Congresswoman Giffords Shot in Tucson

[Bill Mattocks]

Terrible news. Really horrible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/politics/09giffords.html

A congresswoman from Arizona was shot point blank in the head and killed on Saturday in a shooting at a public event at a grocery store in Tucson, according to her spokesman, C. J. Karamargin, and news reports. Twelve others were injured in the shooting.

...

An employee at a nearby store told CNN that he heard a steady stream of gun fire that appeared sustained “random.” Shortly after, emergency vehicles filled the parking lot around the grocery story and cordoned off the area.

My prayers for her family and those of the others killed and injured.

 

[granfire]

Sounds like we lost a brave woman, not afraid to tackle difficult issues.

godspeed.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Jesus. Now I'm reading that a white male in his 20's shot and killed the Congresswoman and a federal judge and his aide in the same shooting. Both the judge and the Congresswoman were described as having 'enemies' in the Tea Party.

Any comments, Tea Party guys? I mean, if the shooter were AQ, or an illegal alien, you'd be all over this, right? Why so quiet?

 

[aedrasteia]

Bill

hold tight. lets wait for more information. please, no rush to judgement.

Currently listening to a press conference/report that "she is expected to pull through". Her parents

But 6 people have been killed, including a child. 12 or 18 people total shot. Shooter in custody, age 22. Pistol w/extended magazine.

unspeakably horrible. peace be with these families and victims.
if you pray for comfort, include us all, all of us.

A

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I'm not rushing to judgment about the shooter or the motives, that information is not yet in. I'm waiting to hear from the same guys who would not waste a minute proclaiming if the shooter had been middle-eastern in origin or from south of the border...so quiet...where are they? I guess they don't have that much to say now...still waiting...

 

[chrispillertkd]

Wow, Bill. Classy.

Pax,

Chris

 

[aedrasteia]

Sorry, mistype.

Congresswoman's parents are with her.
I had sent a contribution to her campaign, small but I admired her gumption.

shooter in custody: Jared Laughner age 22, WM, from AZ. w/some minor "run-in's" with law enforcement

dear God, the current Chief Federal Judge in AZ is reported among the dead.

Federal crime/FBI has jurisdiction because of the 2 federal officials.

Physician at hospital reports 10 patients rec'd, 5 in critical condition, 5 in stable condition,
1 dead at hospital, a young child, a 9 year old girl.

Congresswoman Gifford, was shot in the head, shot went thru her head and exited, she is in intensive care but was responding to commands prior to surgery, MD was "very optomistic" about her recovery, "as optomistic as you can be in this kind of situation".

A

 

[Tez3]

BBC world news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12143774

A terrible thing to have happen, thoughts and prayers to all.

 

[aedrasteia]

Yes Bill. I understand. Its hard.

I have the aching feeling it will get harder with every passing moment

Best (for me and maybe others) to hold the reins on anger and aggression.

the thing we don't want others to do is the very thing we must resist doing ourselves.
A

 

[Andy Moynihan]

First off, prayers for those who may make it, and for the families of those who didn't.


Second--No matter your political leanings, if we are finally at the point where it's OK to kill elected officials just because we don't like their politics, then we as a society may just be on the doorstep of that civil war I keep praying never happens.

What I find most disturbing is that what SHOULD be happening in any SANE society is that this tragic event should bring persons of all political outlooks together to condemn the use of violence or the threat of violence to persuade ANY political or social agenda. That is the definition of terrorism.

Instead, before the dead have even gone cold, I find, all over the comment boards of these news sites, people on both sides of the political spectrum pointing fingers and making cynical and snide comments.


We've been heading down this road for a while now. Fear, anger and emotional outbursts have been replacing thought, common sense and rational discourse everywhere especially the media. It doesn't any longer matter which "side" you blame for it, the fact remains and is now undeniable--This country has become unsalvageably polarized and its condition is terminal."They" don't want to live with "Us"(Pick your "us") and "we" don't want to live with" them" (Pick your "them"). The balance cannot hold. This is hardly the "united" States of America anymore, and we are past the point of ever changing this fact.

Face it--we're doomed.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Shooter in custody is allegedly one 'Jared Lee Loughner'. There is a Youtube page maintained by someone using that name, also claiming to be from Tucson. A disordered mind from the looks of it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Classitup10

One of this person's 'favorited' videos is of a US flag being burned in the desert, with heavy metal music playing in the background and some disjointed comments about flags not being allowed in classrooms.

