Arizona Rep. Giffords Shot At Public Event In Tucson

[Tok]

January 8, 2011
A gunman opened fire Saturday onto a crowd at a public event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz., critically injuring the congresswoman and killing at least five people.

The dead included U.S. District Judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl, President Obama said in a brief statement Saturday. Giffords, who was shot in the head, was among at least 13 people injured, according to the Pima County, Ariz., sheriff's office.

"Gabby Giffords was a friend of mine. She is not only an extraordinary public servant, but she is also someone who is warm and caring. She is well-liked by her colleagues and well-liked by her constituents," Obama said.

"I know Gabby is as tough as they come and I am hopeful that she is going to pull through," he said.

After they released the name of the suspect (Jared Loughner) I did some googling and found that he had a youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/Classitup10) and watching his 4 videos i can say he's off the fuckin reservation.

doing some further googling i found discussions on what his political lean was, whether left or right, which was interesting in this case because when i posted this on facebook i had gotten a comment from someone that suggested that it was a mexican american who was pissed off at the immigration bill that was passed. funny how when something like this happens people immediatly want to throw blame around at various political factions or races before finding out what happened, I hope she pulls through.

 

[Pompidou]

The "discussion" (not the right word, I know) in the comments under the Yahoo news article tended to pin the whole thing indirectly on Sarah Palin for a campaign she's been doing where her followers vow to "Target" different politicians for replacement, and the politician shot was one of them. It so happens her map had the politicians targeted in gunsights.

http://www.torontomike.com/2011/01/palins_target_map_and_us_rep_g.html

http://ashleyfmiller.wordpress.com/...-and-the-assassination-of-gabrielle-giffords/

Sarah Palin's assassination checklist? I half hope there is a connection. Regardless, there will be fallout. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Giffords and co.

 

[Zaltana]

his mental status has become the forefront of this whole ordeal. my heart goes out to the familes that lost a loved one, especially the 9 year old's family. dying that young cause of some disturbed fool's political views is to tragic for words.

 

[Tok]

I'm don't know if i'm convinced this was politically motivated though, I mean yeah you'd think it was because of his youtube videos (as terribly vague and incoherent as they are) I just think he is seriously disturbed and was just political enough to lash out at a senator. I am disappointed how the political side of this act is overshadowing the fact that a 9 year old girl was amongst the dead, it's very tragic that the entire thing happened but to throw in the fact that a young child was killed just adds salt to the wound.

The "discussion" (not the right word, I know) in the comments under the Yahoo news article tended to pin the whole thing indirectly on Sarah Palin for a campaign she's been doing where her followers vow to "Target" different politicians for replacement, and the politician shot was one of them. It so happens her map had the politicians targeted in gunsights.

http://www.torontomike.com/2011/01/p..._us_rep_g.html

http://ashleyfmiller.wordpress.com/2...elle-giffords/

Sarah Palin's assassination checklist? I half hope there is a connection. Regardless, there will be fallout. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Giffords and co.

ever so conveniently too this map disapeared from her website after this incident

 

[Skaw]

Which is why www.takebackthe19.com was set up.

It's sickening that, instead of agreeing something terrible has happened and wait for the facts to come to fruition, the Left and Right in this country immediately started blaming each other(After the Right blamed Illegals, anyway) over an attempt on a Congresswomans life. Can't say the Right is completely blameless though. Regardless of this Assassins motives, their current rhetoric paired with the ever ailing educational levels and social awareness and acceptance of mental health issues was going to see this happen sooner or later. They're lucky that in this case, all signs are pointing to a legitimate mentally ill individual and not a frenzy-whipped-knows-no-better. Mrs. Giffords and a colleague have been threatened and had their offices vandalized for months by the Right-wing. So far they managed to avoid accountabilty by the skin of their teeth.

But there really needs to be some serious action taken in regards to the poison being barked by Palin, Beck, O'Reilly, and the rest of the ilk over at a certain Opinionated Entertainment Not-News-But-Nooz channel, and Politicians nation-wide before a life is ended for the cause they've preaching to people. We(Every god damn American) need to knock off characterizing people with different opinions and ideas as enemies. "Us vs. Them" is what's systematically destroying America. We are a Country Divided. There is no respect for our fellow countrymen anymore, only selfishness.

tl;dr: Get fucked, sycophants.

Also, eerily, Mrs. Giffords called out Sarah Palin back in July over her little figurative hitlist and the 9 year old girl in the crowd killed in the shooting was 9/11 baby Christina-Taylor Green.

 

[Thelona]

I love how you lament over how sickening it is that people are jumping to conclusions and blaming one side or the other, and then in your very next paragraph blame, Sarah Palin, Glenn beck and Bill O'rielly.

