Arizona Shooting Sets Off Debate on Violent Political Rhetoric
Saturday 08 January 2011
by: Yana Kunichoff, t r u t h o u t | Report

(Photo: Freedom To Marry / Flickr)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and seventeen others were shot Saturday after a gunman opened fire at a public event in Tucson, law-enforcement sources confirmed. Six people were killed, including a federal judge, an aide to Giffords and a nine-year-old girl.
The 40-year-old Arizona Democrat was shot in the head once at point-blank range and rushed to University Medical Center (UMC). During a press conference Sunday, Dr. Peter Rhee of the University of Arizona Medical Center said that she was out of surgery and in critical condition, but was awake and following commands. Rhee said that he was "very optimistic about recovery."
U.S. District Judge John Roll was among those killed at the scene of the shooting, U.S. Marshall David Gonzales confirmed to the Associated Press.
A number of national news organizations including CNN, NPR and Reuters reported prematurely that Giffords had died.
The shooting occurred during Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event in northwest Tucson, when a gunman ran up to the group and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
The shooter, identified as 22-year-old Jared Loughner, was tackled by a bystander and taken into custody. The FBI has said he was the only shooter; Loughner purchased his semi-automatic pistol legally in Tucson, the Washington Post reported.
Pima County Sheriff Clarance Dupnik would not confirm that Loughner was the suspect in the shooting, but said the shooter was targeting Giffords.
“He ran into the crowd and when he got to (Giffords), he started shooting,” said Dupnik.
Giffords, Arizona’s first Jewish congresswoman, was first elected as a representative of Arizona’s 8th District in 2006 and was reelected to her third term in November.
During her time in Congress, Giffords focused on immigration reform, military issues, stem cell research and alternative energy. Just days before she was shot, Giffords, who was voted one of the "Top Ten Rebels in the House" last year, introduced a bill for a 5 percent reduction in congressional salaries, and said she had real hope for bipartisan cooperation in the next Congress.
Giffords had been the target of death threats, vandalism and harassment in recent months – Dupnik noted a political event at which an audience member dropped a weapon. During another incident, windows in her office were broken shortly after her vote for health care reform in March, and authorities are currently investigating a suspicious package found Saturday at Giffords’ Tucson office.
The shooting has been connected to the heated political rhetoric around issues such as health care legislation and immigration recently, and according to Dupnik the atmosphere in Arizona was particularly tense.
“The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And, unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become sort of the capita,” Dupnik said. “We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
Giffords was one of 20 Congress members placed in the crosshairs on Sarah Palin’s "target list," meant to highlight Democrats in vulnerable congressional districts, which stirred controversy for the use of gun sights.

Speaking to MSNBC about Palin’s list in March, Giffords said, "Sarah Palin has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district and when people do that, they’ve gotta realize there are consequences to that action."
In a statement on Facebook, Palin said “my sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today’s tragic shooting in Arizona. On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.”
In the Palin camp's first extended comments on yesterday's attack, an aide to Palin said the crosshairs were never meant to evoke violence. "We never, ever, ever intended it to be gun sights," Rebecca Mansour told talk radio host Tammy Bruce.
Gifford’s Republican opponent in the November race, Jesse Kelly (R-Arizona), was also criticized for a campaign event at a shooting range, advertised with the words "Get on Target for Victory in November," "Help remove Gabriel Giffords from office" and "Shoot a fully automatic M16."
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona), who has also been the target of vandalism and harassment, told KOLD News 13, "The lesson we can take from the terrible thing that just happened" is that "we can differ, but that difference does not need to go to an extreme where it becomes danger."
"Civil discourse and civil debate should be exactly that," said Grijalva.
In a statement, President Barack Obama called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," and said that while we do not know the motive of the shooting, "what we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society."

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Unindicted co-sonspirators
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 17:34 — David (not verified)Unindicted co-sonspirators to this shooting: Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, the NRA, Palin, etc. This is the tip of the iceberg. When you monitor anti-environmental, pro-war, anti-abortion, and similar groups, you see that they are stocking up on ammo and weaponry to kill the hippies, tree-huggers, liberals, etc. The question asked in books like What We Leave Behind is what we will who are not armed and insane do to defend ourselves against the armed, insane ones.
