Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in critical condition, 6 others killed in Arizona

[Lunar]

Can people reading this thread please not report posts just because they find the political angle of them distasteful and/or stupid? Obviously emotions are running high (and that's fine; normal even) but, you know. I mean, within reason of course. Trolling is trolling.

a screenshot that counts roughly 24 of my most recent reports in my email inbox:

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Can people reading this thread please not report posts just because they find the political angle of them distasteful and/or stupid? Obviously emotions are running high (and that's fine; normal even) but, you know. I mean, within reason of course. Trolling is trolling.

a screenshot that counts roughly 24 of my most recent reports in my email inbox:

Wow.

[Brittain33]

And what is with so many people here turning a very tragic event into "omgz teabaggers! bla bla bla 2nd amendment! bla bla!" hackfest? This thread is about Giffords and the others who lost their lives, not about Palin and others being idiots, seriously STFU already.

The Sheriff of Pima County spoke several times about vitriol from radio talk show hosts and general political discourse and how absolutely destructive it is in his press conference.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

It'd clearly be absurd to try and ban guns because of this, that would be going too far, but Arizona has particularly lax gun laws. You don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon there, and I can't imagine the regulations on who is buying the guns are very tight.

Still, it is absurd to try and restrict guns every time some crazy person gets a gun and shoots people.  We don't make it harder to get a driver's license every time someone runs a red light and runs over ten people.

We do, however, restrict drivers licenses from people who, by driving, would endanger themselves or others. A paranoid schizophrenic, who failed an army psychological exam, given a gun is clearly a threat to himself and others.

failing an army psychological exam is not in itself cause to think that person would be a threat. i'd bet people fail it far more for being unable to cope with violence than for having any violent tendencies themselves. i don't like the idea that we would be denying people's rights or privileges on the basis of a psychological diagnosis - which would mean fewer people would be willing to seek help.

[politicalchick20]

MSNBC (Keith Olbermann, specifically) is showing an interview with her from last year (following the incident when a brick was thrown through her Tuscon office door) on the Daily Rundown right now.

[Sam Spade]

And what is with so many people here turning a very tragic event into "omgz teabaggers! bla bla bla 2nd amendment! bla bla!" hackfest? This thread is about Giffords and the others who lost their lives, not about Palin and others being idiots, seriously STFU already.

The Sheriff of Pima County spoke several times about vitriol from radio talk show hosts and general political discourse and how absolutely destructive it is in his press conference.

I'm not terribly surprised that he would.

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

It'd clearly be absurd to try and ban guns because of this, that would be going too far, but Arizona has particularly lax gun laws. You don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon there, and I can't imagine the regulations on who is buying the guns are very tight.

Still, it is absurd to try and restrict guns every time some crazy person gets a gun and shoots people.  We don't make it harder to get a driver's license every time someone runs a red light and runs over ten people.

We do, however, restrict drivers licenses from people who, by driving, would endanger themselves or others. A paranoid schizophrenic, who failed an army psychological exam, given a gun is clearly a threat to himself and others.

failing an army psychological exam is not in itself cause to think that person would be a threat. i'd bet people fail it far more for being unable to cope with violence than for having any violent tendencies themselves. i don't like the idea that we would be denying people's rights or privileges on the basis of a psychological diagnosis - which would mean fewer people would be willing to seek help.

I'm pretty sure I'd fail an army psychological exam.

[tmthforu94]

So, since I've been gone for the last 5 hours, Congresswoman Giffords survived? Thank God.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

So, since I've been gone for the last 5 hours, Congresswoman Giffords survived? Thank God.

It is good indeed.

[tpfkaw]

So we have the guy's youtube channel, on which his manifesto is posted.

His motivation was to use the mind control powers granted to him by his new English grammar.

So, you see, he was neither left nor right, but merely a crazy person.  I think some people may want to retract some of their earlier comments.

