even-handed. Item: David Frum thinks we should look to reefer madness as a cause of the Tucson shooting. Item: Sarah Palin aide Rebecca Mansour says that bullseyes on a map — referred to by Palin as bullseyes, and used together with “don’t retreat, RELOAD” rhetoric — were “surveyor’s symbols.” [I shouldn’t have to say it, but these days it seems that I do: this is stupid, dishonest, cowardly, and embarrassing even though there is no indication that Palin’s rhetoric had any connection whatsoever with this shooting.] Item: Representative Bob Brady of Pennsylvania wants to offer a bill banning campaign symbols like the crosshairs on the map. Item: As Patrick noted below, Rep. James Clyburn seems to think that the main lesson of the shooting should be that he ought not have to mingle with plebs at the airport. Radley Balko offers a poll about which response is the most ridiculous.
Count on the shooting to keep delivering concentrated stupid for some time.