BTW, the shooter was
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 17:43 — Anonymous (not verified)BTW, the shooter was anti-property. clearly not a republican-type like those listed by "David". more of a socialist revolutionary type.
She (palin) DidNot
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 18:03 — Anonymous (not verified)She (palin) DidNot apologize, she offered condolences. An apology would require a sense of humanity, and she doesn't have any of that. Cold, brutal killer. She is every bit as responsible as the man that pulled the trigger. As is glenn beck. They should be tried and imprisoned. I don't know why anybody would want to live in that awful state. Screw Arizona.
O
@at, 01/08/2011 - 22:43 —
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 18:17 — Jeff Thompson (not verified)@at, 01/08/2011 - 22:43 — Anonymous: You are full of BS. If he was a socialist revolutionary type, he would not have shot this congresswoman. IF you have a brain, you know that all the hardcore violent rhetoric and the guns are in the hands of the right wing in this country as David says!! Get a clue!!
Palin is monitoring her FB
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 18:48 — Anonymous (not verified)Palin is monitoring her FB page and deleting all negative posts. HA! So much for practicing our first amendment... something our forefathers made sure we all had the right to do. Put a crosshair on that Palin.
Entirely an intuitive hunch,
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 18:48 — M Bucci (not verified)Entirely an intuitive hunch, I had told myself that something of a tragic nature would occur that would be later viewed as the "first shot" that began a real and deadly civil war in America. Could this be the event?
Upon hearsay, "There are reports that she was shot by a 9 mm Glock Semiautomatic, the same kind of gun that won the revolutionary war and was prevalent when the second amendment was adopted in 1791." (NY Times comment from 'Aradee', Madison, Wisconsin).
Since the gavel was thrown in the Republican House on Wednesday, mail bombs and now homicides have taken place aimed at Tea Party "enemies". Is it "open season" on Centrists, Liberals, Democrats and Progressives by Patriots remotely controlled by FOXNews demagogues? If so, many on the Left will need to rethink their initial dismissal of the seriousness of Palin and Company's challenges and threats; they need to realize the "crosshairs" aren't symbolic, but literal.
You may call them any "politically correct" name you wish, but I have and do call Tea Party "thugs" brown-shirts, and do call their movement by its rightful name: FASCISM.
May the words and warnings of Sinclair Lewis not come true, but I feel they come very close in describing the climate of the day.
Just three days into the Republican take-over of the House and... where will things go next?
If this doesn't have intel
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 19:08 — FR Tothus (not verified)If this doesn't have intel fingerprints all over it, and turns out to be an agent provocateur, it would be an exception.
Why is it that a Cheney or a Bush or a Rumsfeld or a Wolfowitz or a Rice or a Yoo or a Bybee is never the victim in these "lone crazy" operations?
If there was a god and he lived on earth, there would be people who would throw stones to break his windows.
Politics by assassination, bullet or otherwise. America is number one!
Anyone who remembers their
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 19:20 — Anonymous (not verified)Anyone who remembers their world history will remember a common practice in the roman empire's corrupt height called "prescription lists".
Prescription lists were published by powerful individuals, and served as a notice to the public that the assassination of the individuals on that list would not result in penalty, and might result in political or pecuniary rewards.
The fact palin and the media cadre which feed her are not being arrested on charges of conspiracy, inciting to violence, or manslaughter by gross negligence or depraved indifference.
Palin = Gestapo
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 19:55 — Anonymous (not verified)Palin = Gestapo
Mark this day in your
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 19:55 — Anonymous (not verified)Mark this day in your calendars.
Today America died.
This is a messed up 20 year
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 20:05 — Good Timing (not verified)This is a messed up 20 year kid acting out, not to make light of any of it, but that's what this is. However, it's more evidence that each citizen is immediately a suspect, and a potential threat. Perhaps our leaders should take away our first amendment rights? You know - just to keep things safe. We'll give the fools a false sense of security by preserving their 2nd amendment rights, as if that's a defense of anything we can do to them, hopefully, they'll just continue to shoot each other in record numbers. Face it, the first 10 amendments don't seem to guarantee anything.
Take for example, that everyone who boards an aircraft must be processed with a digitized, goose stepping, prison style inspection, because that's the only way to be "safe".
"Security" means kickbacks, lucrative contracts, survelliance, revoked civil liberties, prisons, racism, xenophobia, insanity and finally, the smothering of any remaining semblance of democracy. People are very confused of who their enemies are.
