As some on the Left try to politicize the tragedy in Tucson, it would be wise for them to go back and examine some of the toxic words that have emanated from their own side of the political aisle.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Madonna, while on her Sticky & Sweet Tour, decided to add a few political rants to her musical mix. Sarah Palin, the then-GOP nominee for vice president, was the object of Madonna’s disaffection.

The singer banned Alaska’s former governor from the tour, saying, “Sarah Palin can’t come to my party! Sarah Palin can’t come to my show!” She then threatened to “kick her a**.”

When confronted with her contentious statements at a red carpet premiere, Madonna dismissed the language. “It’s a metaphor,” she said. “She’s in the Republican Party, I’m in the Democratic Party.”

In October of 2009, MSNBC host Chris Matthews shared a malicious fantasy involving radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

“You guys see ‘Live and Let Die,’ the great Bond film with Yaphet Kotto as the bad guy, Mr. Big?” Mathews asked. “In the end they jam a big CO2 pellet in his face and he blew up. I have to tell you, Rush Limbaugh is looking more and more like Mr. Big and at some point somebody’s going to jam a CO2 pellet into his head… .”

In October of 2009, MSNBC cable host Keith Olbermann went on the attack against best-selling author and commentator Michelle Malkin. He pinned her with the “total mindless, morally bankrupt, knee-jerk, fascistic hatred” label and said that without such attributes she “would just be a big mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it.”

In February of 2010, MSNBC cable host Ed Schultz concocted some sick imagery involving Dick Cheney. Schultz was engaged in a discussion about the former vice president’s health and its political implications.

Schultz referred to Cheney’s heart as a “political football.” He then said, “We ought to rip it out and kick it around and stuff it back in him.”

In November of 2010, Bristol Palin, a mere contestant on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” show, was the recipient of death threats, which necessitated heightened security measures and even evacuation of the premises. Powder resembling anthrax had been mailed to the show’s studio.

In December of 2010, Salon, a left-leaning online magazine, published a letter to the editor, which called for the murder of Sarah Palin.

Sadly, the Left, opportunistic partisans and the mainstream media are making subtle references, laying guilt on shoulders and sullying reputations in the worst possible way.

From the earliest moments of the shooting’s aftermath, some have pushed a narrative. Certain charges that were made were implicit, others explicit. The narrative was meant to convey that in one fashion or another the Right was to blame for the murderous rampage.

This is not only untrue, it is unethical and unconscionable, as would be the case if the Right were trying to pin such a tragedy on the Left.

As human beings, we strive to keep our emotions in check and weigh our words carefully, especially at times like these. These are noble goals but also constant struggles.

The Golden Rule remains our best private, public, political, civic and societal measure.