US Representative, at least 6 others killed

[Nerys Ghemor]

I want her to recover well enough to return to work (though that's sadly unlikely), and that she'll get to see justice done for all the victims.

It's not impossible for her to recover well enough to keep her position, or if not be in Congress, to continue doing something significant. James Brady still did very important work, after he was shot in the head. Each head wound is different--so I really, really hope that she, too will be able to recover and keep up with her job.

 

[Captain Ice]

There is now a second suspect...

 

[Kieran]

Fox News wins the prize for worst headline:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/08/arizona-congresswoman-shot-married-astronaut/

"Arizona Congresswoman Shot, Married to Astronaut"

What is wrong with the headline?

Sadly, this U.S. Representative was shot and is married to an astronaut.

So... what's "worst" about this?

 

[AJBryant]

My very first thought: "bet she's a Democrat."

Was I wrong? Duh, no.

​

THose marks are standard surveyor symbols to mark a location. Duh. They are not like the actual BULLSEYE TARGETS the Dems used in a similar map.

And, lo and behold, the shooter was a leftie -- just a loonie, it seems.

Waiting to see a lot of backpedaling by the pundits.

 

[Gaith]

And when a white male shot MLK Jr. dead, I guess that wasn't a time to talk about civil rights?

The day he was shot? No. It needed to be a day for mourning. Just think back to what Bobbie Kennedy said on that day:

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King -- yeah, it's true -- but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love

And yet - even if Kennedy meant what you say he meant, not that I'd take that as marching orders anyways - the bolded parts of that statement are indisputably political in that the justice he was talking about was very different from the justice the racists and King-haters had in mind.

 

[drychlick]

the man was a nut case! he was not lift or right just a sob nut job! i hope he burns in hell for this! Very sad and very mad about this!

 

[Amaris]

My very first thought: "bet she's a Democrat."

Was I wrong? Duh, no.

<image removed>
​

THose marks are standard surveyor symbols to mark a location. Duh. They are not like the actual BULLSEYE TARGETS the Dems used in a similar map.

And, lo and behold, the shooter was a leftie -- just a loonie, it seems.

Waiting to see a lot of backpedaling by the pundits.

Oh, don't start that shit. Not now. Anyone who can honestly say "he's a leftie!" or "he's a rightie!" is so stuck up their rear end, all they can see is politics and not human beings.

 

[chrisspringob]

Fox News wins the prize for worst headline:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/08/arizona-congresswoman-shot-married-astronaut/

"Arizona Congresswoman Shot, Married to Astronaut"

What is wrong with the headline?

Sadly, this U.S. Representative was shot and is married to an astronaut.

So... what's "worst" about this?

It's the silliness of combining the two, like a headline saying "New England Patriots quarterback in car accident, married to supermodel". What does the latter really have to do with the main story, which is the first part of the headline? It seems rather superfluous.

The original story was a weird hybrid of reporting on her being shot with details of the life of her astronaut husband, with the accompanying pic of her husband. They've now rewritten the story (and the headline) so that it's more a mini-bio of Giffords.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

And when a white male shot MLK Jr. dead, I guess that wasn't a time to talk about civil rights?

The day he was shot? No. It needed to be a day for mourning. Just think back to what Bobbie Kennedy said on that day:

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King -- yeah, it's true -- but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love

And yet - even if Kennedy meant what you say he meant, not that I'd take that as marching orders anyways - the bolded parts of that statement are indisputably political in that the justice he was talking about was very different from the justice the racists and King-haters had in mind.

He was talking about the things King did, trying to honor him.

You asked if the day King was shot should have been a day for mourning. Kennedy thought so.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

So tragic and so depressing.

The day he was shot? No. It needed to be a day for mourning. Just think back to what Bobbie Kennedy said on that day:

And yet - even if Kennedy meant what you say he meant, not that I'd take that as marching orders anyways - the bolded parts of that statement are indisputably political in that the justice he was talking about was very different from the justice the racists and King-haters had in mind.

He was talking about the things King did, trying to honor him.

You asked if the day King was shot should have been a day for mourning. Kennedy thought so.

Yes, he did. Thank you for posting that quotation, Adidar Jarok.

 

[1001001]

My very first thought: "bet she's a Democrat."

Was I wrong? Duh, no.

<image removed>​

THose marks are standard surveyor symbols to mark a location. Duh. They are not like the actual BULLSEYE TARGETS the Dems used in a similar map.

And, lo and behold, the shooter was a leftie -- just a loonie, it seems.

Waiting to see a lot of backpedaling by the pundits.

Oh, don't start that shit. Not now. Anyone who can honestly say "he's a leftie!" or "he's a rightie!" is so stuck up their rear end, all they can see is politics and not human beings.

I think there is a lot of anger in politics. And I think that the rhetoric since Obama was elected has been very disturbing. Many of us have strong feelings about that. It's quite understandable why this would bubble up to the surface after an event like this, especially given this particular woman's recent history (the vandalism, threats, etc.).

Now having said that, it appears on the surface that this guy was a nutjob, not some political assassin. At least, not a very sophisticated one. We really don't know all that much yet.

I ultimately agree we need to hold our collective water here and not jump to conclusions. We really don't have enough information yet.

My thoughts go out to the wounded and the families of the dead.