Don't forget that Scalia and
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 20:28 — Anonymous (not verified)Don't forget that Scalia and the other Supreme Court justices and their gun rights decisions also had a hand in events leading up to the right wing murders today. Legal extremism also has real world consequences.
00:55 and 01:28=agreed!
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:02 — Anonarcmous (not verified)00:55 and 01:28=agreed! 1/7/11 is a greater infamy than 9/11 b/c they were not feloow americans! Shame on SPalin--a failed governor instilling others to crime, and on Judge Scalia for giving the tools out... Now again, only assassinated are the democratic/liberal/progressives in the USA. Undoubtedly the death of a federal judge John Roll will bring some change. How sad that death must come first in USA--not that smart to think it through ahead of time--are we now??? Typical of Palin-- "pray for you" group that will NOT do anything but dump on god!!It is not about what god does, but what YOU the PERSON does!!
"This is a messed up 20 year
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:10 — Anonymous (not verified)"This is a messed up 20 year kid acting out, not to make light of any of it, but that's what this is. "
No, it isn't, although "the ministry of trut.. i mean "highly reputable" fox news will say so.
right-wing ultra-extremists at the top of this shell game keep ramping up their message of intolerance, emphasizing not simply delegitimization but dehumanization of those who hold opposing views, then encouraging people to bear arms to highly charged political rallies and thumping the message that it's time for the "fourth box of democracy" to take effect.
Then a target list is published, complete with gun sights, and what a surprise, now a democrat is dead.
Anyone who doesn't see the obvious connections is nothing more than dead weight to our democracy.
correction: 6 democrats are
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:16 — Anonymous (not verified)correction: 6 democrats are dead, and a congresswoman is seriously injured with a bullet in her brain.
same difference, however.
This has gone beyond rhetoric. These nutjobs who dare to hold congressional seats have been agitating uprisings against fellow citizens who dare to disagree.
borrowed from NPR's column,
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:24 — Anonymous (not verified)borrowed from NPR's column, I think it's quite prescient.
'...it seems he may be more like a person with problems whom you can't control," said Graf.' Mr Graf abstains from any specualtion that an organization might be harvesting this disaffection, giving it a purpose and so a goal. As far as this being the random act of an emotional unstable, I disagree
Obama should send the FBI to
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:33 — Anonymous (not verified)Obama should send the FBI to (1) shut down Fox News and (2) arrest Sarah Palin for using incendiary and violently provocative and emotionally manipulative language meant to provoke and instigate violence against an elected official, Federal Judge, and civilians.You can be sure that this sort of language, argued by an intelligent and bold attorney, can be categorized as a mis-use of free speech, not unlike yelling "the movie theatre is on fire." You can be sure that Sarah Palin and her Dumb Husband are both celebrating "mission accomplished."
Why is it that it the
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:35 — Anon33 (not verified)Why is it that it the violence seems to be always targeted against a person not of the right wing? Why is the group formerly known as the party of the "law and order" so full of lawlessness? Those groups need to be targeted themselves as groups signifying right-wing extremism.
Although it helps to talk about it here, it really needs to be discussed outside of this website and brought to the attention of all groups and media in the rest of the political world in the US. We need to speak up as much everywhere as it is discussed here.
And why are the people with Facebook allowed top billing on these comments? That seems to be a commercial promotion, but those of us without Facebook should also be treated equally.
Correction: If this doesn't
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:49 — FR Tothus (not verified)Correction: If this doesn't have intel fingerprints all over it, and turns NOT out to be an agent provocateur, it would be an exception.
Why wasn't Obama cracking
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:51 — Anonymous (not verified)Why wasn't Obama cracking down on Fox News regarding the blatant lies an misuse of Public Airways prior to this incident? Why does Obama sit back and take it all, allowing for the culmination of what happened today? Did you hear OBAMA'S HALF-ASSED message to these shot and killed people's relatives and friends? It was a rhetorical joke. He should have stood tall and said: we won't take any more of this Fox News scare tactic, anti-democratic lying machine and their license has been suspended due to complicity with this young man who no doubt got his inspirations from Sarah Palin and Fox News. Things like this don't happen without a real cause. Obama should have the FCC shut down all Fox News news outlets immediately. But we all know what party the neoliberal from Harvard really represents, don't we?