[CatoMinor]

And what is with so many people here turning a very tragic event into "omgz teabaggers! bla bla bla 2nd amendment! bla bla!" hackfest? This thread is about Giffords and the others who lost their lives, not about Palin and others being idiots, seriously STFU already.

The Sheriff of Pima County spoke several times about vitriol from radio talk show hosts and general political discourse and how absolutely destructive it is in his press conference.

This is not really something new though, yeah, some radio people can be a bit extreme but its not like the big bad evil conservatives who we all know are paid off by evul anarcho-nazi corporations, just started doing this.

[MaxQue]

So we have the guy's youtube channel, on which his manifesto is posted.

His motivation was to use the mind control powers granted to him by his new English grammar.

So, you see, he was neither left nor right, but merely a crazy person.  I think some people may want to retract some of their earlier comments.

And some sources said than he was probably not alone in the plot.
So, not a good answer. Stop protecting the persons who caused hate.

[CatoMinor]

So we have the guy's youtube channel, on which his manifesto is posted.

His motivation was to use the mind control powers granted to him by his new English grammar.

So, you see, he was neither left nor right, but merely a crazy person.  I think some people may want to retract some of their earlier comments.

And some sources said than he was probably not alone in the plot.
So, not a good answer. Stop protecting the persons who caused hate.

I'm sorry, I must have missed it. Could you please link me to the pictures of him in his "I Palin" shirt, or his blogs on how he can't get enough of Limbaugh?

[MaxQue]

So we have the guy's youtube channel, on which his manifesto is posted.

His motivation was to use the mind control powers granted to him by his new English grammar.

So, you see, he was neither left nor right, but merely a crazy person.  I think some people may want to retract some of their earlier comments.

And some sources said than he was probably not alone in the plot.
So, not a good answer. Stop protecting the persons who caused hate.

I'm sorry, I must have missed it. Could you please link me to the pictures of him in his "I Palin" shirt, or his blogs on how he can't get enough of Limbaugh?

I said than than spewing hate could have an effect to his mentally sick brain.
Palin and talk radio transmoved Giffords in a moving target.

[Marokai Backbeat]

A person being obviously crazy doesn't excuse the rhetoric that encouraged him. Assassinations and assassination attempts on congresspeople are rare occurrences. I refuse to believe that in a time where the right-wing has been using alot of borderline rhetoric, that this is a coincidence. A person doesn't need to have an "I Palin" t-shirt for the rhetoric going on right now in the political environment to be at fault.

The vast majority of people who try to kill anyone in politics or anyone in general for political are usually crazy. It excuses nothing. I'm not trying to blame specific people as the ones at fault necessarily, I'm blaming the rhetoric as what is at fault, and all those who excuse it.

Gunplay and death threats shouldn't be the new normal in politics and people shouldn't try to excuse it as "free speech." These things have consequences, as exemplified by today.

Most of the rhetoric on the right simply isn't necessary. It's as simple as that. Can't we all agree on that and go from there?

[tpfkaw]

A person being obviously crazy doesn't excuse the rhetoric that encouraged him. Assassinations and assassination attempts on congresspeople are rare occurrences. I refuse to believe that in a time where the right-wing has been using alot of borderline rhetoric, that this is a coincidence. A person doesn't need to have an "I Palin" t-shirt for the rhetoric going on right now in the political environment to be at fault.

The vast majority of people who try to kill anyone in politics or anyone in general for political are usually crazy. It excuses nothing. I'm not trying to blame specific people as the ones at fault necessarily, I'm blaming the rhetoric as what is at fault, and all those who excuse it.

Gunplay and death threats shouldn't be the new normal in politics and people shouldn't try to excuse it as "free speech." These things have consequences, as exemplified by today.

Most of the rhetoric on the right simply isn't necessary. It's as simple as that. Can't we all agree on that and go from there?

Meanwhile, the entirety of the rhetoric from Marokai simply isn't necessary.

