US Representative Shot in Arizona + Fantasies/Falsehoods about Dreadnt and Guns

[Dreadnaught]

Congresswoman Giffords Shot in Tucson

By J. DAVID GOODMAN
Published: January 8, 2011

A congresswoman from Arizona was shot point blank in the head 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 and several had died of their wounds, according to news reports.

Her condition was unknown. She was taken to University Medical Center in Tucson, the trauma center for the area, about 10 miles away, but NPR and CNN reported that she had been killed. NPR said that six others had been killed in the shooting.

CNN quoted a public information officer for the sheriff’s office as saying that 12 people had been injured in all and that the shooting had occurred around 10 a.m. local time.

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.

The shooting occurred at a Safeway supermarket in northwest Tucson as Ms. Giffords hosted an event, called “Congress on Your Corner, to allow members of the 8th Congressional District to meet her individually. She has held several events since first taking office in January 2007. At one such event in 2009, a protester was removed by police when his pistol fell on the supermarket floor.

Last March, her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House vote overhauling the nation’s health care system, the authorities said. Earlier events in Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Sierra Vista, and Douglas had attracted between 75 and 150 people, according to a statement announcing the event. This was her first event since her re-election to a third term in November.

Ms. Giffords, 40, was interviewed on Fox news on Friday to talk about a bill to cut to congressional salaries by 5 percent.

She married Cmdr. Mark E. Kelly, 46, a NASA astronaut and Navy pilot from New Jersey, in December 2007 at a wedding attended by Robert B. Reich, the former Labor secretary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us...9giffords.html

Bad. Really bad.

[Dreadnaught]

We spoke to an eyewitness, Steven Rayle, who was on the scene at the time of the shooting and helped to hold the suspect down while waiting for police. Here's what he said:

The event was very informal: Gifford had set up a table outside the Safeway and about 20-30 people were gathered to talk to her. The gunman, who may have come from inside the Safeway, walked up and shot Gifford in the head first, "point blank". According to Rayle, who is a former ER doctor, Gifford was able to move her hands after being shot.

After shooting Gifford, the gunman opened fire indiscriminately for a few seconds, firing 20-30 rounds and hitting a number of people, including a kid no older than 10 years old. Rayle hid behind a concrete pole and pretended to be dead. When the gunman apparently ran out of ammunition he attempted to flee, but a member of Gifford's staff tackled him. Rayle helped hold the gunman down while waiting for the sheriff to arrive, about 15-to-20 minutes later. The EMS came about 30 minutes later. Rayle said he was "stunned" by how long it took medical help to arrive.

The gunman was young, mid-to-late 20s, white, clean-shaven with short hair and wearing dark clothing and said nothing during the shooting or while being held down, although he struggled at first. He was "not particularly well-dressed"; he didn't look like a businessman, but more of a "fringe character," Rayle said. The sheriff's department arrived, arrested the gunman and cordoned off the parking lot.

CNN is reporting that at least 12 were wounded.

http://gawker.com/5728501/arizona-co...-grocery-store

This will not help the dynamic of political rhetoric. But more importantly, someone was likely just killed.

[littlelolligagged]

Fuck...

[Being]

30 minutes to respond?

[Ominous Gamer]

Gotta watch out for those crazies. They latch onto anything.

[Dreadnaught]

Maybe this will finally at least get Palin out of the conversation. God damn, that's a fucking terrible way to have communicated information. Hopefully it's fake.

But I'm willing to bet this will be sort of a lone extremist. Possibly even someone with a different agenda like abortion.

[Ominous Gamer]

Hopefully it's fake.

nope.

[Lewkowski]

Maybe this will finally at least get Palin out of the conversation. God damn, that's a fucking terrible way to have communicated information. Hopefully it's fake.

But I'm willing to bet this will be sort of a lone extremist. Possibly even someone with a different agenda like abortion.

What the hell? I'm not a fan of Palin (I'd like to see Romney or Jindal win in 2012) but how is having targets on cities in anyway related to violence? Thats absolutely retarded. Yes they are targets in terms of political races. Palin has never endorsed, condoned or supported violence in anyway.

