I agree that blaming a party or half of the country for the acts of an individual is abhorrent. But I think we need to admit that the rhetoric does influence those with weak and/or disturbed minds. I put a lot of the onus for the disseminating of this kind of act of hate on the media who benefits from bad news and the anger it inspires. And a lot of that is partisan- when something like this happens and you dare to say so, the other "side", whichever side that is, is quick to deflect rather than take ownership of that fact.