One, Mama Grizzly herself—furious at accusations that she was partially responsible for the killings—delivered a fiery video online, accusing others of blood lust and making other typical, illogical statements.  It was classic Sarah Palin—inflammatory, emotional and not supported by fact.

President Obama, the other, left Washington D.C, visited Arizona and delivered a beautiful, moving speech that encouraged the country to bring itself together. It will likely be remembered as a speech for the ages, as it weaved poetry, personal stories and a greater call for hope into an amalgamation of words so well-written they will surely stand the test of time. I’m not always the president’s biggest fan, but the speech evoked a deep welling in my heart. I was proud to call him my president and proud he could strike the right tone.

The shooting and killing of so many innocent lives is unconscionable. But we can take two lessons from this.

One: Everything shouldn’t be so political and inflammatory. There are hundreds of different beliefs on any single issue and berating others who don’t agree just doesn’t work. Let’s come together and sing a campfire song. America is a great country, full of so much opportunity. Count your blessings.

Two: If we learned nothing else, we learned Sarah Palin cannot be our next president. Amid tragedy, she went for the juggernaut. She must always be the focus of attention. I would definitely consider voting for a Republican but I could not vote for her. Her emotional, irrational leadership would surely cause more harm than good.