Congresswoman Giffords shot in head in rampage...

[GreasyDogMeat]

Well, a complete lunatic, Jared Loughner, decided to go to the Safeway on corner of Oracle (Where I work) and Ina (Where my bank is) and open fire on Gabrielle Giffords and multiple civilians. He shot her through the head, though she survived and is in recovery. Among 18 shot, 6 were killed including a 9 year old girl and U.S. District Judge John Roll.

 

'Gabby' Giffords is considered a moderate Democrat. I respect a lot of her views despite voting for her opponent Jesse Kelly. She is one of the few people members of congress that actually goes out to meet constituants and the general public which is what she was doing today with minimal if any security. He just walked up, shot her in the head and unloaded a pistol with an extended clip on the crowd.

 

The piece of human garbage who carried this out was a nut bag with rantings online about mind control and grammar.

 

An article on the story. This is a shocking tragedy right in my back yard. My own grandmother is a huge supporter who has invited Giffords to parties and has attended many of these meetings. The moment I heard the story my first thought was... "Oh my god! Did she go this time? Is she one of the eighteen shot?". Luckily a quick phone call confirmed she was ok. She gasped when she heard the news.

[Serrano]

That's horrible, I'm glad you both managed to avoid the actual incident.

[Guard Dog]

Absolutely horrifying. My thoughts and prayers are with her and the others and the family of judge Roll and the poor nine year old girl.

 

Apparently the shooter was a real nut job. He believed the government was trying to use mind control on him. He tried to enlist in the army and was rejected for psyc reasons. He also had a number of arrests with a few convitions so I wonder how the heck he got a gun? Probably stolen.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/08/shoot...-youtube-video/

Edited January 9, 2011 by Guard Dog

[Walsingham]

Obviously sorry to hear this. Again, I think we need to do more about reaching out, and tackling bloody nutters before they take it into their heads to hurt people. Of course, mental health is often the first to get cut.

[Orogun01]

It's another distressing example of how easy it's for loonies to go out on a rampage. I think the sheriff comments on the situation were spot on.

[Hurlshort]

I hope she is able to make a full recovery. Sadly, it was a bit of a comfort to hear this wasn't a political assassination, as my first reaction was 'have politics in this country really gotten that bad?'

[GreasyDogMeat]

It's another distressing example of how easy it's for loonies to go out on a rampage. I think the sheriff comments on the situation were spot on.

Disagree. I still believe in freedom of speech. The so called 'vitriol' is as much responsible for this tragedy as Doom was for Columbine. Gabby was neither a major target of the left or right. This loon had a problem with the constitution's 'grammar' of all things, and she had read the constitution just a few days ago. He lived, literally 3 miles away from her. The perfect storm of mental health problems and someone associated with his delusions showing up at his door step.

[Orogun01]

It's another distressing example of how easy it's for loonies to go out on a rampage. I think the sheriff comments on the situation were spot on.

Disagree. I still believe in freedom of speech. The so called 'vitriol' is as much responsible for this tragedy as Doom was for Columbine. Gabby was neither a major target of the left or right. This loon had a problem with the constitution's 'grammar' of all things, and she had read the constitution just a few days ago. He lived, literally 3 miles away from her. The perfect storm of mental health problems and someone associated with his delusions showing up at his door step.

The guy was a lunatic no doubt, yet as of late the political scene has become humorously insane. With so many rally cries to take action it was only a matter of time before the crazies started listening. I'm for free speech but there is a limit to what can be said and quite frankly the country has gone insane.

[Aram]

"Gone" insane suggests there's been a point when it wasn't.

[Orogun01]

"Gone" insane suggests there's been a point when it wasn't.

Well I've only been living here for 5 years so I wouldn't know.

[GreasyDogMeat]

I'm for free speech but there is a limit to what can be said and quite frankly the country has gone insane.

And who sets that limit? If given the truth I believe people can find their way. Perhaps next we should crack down on the green party for creating guys like James J. Lee? PETA and their radical agenda and speech. Or do we just go after the Tea Party people up?

 

And yeah, the country has gone insane. We have a president actively working against it. We have places in Arizona where Americans can't visit because of drug cartels yet instead of forcing them out, we put up signs. Reforms and government takeovers rammed out and down our throats before anyone can read them. I'm glad the debate has been fierce, and I hope it stays that way as the current administration keeps pounding out legislation. Keep up the fight.