I am so sick of the hatred,
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:54 — Anonymous (not verified)I am so sick of the hatred, lies and vitriol spewed by the right wing I could puke. I am so sick of the press (and anybody else) spouting the false equivalency horse shit. America you are in denial. Wake up people! Our educational system is a joke, we are no longer able to compete in a global economy, we have a supreme court that grants "personhood" to multinational corporations, we have millions of "citizens" armed to the teeth and most of them don't know who their enemies are, we are doing nothing about global warming (thousands of species become extinct EVERY DAY), we have republican party candidates promoting armed insurgency (and their leadership does absolutely nothing to discourage it). Is this the America we want to hand over to our children and grand children?
The rad right is spinning
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:13 — Anonymous (not verified)The rad right is spinning the shooter as a leftie liberal. Nice way to absolve any complicity. Which they are, extremists and complicit.
@2:54 "...we have republican
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:16 — Anonymous (not verified)@2:54
"...we have republican party candidates promoting armed insurgency (and their leadership does absolutely nothing to discourage it)."
"Their leadership." Are you serious? Do you really expect any aspect of the Republican Party to show even a speck of intelligence, compassion or values? I can't believe you uttered this. You must be a half-baked liberal.
02:51 FOX's owners don't
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:27 — Anonymous (not verified)02:51 FOX's owners don't really have much of a problem with the Obama. Nothing they are broadcasting is "illegal." In 1987 the "Fairness Doctrine" was eliminated.
Watch, this madness will be
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:31 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)Watch, this madness will be used to institute even more draconian state and federal laws to do away with our civil liberties and "the last defense against tyranny". This kid was probably government mind controlled, "patsied", led to do it, and/or allowed to do it just for that very purpose. There will now be more outcry against guns, even for self-defense, and calls for crackdowns on people simply for exercising their free speech and speaking so-called "extremist" views; thus enabling the passing of "thought-crime" laws and doing away with the First Amendment and more of the Constitutions, both federal and state. These kinds of events are usually government "provocateured" at minimum to bring about just these very things, more and more crackdowns on and eradication of liberty(ies) and freedom(s), and supposedly "justifying" it. If anyone thinks any of this is any real accident, or isn't at least being used to turn this country into a totalitarian police state by design, doesn't know what is really going on because they don't seek their news from the right places and sources, especially the trustworthy sources and places on the internet...
...There is a great deal of
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:32 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...There is a great deal of evidence that this is what in reality took place surrounding the first World Trade Center, Oklahoma City and 9/11 attacks, but it has of course been covered up and you won't hear about it on the mainstream media, unless it is on local media and then quickly silenced. These events were very definitely used to "justify" the institution of draconian laws and the contravention and abrogation of the state and federal Constitutions. As a result of all this, most of the American people will come to be, as is already starting to occur, thought of as a potential threat "requiring" the eradication of liberty(ies), the presumption of guilt for everyone until proven innocent, and the control of almost every aspect of our lives in name of so-called "national security". This is what fascist police states do in order to do away with freedom(s) and to control all of their citizenry; and that is very clearly what is intentionally being done in the U.S. now, at the behest of the real powers behind the scene who run this country, the international banker, corporate-fascist, military-industrial and globalist dictators...
...Pretty soon, stemming
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:34 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...Pretty soon, stemming from more and more events like this, probably government instigated at minimum, the U.S. will be turned into a totalitarian police state. It is well on the way to that already, what with all of the many draconian, and unconstitutional, "laws" that have already been enacted; militarized police checkpoints all across the country; having to give our blood for drunk driving tests when there is no suspicion of drunk driving, and being arrested if we refuse; being required to produce our identification papers without probable cause (with everything including the slightest suspicion now considered so-called "probable cause"); local police all over the country severally assaulting handcuffed, defenseless people who haven't been proven guilty of any crime(s) yet; and more and more police shootings and murders of suspects nationwide without true just cause...
...All of this is
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:35 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...All of this is intentionally being used to engineer this country going completely insane and locking it down under martial law, and enslaving everyone under a complete control grid where only the privileged will have any freedom(s) and liberty(ies).
prisonplanet.com/arizona-assassin-obsessed-with-mind-control.html
"Why wasn't Obama cracking
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:55 — Anonymous (not verified)"Why wasn't Obama cracking down on Fox News"
1 - the first amendment guarantees freedom of speech, even if that speech is blatant fabrication and propaganda.
