Sheriff attacks media vitriol

Politico, today, reported on the comments made by Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik during interviews and press conferences that he held today. Many of the comments were aimed at the media vitriol. If I had to guess the vitriol that the sheriff refers to is likely that of the likes of the rhetoric that comes from FOX News and other conservative commentators.

Here's an excerpt from the press conference:

When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And unfortunately, Arizona has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.[...]

Let me say one thing, because people tend to pooh-pooh this business about all the vitriol that we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech, but it’s not without consequences.

In an interview that aired on MNSBC, Sheriff Dupnik comments:

I want to tell you right now that people like myself are very, very angry at what’s going on in our country, and I think that it’s time that we take a look at what kind of hatred that we inflame by all the crap that goes on. I’m a close friend of Gabrielle Giffords’, and she is one of the most beautiful human beings that you can imagine. I think it’s time that this country take a little introspective look at the [inaudible] crap that comes out on radio and TV.