 

[enlisted person]

THose marks are standard surveyor symbols to mark a location. Duh. They are not like the actual BULLSEYE TARGETS the Dems used in a similar map.

And, lo and behold, the shooter was a leftie -- just a loonie, it seems.

Waiting to see a lot of backpedaling by the pundits.

Oh, don't start that shit. Not now. Anyone who can honestly say "he's a leftie!" or "he's a rightie!" is so stuck up their rear end, all they can see is politics and not human beings.

I think there is a lot of anger in politics. And I think that the rhetoric since Obama was elected has been very disturbing. Many of us have strong feelings about that. It's quite understandable why this would bubble up to the surface after an event like this, especially given this particular woman's recent history (the vandalism, threats, etc.).

Now having said that, it appears on the surface that this guy was a nutjob, not some political assassin. At least, not a very sophisticated one. We really don't know all that much yet.

I ultimately agree we need to hold our collective water here and not jump to conclusions. We really don't have enough information yet.

My thoughts go out to the wounded and the families of the dead.

The rhetoric when Bush was in was just as bad. Its just because its now going against the lefties that they are crying fowl. Here is a map of Democratic strategy made before Obama or Palin were in the picture. How is this worse than anything the republicans are doing right now?
IMHO, its the Obama administration that has brought things to a fever by passing laws that the majority does not want (like Obama care). A government ignoring the will of the people is what is causing this. America is not on the right track and everybody knows that except the federal government.

 

[AJBryant]

Oh, don't start that shit. Not now. Anyone who can honestly say "he's a leftie!" or "he's a rightie!" is so stuck up their rear end, all they can see is politics and not human beings.

On his Facebook page, two of his favorite books were Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. Right there is Socialism, and Communism.

You're right, though, that ultimately he was getting his orders from the great Mother Ship in the Sky. This guy was seriously whackadoodle (to use a sadly out-of-favor term)

I just get tired of the immediate political jumping like I saw here (and why does Palin even get mentioned? Is the hatred THAT deepset and irrational?).

There is a certain counter-cultural, liberal smugness in SF fandom that I have always found a bit... ugly.

 

[Roger Wilco]

On his Facebook page, two of his favorite books were Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. Right there is Socialism, and Communism.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Oh, don't start that shit. Not now. Anyone who can honestly say "he's a leftie!" or "he's a rightie!" is so stuck up their rear end, all they can see is politics and not human beings.

On his Facebook page, two of his favorite books were Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. Right there is Socialism, and Communism.

Nazism is not socialism, regardless of its name. Unless you think North Korea is a Democratic Republic.

EDIT: Another one of his favorite books is Ayn Rand's We the Living.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

The rhetoric when Bush was in was just as bad. Its just because its now going against the lefties that they are crying fowl. Here is a map of Democratic strategy made before Obama or Palin were in the picture. How is this worse than anything the republicans are doing right now?

*snip*

I think most people can see the difference, especially when the below graphic is accompanied by her tweeting "RELOAD!" directing you to "Take down the 20".

There's a reason the site and graphic had to be yanked. Certainly people aren't yanking every single campaign ad against the congresswoman, so why this one? I do agree it's a side issue though. It's not "Sarah Palin is responsible for this!" because the guy was clearly just a lunatic in general. It's that the "Take down the 20" campaign was irresponsible BEFORE the congresswoman was shot. I mean, all you have to do to "propoganda" against Palin is do what I just did. Post the graphic, and it has a chilling effect. If the poster had said "Vote against Gabrielle Giffords because she voted for the Health Care reform", no liberals would be posting it.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I wonder if there's something indicative of the fact that republicans use gun crosshairs, while democrats use bow and arrow targets, but that's a side point.

I think both sides should realize that rhetoric like this is never intended to be taken literally. It fits with the terminology of politics. The get out the vote effort has been called a ground campaign for years. I think the gun shooting fundraiser was a bit more disturbing imagery-wise, but I don't think anything was meant there either.

 

[Gaith]

The rhetoric when Bush was in was just as bad. Its just because its now going against the lefties that they are crying fowl. Here is a map of Democratic strategy made before Obama or Palin were in the picture. How is this worse than anything the republicans are doing right now?

It's worse because when the lefties say it, the crazy nutjobs ignore them, because they don't listen to NPR or hang out in tofu bars.

When the righties say it on whack-job web site and talk radio, OTOH, the nutjobs do sometimes take notice. By wild coincidence, I'm sure, the gun-loving side of the spectrum seems to attract those prone to assassinating people with guns. Gee. Weird.

Palin, Beck and Co. deliberately use borderline-inflammatory rhetoric to fire up their base, knowing full well that such rhetoric also tends to push the occasional crazy wacko over the edge to act. They value their paychecks and fame over the occasional murdered Democrat and, in this case, nine-year-old girl.

 

[BolianAuthor]

I'm just wondering, given the obvious left-lean in these forums, if everyone here would be equally appalled if Jan Brewer or Joe Arpaio had been shot/attacked... I wonder if people here would wish them an equally speedy and good recovery. I seriously doubt it... I think most people here would cheer such an event, but I do certainly hope I'm wrong... because you know... people are people, regardless of party.

 

[Gaith]

My only answer to that is... well, the forum rules don't allow it.