2 - cracking down on fox news will give them all the ammo they need to proclaim how correct they are in their assertions of "democrats as despots".
no, the proper way to insure responsibility in the media is to regulate who is allowed to carry the word "news" as a descriptor for their programming.
Any organization claiming to be "news" must put forth a good faith effort to:
a - present all points of view without prejudice
b - dig for the truth
c - refrain from the use of loaded terminology
d - assure factual accuracy in all sources for a story
e - fact check
f - FACT CHECK
"02:51 FOX's owners don't
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 22:58 — Anonymous (not verified)"02:51 FOX's owners don't really have much of a problem with the Obama. Nothing they are broadcasting is "illegal."
This is also what chicago officials said of al capone.
the abuse of the first amendment to spread authoritarian and anti-middle class propaganda is about the slimiest form of "low" you can reach in this country.
"2cd Amendment remedy" is
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 23:19 — Anonymous (not verified)"2cd Amendment remedy" is assassination. Ms. Angle, you and all those who advocate this against those with whom we disagree politically have blood on your hands now.
This right wing putsch must stop! The world has enough terrorism at the moment.
It's poor planning isn't it?
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 23:20 — Milking Badnews (not verified)It's poor planning isn't it? What's up for the future?
"When a congress person mixes with the unwashed masses there needs to be a massive G20 style multi departmental strike force complete with heavy weapons, riot gear, sonic cannons, and tons of tear gas. Everyone within a 5 mile radius needs a thorough background check, including credit ratings and psychiatric history, a "security clearance", must be a US Citizen, and must be scanned with public TSA scanning booths, of which citizens must report each time any "important" person is with a tactical 5 mile range," Kraft durch Freude!
He's a leftist! One of your
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 23:25 — Anonymous (not verified)He's a leftist! One of your own! However, leftists never miss an opportunity to make unfounded accusations. Here we go again!
Palin's crosshair graphics
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 23:25 — Anonymous (not verified)Palin's crosshair graphics are suggestive and at least considering today's tragic events repugnant.Why the media has lavished her with so much attention can only be explained by novelty gets ratings.The alleged shooter is more nut case than political case and its nauseating that this tragedy is being used in attempt to silence opposition to the methods of the current administration
"He's a leftist! One of your
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 23:39 — Anonymous (not verified)"He's a leftist! One of your own!"
No he's not, he's been spouting typical tea-party lines since his arrest, but do continue to listen to the right-wing noise machine.
Maybe aeons from now, in a parallel universe, they'll tell the truth.
"this tragedy is being used
Sat, 01/08/2011 - 23:42 — Anonymous (not verified)"this tragedy is being used in attempt to silence opposition to the methods of the current administration"
what "methods"? capitulating to the right, impersonating ronald reagan, or selling out main street to the lowest bidder?
obama is a R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N. Say it, spell, it ignore the D next to his name it's all show. Good boy.
The cross hairs US map on
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 00:11 — Anonymous (not verified)The cross hairs US map on SarahPAC.com uses the words "problem" and "solution", reminiscent of the Nazi "final solution" to the "Jewish problem".
If this is how some Americans view their world, it is sad, truly sad. These people are sociopaths.
One of the shooter's
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 00:48 — Anonymous (not verified)One of the shooter's favorite books listed on his YouTube channel is:
The Communist Manifesto
What's the other one?
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 01:06 — Anonymous (not verified)What's the other one?
This whole thing, from the
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 01:16 — Anonymous (not verified)This whole thing, from the act to the comments, across the web. Makes me want to Vomit. We seem to be becoming more shrill and from all corners. When silence and reflection would serve us well. We all had a part to play in this. None of us live in a vacuum. Pointing fingers and assigning labels just repeats myths and divisions, when there is really only us and what we've become. Do we possess the ability to change, to be more humane and civil? I have my doubts.
Many thanks for that
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 01:18 — Anonymous (not verified)Many thanks for that important information @ 05:48
I guess that means that the shooter was a KGB assassin! Case solved!
"One of the shooter's
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 01:51 — Anonymous (not verified)"One of the shooter's favorite books listed on his YouTube channel is:
The Communist Manifesto"
and that book is outweighed by the books by rand and adolf hitler.
the man HIMSELF spouts tea-party catchphrases and buzzwords.