The guys favorite books were mien kampf and the communist manifesto, and his youtube videos are compleatly incoherent, I don't think theres any placing this guy on ANY Sane political map.

But your right, its always easy to blame an anti democrat figure foaming dissent, If only we could get rid of that pesky freedom of speech thing and outlaw political dissent so some nut doesn't hear it and take it the wrong way.

Oh and also, there were democrats that used crosshairs and bullseye imagry in campaign adds, democrat Congressman Harry Mitchel for one, so lets not make ourselves look like complete idiots by blaming a mass murder on a political ad.

Somehow I get the feeling Mien Kampf could do a better job of justifying murder in a crazy mans head then a political ad with a cross-hair in it.

 

[Skaw]

I love how you lament over how sickening it is that people are jumping to conclusions and blaming one side or the other, and then in your very next paragraph blame, Sarah Palin, Glenn beck and Bill O'rielly.

And? I didn't claim this guy was a right winger. I didn't say that this congresswomans life was ended because of the violent rhetoric pundits and several politicians use. That's not jumping to conclusions. All I stated was that the fires they stoke do not help this country out one bit and it needs to end before someones life DOES end because of them and they should consider themselves lucky it wasn't the case here.

It's as if you didn't read a thing I posted besides the first sentence and a few names.

The problem isn't with the Right telling their constituents that the Left should be voted out, it's the fact that they literally call anyone who isn't a Republican or one of their splinter groups Traitorous, Terrorist, Enemy. That they should "Don't retreat- Reload!" and use their "Big Guns." How does Free Speech keep being Free Speech when the Words these people have chosen will be used to murder people who just believe they have the ideas to make things better? Theres a very big difference between political dissent/grievance and inciting violence.

Also, are you seriously comparing targets over states where a Democrat has a chance of winning and the importance of electing individuals, with targets and a list of People's Names who happen to be lumped into an ideological camp opposite of the one you stand in, a rhetoric full of gun analogies, and a call for action? Really? It's all about the context, not the imagery.


WBC is also going to protest the little girls funeral. http://www.examiner.com/libertarian...-funeral-of-9-year-old-tucson-shooting-victim

Absolutely sickening. This girls life was bookended by tragedy, and now the vultures are coming out to make things worse for her family.

Congratulations. This is America.

Edit: Turns out we wasn't necessarily some wacko, beyond the extent of insanity required that enables someone to be capable of murder. Theres possible links he subscribes to the beliefs of American Renaissance, an anti-semetic anti-government group(and white supremacy according to their website) that supports the Tea Party(Ironic?), and evidence taken from his home that he had this assassination pre-meditated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/09/american-renaissance-jared-loughner_n_806472.html

http://www.slate.com/BLOGS/blogs/we...rged-with-murder-attempted-assassination.aspx

 

[Tomasello]

Why did John Hinckley, Jr. try to kill Ronald Reagan?

Because he wanted to impress Jodi Foster.....

The point is when someone is MENTALLY ILL there is no fucking logical reason they do the twisted shit they do and to sit there and even make an attempt to tie it to conservatives is disgusting and gross. This was not "politically" motivated and to say so dishonors all the people who were involved in this tragedy. This nut was looking for any excuse to kill people and being some anti-government wacko is as good of an excuse as any.

But I would expect nothing less from a pathetic ideology who happens to be the same type of people who blame Mortal Kombat every time a deranged kid tries to cut someone's head off.

There are crazies in the world and unfortunately there's nothing you can do about it, end of story.

For the record, this freak read the communist manifesto and believed 9/11 and the moon landings were government conspiracies which makes him a certified LEFT-WING LOON. I highly doubt he was visiting Sarah Palin’s website or listening to talk radio.

 

[Lucki]

 

[Tok]

shit just got real

WBC is also going to protest the little girls funeral. http://www.examiner.com/libertarian-...hooting-victim

Absolutely sickening. This girls life was bookended by tragedy, and now the vultures are coming out to make things worse for her family.

Congratulations. This is America.

this makes me absolutely sick, these fucking lowlife rats need to seriously be wiped from the face of the earth. i'm not normally one to want to harm someone else but in the case of WBC I would smile ear to ear if i heard they were all killed.

 

[Tomasello]

So what?

How many republicans read the communist manifesto and think 9/11 was a hoax?

He was MENTALLY ILL. It has NOTHING to do with republicans or democrats.

He probably would of went after H. Ross Perot if he looked at him funny.

 

[Dancingweapon]

this makes me absolutely sick, these fucking lowlife rats need to seriously be wiped from the face of the earth. i'm not normally one to want to harm someone else but in the case of WBC I would smile ear to ear if i heard they were all killed.