 

DO IT IN THE BALLOT BOX THOUGH! My family is full of polar opposites on the political spectrum, yet we manage to get along and we've heard the inflamatory rhetoric from both sides.

[Monte Carlo]

Mrs. Giffords sounds like an able, decent person and I wish her a speedy recovery. This is a tragedy that, sadly, is hardly unprecedented.

 

The American Left of course have been quick to blame the (quel surprise!) Tea Party for creating a climate of hate (very tawdry). This seems odd given that (a) Mrs. Giffords is a moderate Democrat and (b) the gunman's political views are, to say the least inchoate and he appears to hail from the tinfoil hat brigade in any case.

 

I wish the rabid fringes of both ends of the US political spectrum would forget their boring kulturkampf for ten minutes and STFU. People have been murdered, including a child.

 

I Read this quote in the paper, which seems to sum it up:

 

A congressional insider said last night:

[Walsingham]

The American Left of course have been quick to blame the (quel surprise!) Tea Party for creating a climate of hate (very tawdry). This seems odd given that (a) Mrs. Giffords is a moderate Democrat and (b) the gunman's political views are, to say the least inchoate and he appears to hail from the tinfoil hat brigade in any case.

 

I wish the rabid fringes of both ends of the US political spectrum would forget their boring kulturkampf for ten minutes and STFU. People have been murdered, including a child.

 

I agree that when I read the comments on many online media I was chokingly angry. And not a little proud that we haven't gone the same route here.

 

Having said that, I don't see how you CAN'T ask questions about supporting ideologies when you have all the narrative about hate preachers and radical Islam occurring in parrallel.

 

Now, I'm a firm fan of the mad/sad/bad argument for all political violent nutloops. But it seems to me that inflammatory rhetoric is the carelessly discarded cigarette to the brushfire.

[Guard Dog]

Well, if we must get into politics about this (since this tragedy was NOT politically motivated in ANY way) no, there is NOTHING you can do about the rough political discourse in the country today. You do not strip the rights of and silence millions of Americans because to the actions of a lone nutjob in Arizona who never had a politcal position to begin with. You WILL be courting a civil war then.

 

What disgusts me the most was MSNBC and CNN reporting this guy as a disillusioned military vet. All false but actual facts have never mattered to those two networks. Especially since it plays into the current liberal groupthink that military vets are a bunch of dangerous rabid dogs that are particulary contemptable because they tend to vote republican by and large.

 

Personally I think politics stopped the moment this jackass picked up his gun. It does not matter what politcal party any of those people belonged to, thye were good, descent people who did not deserve what happened to them.

[Guard Dog]

Great opinion piece from he Telegraph on paople trying to maske poitcal hay out of a tragedy

 

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharn...na/#dsq-content

[Gorgon]

I think it's plausible that lunatics might chose to respond in this manner to the Hyperbole of Glen Beck and assorted Tea Party pundits, but you have to chose your words carefully in this context. Seeking to Politicize these evens before all the facts are in, it's just very bad form and disrespectful to the people who have died.

 

Anyway didn't Berkowitz's dog tell him to do it. Who knows what went on in this guys head.

[GreasyDogMeat]

What disgusts me the most was MSNBC and CNN reporting this guy as a disillusioned military vet. All false but actual facts have never mattered to those two networks. Especially since it plays into the current liberal groupthink that military vets are a bunch of dangerous rabid dogs that are particulary contemptable because they tend to vote republican by and large.

 

Personally I think politics stopped the moment this jackass picked up his gun. It does not matter what politcal party any of those people belonged to, thye were good, descent people who did not deserve what happened to them.

Wow, the guy wasn't even a military vet. He tried to join in either 08 or 09 and was not allowed because he didn't pass, of course, the psych evaluation. That means no training, nothing. I guess just the interest in joining is enough to cast him as ex-military.

 

I think it's plausible that lunatics might chose to respond in this manner to the Hyperbole of Glen Beck and assorted Tea Party pundits, but you have to chose your words carefully in this context. Seeking to Politicize these evens before all the facts are in, it's just very bad form and disrespectful to the people who have died.