I also don't see democrats professing violence unabashedly on the congressional floor and national tv, exacerbating the psychological condition of people like this and giving it direction and a goal.
"We all had a part to play
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 01:55 — Anonymous (not verified)"We all had a part to play in this."
yes, I hear the democrats were very vocal in their daring of people to come out and shoot them while the right-wingers and their media mouthpieces were goading them to do so.
Please stop this apologistic hypocrisy now. These bastards have been trying to incite treasonous violence against elected us officials, and they've finally goaded at least one person into action.
The documentation is there, primary sources on videos and transcripted in lexus-nexus.
They should be tried for their crimes and prevented from doing so again.
I totally agree with comment
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 02:18 — Anonymous (not verified)I totally agree with comment @06:55.
Taking a deep interest in American politics from the other side of the globe... I can see that this "false equivalence" nonsense has IN NO WAY improved the situation in your country.
MSNBC is in no way equivalent to the vile garbage produced by FOX. There is no equivalent to Palin on (what you laughably call) the left. Corrupt unions are in no way equivalent to the corruption on Wall Street.
For crying out loud... grow a backbone while you still have a fighting chance!
Lets start talking fascism.
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 04:12 — Thayer (not verified)Lets start talking fascism.
An eye witness stated he
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 05:01 — notamerica (not verified)An eye witness stated he walked up and requested the to TALK TO the congress women and was told he had to wait his turn
he walked away and then came back a few minutes later and went right for Her and shot her in the back of the head
He then proceeded to kill bystanders
He had reload magazines but was stopped by two guy's who tackled him after he emptied his first magazine
It was a POLITICAL ASSASSINATION PURE AND VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD
How many times must Sarah
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 07:00 — Anonymous (not verified)How many times must Sarah Palin put things on the internet like this before she is indicted? It was bad enough when she told her tea party cronies "don't retreat, RELOAD!".... but this time she puts a map of the United States, WITH GUN CROSS HAIRS on the states where congressmen voted for the health care law? Typical right-wing tactics- cause anger just enough so some deranged dingbat will carry out your intentions, but leave room enough that you can say you didn't directly give instructions. This time, all to repeal the health care law that will in time benefit millions of Americans. Now, more than ever, I would love to see their efforts to repeal health care reform fall flat on their faces.
This is so sad for all the
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 08:25 — Larry Glick (not verified)This is so sad for all the victims and their families. However, it is not at all surprising in an America which chooses violence as its primary tool of "diplomacy" and response to problems. The US is a nation totally in love with weapons, violence and domination. Time and again, the chickens come home to roost.
Another victim here could be
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 10:02 — WDRussell (not verified)Another victim here could be fewer politicians meeting in public with their constituents.
That will be a sad day for everybody.
Like a dog on a chain He
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 10:38 — Cliff (not verified)Like a dog on a chain
He ain't got no name
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.
Bob Dylan, from 'way back in the Sixties
Sad day? Yes, this was a
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 10:44 — Cattle Hearding (not verified)Sad day? Yes, this was a horrible act.
But the loudest debate should still be whether this country is even a Democracy. Do any of us have "access" to our Reps and Senators? No!
Which "consitutents" for example, are more important to Giffords? How important is Lockheed Martin, other huge defense contractors in AZ, or the US offshore gulag, or the two raging wars that most Americans don't want the US to wage, or the hostile rise of xenophobia - always part of the terrain in AZ?
Media Inc, loves these visceral acts, ratings surge, and they really have a reason to completely ignore relevant reporting and analysis which they do 365 days a year anyway. Now the debate on actual policy can be buried deep while endless analysis about how to keep VIPs safe in a police state from the "deranged people" takes center stage.
The economy still sucks, 3 million more people are going to lose their homes (some in Arizona incidentally), defense spending is insanely out of control and Reagan is in the White House and the excuses to destroy any and all dissent continue to grow.
...Oh, and I neglected
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 11:45 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...Oh, and I neglected rampant tasering all across the country, that has caused over 300 deaths (which is probably a conservative number), and that are in actuality police murders of suspects. In addition, police all across the nation want to use them more and more. They further use them quite indiscriminately, and also on many if not mostly restrained and/or defenseless suspects. (See the many videos on YouTube.com proving this, and that it is increasing.)...