[Free Palestine]

If he was already crazy, he could have shot someone if he happened to subscribe to left-wing vitriol, except it would be a Republican being shot.

[CatoMinor]

A person being obviously crazy doesn't excuse the rhetoric that encouraged him. Assassinations and assassination attempts on congresspeople are rare occurrences. I refuse to believe that in a time where the right-wing has been using alot of borderline rhetoric, that this is a coincidence. A person doesn't need to have an "I Palin" t-shirt for the rhetoric going on right now in the political environment to be at fault.

The vast majority of people who try to kill anyone in politics or anyone in general for political are usually crazy. It excuses nothing. I'm not trying to blame specific people as the ones at fault necessarily, I'm blaming the rhetoric as what is at fault, and all those who excuse it.

Gunplay and death threats shouldn't be the new normal in politics and people shouldn't try to excuse it as "free speech." These things have consequences, as exemplified by today.

Most of the rhetoric on the right simply isn't necessary. It's as simple as that. Can't we all agree on that and go from there?

Other than you guys just assuming, what evidence is there that even connects him to the evul rightwing corporate anarcho-nazi funded hate that spews from radios? he was crazy, Can't we all just agree on that?

[Bull Moose Base]

Look the Tea Party may not have been directly responsible, but with someone like the shooter who most likely has mental problems, rhetoric from people like Palin, Angle, Paul, and others about the second amendment, and freedom of speech, and immigration must have had some effect on the individual to carry out the attack. The Tea Party does have indirect responsibility and shouldn't be acting as if they don't.

Yes.

A person being obviously crazy doesn't excuse the rhetoric that encouraged him. Assassinations and assassination attempts on congresspeople are rare occurrences. I refuse to believe that in a time where the right-wing has been using alot of borderline rhetoric, that this is a coincidence. A person doesn't need to have an "I Palin" t-shirt for the rhetoric going on right now in the political environment to be at fault.

The vast majority of people who try to kill anyone in politics or anyone in general for political are usually crazy. It excuses nothing. I'm not trying to blame specific people as the ones at fault necessarily, I'm blaming the rhetoric as what is at fault, and all those who excuse it.

Gunplay and death threats shouldn't be the new normal in politics and people shouldn't try to excuse it as "free speech." These things have consequences, as exemplified by today.

Most of the rhetoric on the right simply isn't necessary. It's as simple as that. Can't we all agree on that and go from there?

Yes.

[ilikeverin]

I think it's absurd people are speculating on what could cause an obviously mentally deranged man to do what he did less than 12 hours after this happened.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If he was already crazy, he could have shot someone if he happened to subscribe to left-wing vitriol, except it would be a Republican being shot.

You're trying to use logic and rational thinking to explain what a crazy man did... it just doesn't work that way most of the time.  Crazy people like this guy don't think rationally.

[Free Palestine]

If he was already crazy, he could have shot someone if he happened to subscribe to left-wing vitriol, except it would be a Republican being shot.

You're trying to use logic and rational thinking to explain what a crazy man did... it just doesn't work that way most of the time.  Crazy people like this guy don't think rationally.

Either way, it's stupid to claim that he was an assassin for teh ebil Tea Party, or something of that sort.  Lief.

[tpfkaw]

In case people didn't see it:

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-jared-lee-loughner-profile,0,3468158.story

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[Meeker]

I don't think the specific ideology of Giffords or the shooter is particularly relevant. If you look at political assassinations in the past fifty years or so, rarely does the reasoning behind the shooting have anything logical to do with the individual that was shot.

There are political leaders and members of the media who may have contributed to the actions of this man, but it shouldn't be thought of as a left vs. right dynamic. It's a difference between those who use responsible political rhetoric and those that do not. As the Pima County Sheriff said, just because it's free speech doesn't mean it doesn't have consequences.

[Sewer]

what kind of  left winger likes Mein Kampf?