Here is the 'favorited' video:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Classitup10#p/a/f/0/3L1lsLU-kUw

Here is the text of the comment:

If there's no flag in the constitution then the flag in the film is unknown.
There's no flag in the constitution.
Therefore, the flag in the film is unknown.
Burn every new and old flag that you see.
Burn your flag!
I bet you can imagine this in your mind with a faster speed.
Watch this protest in reverse!
Ask the local police; "What's your illegal activity on duty?".
If you protest the government then there's a new government from protesting.
There's not a new government from protesting.
Thus, you aren't protesting the government.
There's something important in this video: There's no communication to anyone in this location.
You shouldn't be afraid of the stars.
There's a new bird on my right shoulder. The beak is two feet and lime green. The rarest bird on earth, there's no feathers, but small grey scales all over the body. It's with one large red eye with a light blue iris. The bird feet are the same as a woodpecker. This new bird and there's only one, the gender is not female or male. The wings of this bird are beautiful; 3 feet wide with the shape of a bald eagle that you could die for. If you can see this bird then you will understand. You think this bird is able to chat about a government?
I want you to imagine a comet or meteoroid coming through the atmosphere.
On the other hand, welcome yourself to the desert: Maybe your ability to protest is from the brainwash of the current government structure. ... (more info)

(less info)

 

[Darksoul]

-I'd rather it had been zombies. Hopefully it all gets straighten out and people recover and move on. This attack will, unfortunately, divide the country even more. It would be nice if the finger pointing is kept to a minimum but I'm not holding my breath. Instead of attacking, I would rather we, as a nation, find the causes behind what led up to this tragedy and address those, like we should've been doing all along. But even then, there would still be little agreement, and the finger pointing would continue.

Andrew

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

Jesus. Now I'm reading that a white male in his 20's shot and killed the Congresswoman and a federal judge and his aide in the same shooting. Both the judge and the Congresswoman were described as having 'enemies' in the Tea Party.

Any comments, Tea Party guys? I mean, if the shooter were AQ, or an illegal alien, you'd be all over this, right? Why so quiet?

She also has crossed her own party several times in the recent past, so what you think her own party tried to kill her for crossing Obama?
Seriously that was a pretty crappy comment and I am surprised it came out of you. For shame.
How about we mark this up for what it is at the moment, a pile of crap person who broke the law, and killed people.
Lets wait and see who he is, and why he did it later. Then we can get into the political BS, you are just trying to start a fight, wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

Alos she isnt dead Bill
she was shot point blank range into her temple and it came out the front of her forehead.
Last I heard she was responding to doctors ques, which is a best case scenario for this type of injury, now the goal is to make sure she doesnt lose more braincells from her head swelling, the bloodpressure being to high or low, and making sure she has adequate bloodflow. Hopefully she is able to pull through with the least amount of damage as possible, and eventually resume a life and lifestyle that will be rewarding for her.
I was looking at some of her accomplishments, and votes and while she did absolutely have issues with the tea party candidate opposing here, she was also for securing our borders and was against illegal immigration, although she did oppose sb1070.
I think she had enemies and friends on all sides of the issues, republican, democrat, indendant and everyone in between.

 

[crushing]

Jesus. Now I'm reading that a white male in his 20's shot and killed the Congresswoman and a federal judge and his aide in the same shooting. Both the judge and the Congresswoman were described as having 'enemies' in the Tea Party.

Any comments, Tea Party guys? I mean, if the shooter were AQ, or an illegal alien, you'd be all over this, right? Why so quiet?

Not sure who the Tea Party guys are. I think the Tea Party having any sort of power is the biggest hoax the media has ever pulled on us.

Anyway, if you want to start down that road, the gun control people have the most to gain from such a shooting. It didn't take long for the website to get updated this weekend and to blame the NRA and Palin for contributing to the shooting: http://www.bradycampaign.org/.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Are you guys telling me it's not OK to blame the whole Tea Party for the actions of a crazed lone gunman who might have TP sympathies?

 

[ballen0351]

Jesus. Now I'm reading that a white male in his 20's shot and killed the Congresswoman and a federal judge and his aide in the same shooting. Both the judge and the Congresswoman were described as having 'enemies' in the Tea Party.

Any comments, Tea Party guys? I mean, if the shooter were AQ, or an illegal alien, you'd be all over this, right? Why so quiet?

Crazy people on all sides of the spectrum

 

[ballen0351]

Not sure who the Tea Party guys are. I think the Tea Party having any sort of power is the biggest hoax the media has ever pulled on us.

Anyway, if you want to start down that road, the gun control people have the most to gain from such a shooting. It didn't take long for the website to get updated this weekend and to blame the NRA and Palin for contributing to the shooting: http://www.bradycampaign.org/.

I think that may backfire on the Brady people. To me this is a classic example to show why more people should be armed. If there were a few more armed people there I dont think he would have be able to shoot so many people.

 

[granfire]

I think that may backfire on the Brady people. To me this is a classic example to show why more people should be armed. If there were a few more armed people there I dont think he would have be able to shoot so many people.

or there would have been more 'collateral damage'....

but really guys, this type of discussion at this time is beyond poor taste.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Are you guys telling me it's not OK to blame the whole Tea Party for the actions of a crazed lone gunman who might have TP sympathies?

Was he a member of one of the state Tea Parties, then?

And do a lot of Tea Partiers list the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf as some of the favorite books? I'm asking because you seem to know much more about the Tea Party than I since I'm not a member.

Pax,

Chris