...The U.N. has
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 11:46 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...The U.N. has categorically ruled that it is a form of torture, but it is used all the time, and as I said quite indiscriminately. This is criminal, and police are acting as judge and jury, and often executioner, before accused people even have their day in court. If this isn't evidence that the U.S. is going, as I've long said, insane on an express train to hell, I don't know what is. But most "Americans" are unaware of this ever-increasing madness because it too is not often shown on the mainstream media, or only locally, and not for long. Either that or most "Americans" are living in avoidance and denial that this is happening and getting worse and worse. Welcome to Stasi Amerika.
When they taser people, they usually order them to "Stop resisting(!)", when the victims of the tasering can't even move. They also order them to put their hands behind their backs while they're on the ground and can't move their arms. They tell them that if they don't stop resisting and/or "continue to refuse to put their hands behind their backs", they'll be tasered again. Then they often taser them again, and again, and again; when they can't comply with what they're being ordered to do, and the cops know darn well that they can't...
...It is absolutely awful
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 11:47 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...It is absolutely awful and disgusting; and, like I also said, it's getting worse and worse. But what are most "good little sheeple 'Americans'" doing in response, they're defending the police in habitually using this torture and "pre-punishment" technique on people on an ever-increasing basis. Thus, almost everyone is going mad; and as this and many other things like the attack on this Congresswoman increase, the control grid is going to tighten around most of us more and more; that is, unless We the People stop the fueling of the increasing madness, reign in the more and more out of control government, stop the increasing evisceration of civil liberties in the U.S., and reign in the rising state control of virtually every aspect of our lives by a mindlessly and increasingly violent police state and its agents.
The insanity starts with
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 12:09 — Anonymous (not verified)The insanity starts with the inciting, hateful rhetoric from the likes of Limbaugh, Savage, Beck, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, and Palin and could end when the Justice Department starts charging these criminal miscreants with hate crimes. They deserve life sentences for abetting the murder of innocent people, and the Arizona incident is just a small example of the harvest from their hatred. While the FBI violates constitutional rights of peaceful protesters and dissenters, the right-wing murderers and provacateurs continue to spew hatred and death without any consequences.
I see everyone is exploiting
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 12:35 — Anonymous (not verified)I see everyone is exploiting this tragedy to make childish political attacks.
The only clear complaint from this nutcase was the lack of education in that district, so he was mad about the lack of social spending for education.
The guy was a member of an
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 12:56 — Anonymous (not verified)The guy was a member of an anti-Semitic group and listed Mein Kampf as one of his favorite books. He's about as left-wing as, oh, Timothy McVeigh or Eric Rudolph . . .
How is it that this wacko
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 12:59 — Anonymous (not verified)How is it that this wacko had been thrown out of college for mental instability and barred from military service for drug use but was still able to purchase a semiautomatic pistol? What kind of society allows nutcases to buy such weapons?!
An insane one.
The only childishness is
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 13:02 — Anonymous (not verified)The only childishness is your own whitewashing of the murderous hate-filled rhetoric of the right, 17:35.
UPDATED ARTICLE:
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 13:47 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)UPDATED ARTICLE: prisonplanet.com/arizona-assassin-obsessed-with-mind-control.html ...
...What most people don't understand is that the government intentionally allows these "right-wing" talking heads to foment the violence. Then the violence that occurs as a direct result enables the "national 'security'" state to institute more and more crackdowns on freedom(s), to enact more "control-grid" 'laws' that are unconstitutional, and very soon to make the entire country the antithesis, or the direct opposite, of free. Otherwise, if the government wasn't involved in allowing those pundits to spew their fomenting of violence, they wouldn't be allowed to do so, and it wouldn't be allowed to go on and on as it is, but would be stopped real quick. In fact, it would have been stopped a long time ago.
Therefore, it should be obvious to most people that the government and their controlled propaganda arm, the mainstream media (MSM), are working hand in hand to foment this violence; or, at minimum, the government is at least looking the other way while the MSM carries it out; in order to turn the country into more and more of a police state, with less and less liberty(ies) and freedom(s). And then, what do a lot of idiots, like many of the people in these threads do? They themselves, those allegedly for more freedom(s) and liberty(ies), fall for it and cry for "hate"- and/or "thought"- crime laws; and, thus, for greater and greater curtailment of their own liberty(ies) and freedom(s), just the way the government designed.