Again, if they do its on the psycho, not the mouthpieces. I listen to Beck once a week, and EVERY time he advocates peaceful Martin Luther King non-violent solutions to the countries problems. In fact, one of his biggest fears is people like this who would damage the cause beause he knows loons give the left power to make one more legaslation against freedom in this country.

 

I'm very worried about what is going to change because of this fool. The American people are not going to benefit from it. Whether it means that politicians are going to stop actually going out to the street corner to speak to us (very proud of her for doing so, she always gave both sides the time to speak to her) or some new legislation that makes the Bush-era wiretapping look like a Libertarian agenda.

Edited January 9, 2011 by GreasyDogMeat

[Walsingham]

Like I say, I agree that this nutloop wasn't political, but why does it always have to be about banning something? Can't we just insult and ostracise extremists? Rather than giving them talk show programs?

[Guard Dog]

After 9-11 a considerable number of Washington liberals spent a lot of days naval-gazing in wonder as to why the jihadists hated America. They wanted to understand why they are so angry. Isn't it a wonder they have never spared a moment to wonder why the American people are angry? Why do conservative talk show hosts resonate so well with so many? I mean we're are talking about tens of millions of people. Those talk shows would not exist let alone be so fabulously succesful without that audience. Instead of lamenting how nasty the politcal dialogue has become why does no one ever ask why it has come to be like this? Perhaps the Washington "ruling class" should be wondering if they are antagonizing the people into anger rather than disparaging the folks who are saying aloud what most people seem to be thinking.

 

Apparently they did not learn the lesson of the 2010 election. Hopefully they will get a refresher in 2012.

 

Now here I go posting about politics in a thread about an instance that has nothing what so ever to do with poitics except that the victims were at a political function. But I do think Greasy is right about one thing, the knee-jerk government reaction on an incident like this is to go ape**** and crack down on everything in sight. That would be the worst thing they could do in a tense political climate.

[Orogun01]

Well; our government isn't know for patience or biding it's time, they are completely reactionary towards everything.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Orogun01

[Guard Dog]

Well; our government isn't know for patience or biding it's time, they are completely reactionary towards everything.

 

Sadly true. There is little wisdom to be found in the halls of power between Baltimore and Arlington.

[~Di]

This was a mentally-unstable guy, who was kicked out of college and refused re-entry until he had a clean psych report. His parents never got him the mental health care he needed.

 

Evidence shows that he made the decision three years ago to kill Congresswoman Giffords. Nobody knows why because the shooter won't say a word.

 

That damned Tucson sheriff needs to shut the eff up, quit flinging his personal political agenda out like kerosine on a campfire. His ass needs to be fired. There isn't a single iota of evidence that this sick sod had any political motive whatsoever, let alone a partisian one. Makes me nuts when people try to roll up their favorite scapegoats and wave 'em over their heads every time a damned crazy person does something crazy.

[Wrath of Dagon]

The real reason these things happen is because we let lunatics run around free in this country. You basically can not make someone get treatment if they don't want to. In addition, because of privacy laws, the mental institutions can't even inform the FBI to keep guns from the insane. Congress had hearings on this after the Virginia Tech massacre, but apparently being Congress they didn't actually fix anything.

[Walsingham]

That damned Tucson sheriff needs to shut the eff up, quit flinging his personal political agenda out like kerosine on a campfire. His ass needs to be fired. There isn't a single iota of evidence that this sick sod had any political motive whatsoever, let alone a partisian one.

 

Aren't sheriff's elected? Seems a bit daft to expect them not to have a political brief if they are. Which is one reason why I'm against elected police comissioners here in the UK.

[Volourn]

"Her misfortune is that she lives in a country where, if you disagree with someone, you can go down to your local supermarket, buy an automatic, kill them and be seen as a hero.'"

 

This is dumb. You make it sound that this a common occurance that occurs every day. That's silly talk. There's a reason why stuff like this is shocking. It's because it's rare. The % of people who would buy a gun and go kill someone simply because they disagree with someone is miniscule.

 

Hell, if I killed someone simply b/c I had a disagreemnt, I'd probabkly b avergainhg about 10 murders per day. L0L Yet, i have never killed anyone. The same is true for pretty much everyone else.

Edited January 10, 2011 by Volourn