[GGT]

What the hell? I'm not a fan of Palin (I'd like to see Romney or Jindal win in 2012) but how is having targets on cities in anyway related to violence? Thats absolutely retarded. Yes they are targets in terms of political races. Palin has never endorsed, condoned or supported violence in anyway.

Hmm, is that kinda like you saying you've never endorsed, condoned or supported violence in any way, and you just happen to create threads hailing people who shoot toothpaste thieves (in the back), or anyone who shoots first and asks questions later, as heroes?

[Lewkowski]

Hmm, is that kinda like you saying you've never endorsed, condoned or supported violence in any way, and you just happen to create threads hailing people who shoot toothpaste thieves (in the back), or anyone who shoots first and asks questions later, as heroes?

Well for one thing, I'm not Palin.

And I do endorse violence against criminals in the defense of home and property. If my posts somehow influence people to violently defend their homes, well that would be sweet. But we both know that's not going to happen.

[Enoch the Red]

I wasn't here during the midterm elections, so you'll have to forgive me for not knowing if this has been discussed or not, but did Obama receive this much flack for calling Republicans 'enemies'?

Isn't this just the nature of politics, certainly nothing to, pardon the pun, get up in arms about?

[Dreadnaught]

Ah well, there goes that ray of hope. She's really toast on this.

But that's honestly besides the point for now. Really curious what the alleged motivation is going to be.

[EyeKhan]

Ah well, there goes that ray of hope. She's really toast on this.

First, I will be shocked if she lost any suppourt or had any serious fallout. Second, why were you hoping it was a fake? Palin has been inflaming and inciting since she was a vp candidate, this is nothing new and probably not the worst she's done. She deserves to get the full measure of spanking for the seeds she's been sewing.

[Dreadnaught]

First, I will be shocked if she lost any suppourt or had any serious fallout. Second, why were you hoping it was a fake? Palin has been inflaming and inciting since she was a vp candidate, this is nothing new and probably not the worst she's done. She deserves to get the full measure of spanking for the seeds she's been sewing.

Because there's a difference between being loud and provocative and "incitement". That image pretty much crosses the line for me. I haven't seen her do anything else that crosses the line.

But frankly everyone is really jumping the gun. It took maybe an hour after this hit the news for people to blame Palin. That's not appropriate.

[Ominous Gamer]

blame Palin. That's not appropriate

Haven't seen anyone directly blame Palin yet, but I do see this hitlist as a question asking what else were we expecting to happen? People put their own children at risk because talking heads celebutards want to claim vaccines are evil. Is this current event really a stretch from that?

[EyeKhan]

Because there's a difference between being loud and provocative and "incitement". That image pretty much crosses the line for me. I haven't seen her do anything else that crosses the line.

But frankly everyone is really jumping the gun. It took maybe an hour after this hit the news for people to blame Palin. That's not appropriate.

First, I agree it's jumping the gun. Second, there were a number of rallies in the presidential election where Palin was severely criticized for inciting violence. Surely you didn't miss that?

[Dreadnaught]

First, I agree it's jumping the gun. Second, there were a number of rallies in the presidential election where Palin was severely criticized for inciting violence. Surely you didn't miss that?

I never heard that during the Presidential election, I think you're mixing things up. She was criticized only when she used that "don't retreat, reload" thing she said a while ago when the healthcare bill was first passed. All the other complaints about her have mostly sounded like the usual Palin Derangement Syndrome.

It's very clear that Palin is being set up as the "ideological" mother of murdering politicians and I think that's way too far. She hasn't brought the rhetoric down any worse than anyone else.

[GGT]

Because there's a difference between being loud and provocative and "incitement". That image pretty much crosses the line for me. I haven't seen her do anything else that crosses the line.

But frankly everyone is really jumping the gun. It took maybe an hour after this hit the news for people to blame Palin. That's not appropriate.

Irony noted. People have been saying Palin, Angle, Brewer, Beck, Limbaugh, Tea Party, et al have been incendiary in their political speech far too long. They know exactly which groups they're trying to stir up (incite?). We could see it with people showing up at public rallies openly wearing their rifles and side arms, followed by threats on web sites and phone machines.