Just hoping to hear the news report of a huge bus hitting all the members at once killing them instantly.

 

[Tok]

So what?

How many republicans read the communist manifesto and think 9/11 was a hoax?

He was MENTALLY ILL. It has NOTHING to do with republicans or democrats.

He probably would of went after H. Ross Perot if he looked at him funny.

and what would you be saying if it was found out he was a left wing democrat?

 

[Hexx]

So what?

How many republicans read the communist manifesto and think 9/11 was a hoax?

He was MENTALLY ILL. It has NOTHING to do with republicans or democrats.

He probably would of went after H. Ross Perot if he looked at him funny.

News reports indicate that the guy went to one of Mrs. Giffords previous rallies and asked her a question to which he didn't like the answer to. According to sources it's been bugging him since then, add on top of that all the vitriolic rhetoric spewed on the political scene, and finally add in that he's crazy to boot. Makes for a bad mix.

You still wanna keep saying it wasn't politically motivated?

 

[Tomasello]

and what would you be saying if it was found out he was a left wing democrat?

I would say the same thing.

He was MENTALLY ILL. It has NOTHING to do with republicans or democrats.

Unlike blatently biased organizations like the New York Times, I don't spin every horrific act in the news into a political attack.

Bad shit happens sometimes and its no ones fault but the wackos.

 

[Tomasello]

He was mentally ill. A Republican 9/11 truther???

What kind of fucked up political affliation is that?

It was JUST AN EXCUSE to justify in his warped mind shooting people.

Why can't people just be crazy? Why does every crazy person have to have a political leaning?

 

[Hexx]

I would say the same thing.



Unlike blatently biased organizations like the New York Times, I don't spin every horrific act in the news into a political attack.

Bad shit happens sometime and its no ones fault but the wackos.

*COUGHFOXNEWSCOUGH* yeah........

 

[Thelona]

Theres one person, and one person only responsible/liable/accountable for these murders, and that's the one that pulled the trigger.

Its just the way people are blaming it on "the dangerous/violent political rhetoric of the past 2 years"

Exactly what would you have called it before that? When people were burning effigy's of Pres Bush in the street and releasing books and even movies about the assassination of Pres Bush. was that not dangerous/violent political rhetoric?
(let me guess, that was different because Bush actaully deserved it right?)

If this should raise any political questions, it should be what hole in the system allowed a man this OBVIOUSLY insane to legally purchase a handgun. Everyone in this mans life has come out of the woodwork saying he was completely insane and dangerous, his teachers, classmates, and people that knew him. Why was this man given a license to carry this handgun?

I do believe in the 2nd amendment, but why cant we have a requirement for someone to atleast TALK to mental health professional before given a license, or atleast give a list of references to be contacted to vouch that your not a nutcase reading mien kampf

many states already require you undergo training for safely using firearms, why not a mental checkup as well?

 

[Hexx]

Theres one person, and one person only responsible/liable/accountable for these murders, and that's the one that pulled the trigger.

Its just the way people are blaming it on "the dangerous/violent political rhetoric of the past 2 years"

Exactly what would you have called it before that? When people were burning effigy's of Pres Bush in the street and releasing books and even movies about the assassination of Pres Bush. was that not dangerous/violent political rhetoric?
(let me guess, that was different because Bush actaully deserved it right?)

If this should raise any political questions, it should be what hole in the system allowed a man this OBVIOUSLY insane to legally purchase a handgun. Everyone in this mans life has come out of the woodwork saying he was completely insane and dangerous, his teachers, classmates, and people that knew him. Why was this man given a license to carry this handgun?

I do believe in the 2nd amendment, but why cant we have a requirement for someone to atleast TALK to mental health professional before given a license, or atleast give a list of references to be contacted to vouch that your not a nutcase reading mien kampf

many states already require you undergo training for safely using firearms, why not a mental checkup as well?

Youre right, the trigger man is to blame, but this type of rhetoric stoked and fueled the fire. Just because this guy is crazy, doesnt mean he didnt have a reason, whether political or not, to do what he did. Not saying it's justified either, but a reason was there nonetheless.

 

[Halifirien]

Exactly what would you have called it before that? When people were burning effigy's of Pres Bush in the street and releasing books and even movies about the assassination of Pres Bush. was that not dangerous/violent political rhetoric?
(let me guess, that was different because Bush actaully deserved it right?)

No, it's different because it tends to be be more of an aberration from the liberal side. You can find the calls for violence in thread comments and blog posts. We keep our nuts on the fringe. We don't elevate our crazies to national leadership roles, let them run the party, and then cower in fear instead of calling them out for their rank stupidity.