THE ROBERT W. WHITAKER ARCHIVE

LIBERALS CELEBRATE THE LITTLETON MASSACRE | 2000-05-07

People in Littleton, Colorado say they are very upset about the release of tapes showing the shootings there. I saw one person after another in Littleton expressing disbelief about how their tragedy was being "used."

But I didn't hear any such complaints about the blatant use of the tragedy by liberals.

Like vultures, liberals swoop in on every tragedy that involves a gun, and everybody seems to think they have a right to. Nobody argues that the same old gun control measures would have had any effect at all in preventing the Colorado tragedy. But those who act so outraged about the tape seem to agree that anything the left wants to use as grist for its mill is just fine.

So I am less than impressed by Littleton's supposed outrage at those who made the tape. And the liberal media are right in there showing wild resentment at anyone ELSE who uses their tragedy for their own purposes.

Recently I read an editorial where a liberal was quoting a law enforcement veteran who opposed gun control. Then he said, "In fairness to him, he expressed these views before the Littleton incident." In other words, one was to assume that everybody's mind was changed on gun control by the fact that two kids went on a killing rampage in Littleton, Colorado.

Now let me ask you, is there anyone who can take the liberal crocodile tears about the incident at Littleton seriously? Are any liberals really concerned about the people killed there?

As the anniversary of the tragedy was marked by intense media attention, some people in Littleton were asking why. Why, they ask, don't we put the tragedy behind us?

The reason is that liberals consider Littleton one of the finest occurrences of the decade, and they want to savor it.