I can't really call this a coincidence, but just a matter of time.....unfortunately.

[LittleFuzzy]

First, I will be shocked if she lost any suppourt or had any serious fallout. Second, why were you hoping it was a fake? Palin has been inflaming and inciting since she was a vp candidate, this is nothing new and probably not the worst she's done. She deserves to get the full measure of spanking for the seeds she's been sewing.

It's not even particularly inflammatory. These are commonly understood phrases and symbols which are constantly used in non-violent contexts. Objecting to "targeting" symbology is moronic. It would be tasteless if it came out right after this shooting, but it didn't, it's at least a year old.

[Steely Glint]

It's not even particularly inflammatory. These are commonly understood phrases and symbols which are constantly used in non-violent contexts. Objecting to "targeting" symbology is moronic. It would be tasteless if it came out right after this shooting, but it didn't, it's at least a year old.

Yeah.

This is far worse:

[GGT]

Maybe this will finally at least get Palin out of the conversation. God damn, that's a fucking terrible way to have communicated information. Hopefully it's fake.

But I'm willing to bet this will be sort of a lone extremist. Possibly even someone with a different agenda like abortion.

Ah well, there goes that ray of hope. She's really toast on this.

But that's honestly besides the point for now. Really curious what the alleged motivation is going to be.

Because there's a difference between being loud and provocative and "incitement". That image pretty much crosses the line for me. I haven't seen her do anything else that crosses the line.

But frankly everyone is really jumping the gun. It took maybe an hour after this hit the news for people to blame Palin. That's not appropriate.

All aboard for jumping the gun?

I think that might be white washing things a bit. I think the implication was very clear at the start.

A congresswoman was shot in the head at point blank range, her aide was shot and killed, a federal judge was shot and killed during her "Congressional Meet and Greet" public event.

The congresswoman is on the record, full color youtube video footage from March '10, saying her offices were vandalized, and Tea party protesters had been using the corner of her Tucson HQ, and Palin's site put a gun scope on her district.

It's quite logical and rational for people to opine about possible political connections.

How is that a whitewash of events?

[Khendraja'aro]

It's not even particularly inflammatory. These are commonly understood phrases and symbols which are constantly used in non-violent contexts. Objecting to "targeting" symbology is moronic. It would be tasteless if it came out right after this shooting, but it didn't, it's at least a year old.

Uh, exactly what non-violent use does a crosshair have?

[Wraith]

Uh, exactly what non-violent use does a crosshair have?

It's very commonly used to represent any kind of target or goal, and when used on graphs, charts, or maps, it almost never has violent connotations. The violent connotations only really arise when it's placed on the image or representation of a human.

edit: I think any kind of assertion that Palin was trying to incite people to violence against democrats is overblown. The woman is stupid, not a psychopath.

[LittleFuzzy]

Uh, exactly what non-violent use does a crosshair have?

You mean one of the common visual symbols commonly for "target," like a bulls-eye? Well, since again it's a visual representation of the word target, I would look to non-violent uses of the word target. Would you like me to list some synonyms for target which clearly convey that it doesn't necessarily mean violence? Should I be using it in a sentence? Maybe I should point out that the same attempt to insist her use of "target" promoted violence also attempted to interpret the word "fire," clearly used in a job-termination sense, as being another call for shooting Democratic politicians in the head?

[NGS]

According to CNN she's actually in surgery at the hospital right now, undead.

[Steely Glint]

I hope the human refuse who were making barely veiled threats about "second amendment solutions" because the election didn't go their way are pleased with themselves.

[EyeKhan]

I hope the human refuse who were making barely veiled threats about "second amendment solutions" because the election didn't go their way are pleased with themselves.

They probably are.

[GGT]

Sad and disgusting. Palin (don't retreat, reload! and using gun scopes as targets) and Angle (we'll use Second Amendment solutions) are cavalier with their "speech".

[GGT]

She was shot in her head, "through and through" at point blank range.

And six people are dead.

[EyeKhan]

It's all because of that job killing health care law!