What have been your thoughts about the murders out west? The shoot-up where the congresswoman suffered a bullet through her brain?

Did you buy into any of the theories floated by various public figures? That angry voices on talk radio had been the catalyst for this violence. That Sarah Palin’s rhetoric had fueled it. That extreme figures on the left and right had whipped up a mood of viciousness. And this mood had inspired the murderer.

There is, of course, zero evidence to support these theories. There is evidence that supports another theory. That theory is that the man is a lunatic.

I suggest it is no more complicated than that. He is out of his mind. He is crazy. I suggest we ought to dispense with all the other theories. This guy is whacko. His behavior over the years was that of a whacko. That is all we need to know.

The guy who shot John Lennon was – probably still is – nuts. The woman who shot at President Gerald Ford was nuts. The guy who assassinated Robert Kennedy was nuts. The guys who do many of the shootings that make the headlines are simply nuts. They don’t shoot at public figures because they disagree with their politics. They shoot because they are insane.