So, please people, stop falling for it, and calling for your own, and the entire country's, demise; and/or the demise of all of our exceedingly important freedom(s) and liberty(ies)!
Many in political life (and
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 15:26 — Anonymous (not verified)Many in political life (and those of us who comment, whether publicly or not) must never forget the words and actions have consequences. People like Sarah Palin who inspire passions can not keep saying "will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest" and keep their hands clean. Another point: why was this apparently seriously unstable young man able to buy a gun? Those of our political representative who are serious about putting an end to this sort of violence must renounce campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association.
Add Saturday's violence to
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 15:27 — Anonymous (not verified)Add Saturday's violence to this list.
http://www.csgv.org/issues-and-campaigns/guns-democracy-and-freedom/insurrection-timeline
I am from Az I was born
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 15:29 — aznative (not verified)I am from Az I was born here, and there are a lot of people just like me from here. We are horrified at what happened yesterday and what has happened to our state. Not everyone from Arizona is a gun nut who voted for creeps like Jan Brewer or sheriff Arpio, or Rep Russell Pearce, and last but not least McCain, who needs to take responsibility for sicking Palin on us. Its terribly sad that it may take this tragedy to wake up the people of this state and the country. The silent majority, which is most of the people need to speak up and out about not only gun control, but the rhetoric that has been used by the right wing to encourage this kind of depraved behavior.
It seems to me the most
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 15:32 — John Iacovelli (not verified)It seems to me the most effective thing the left could do in the wake of this event that was so clearly incited by right wing fear mongering is to press Obama to restore the Fairness Doctrine. It would merely take an executive order, similar to the one by which Reagan abolished it in the 1980s. The rationale could be simply and clearly explained -- the people talking about "second amendment remedies" are all far right, and it is time to present views of the left for peaceful change.
It's funny to read people
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 15:38 — Anonymous (not verified)It's funny to read people saying this guy "is a leftist" because at some point he read, along with The Wizard of Oz, The Communist Manifesto & Mein Kampf. So are they saying that NO ONE except left wingers or communists have read that?? I'm sure smart conservatives like Pat Buchanan or Newt Gingrich have read TCM as well. So what? Bottom line is who he attacked, and his anti-gov stance. But guess what, it;s far too late for gun control, and there are tons of gun laws on the books already
6:51 The presence or absence
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 16:00 — Anonymous (not verified)6:51
The presence or absence of a book does not mean he necessarily advocated the message in the book. Anyone who wants to intelligently dispute someone of an opposite viewpoint may need to research that viewpoint. That he had the Communist Manifesto" does not necessarily mean he was a communist or supported communist views. It just means that he felt it to be a book worthy of acknowledgment. Plus, the fact that fascist literature, of Hitler, was also mentioned as part of his library shows that he was fascinated by both viewpoints. You cannot intelligently respond to someone of a different perspective unless you know their viewpoint. To do that you might have to read their literature, even though you might disfavor it.
We do need a return of the
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 16:02 — Anonymous (not verified)We do need a return of the fairness doctrine. What's been happening the last 30 years with the rise of right wing AM talk hate radio, with Beck, Hannity, O' Reilly, and their number one hater, Limbaugh, is UNAMERICAN! These clowns get to spout their Fascist Right Wing blather on 9 of ten AM radio talk shows. In the meanwhile, NPR outlets become middle of the road mouthpieces at best, giving lying Rethuglican Congressmembers and Senators way too much air time with little real criticism of their corporate-backed stances.
Regarding Palin, she and Angle need to be arrested as accomplices to this attempted assassination, with their 2nd Amendment solutions and gun-sight targets!
As for the future of this country, what's the right-wing and their Tea-Party ilk going to do if health care remains and even becomes better, if we get alternative energy; in other words, if everything this Congresswoman wanted gets passed as law, what are they going to do? Try to kill more Democrats, try to start a violent revolution. They better be careful about what they wish for, because it just might come back and bite them big time in the rear end, as Constitution defenders like myself will do what we have to do to stop them!
"We never, ever intended
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 16:04 — Anonymous (not verified)"We never, ever intended them to be gunsights."
BULLSHIT! That's exactly what the message was, Palin, and you ought to be ashamed, but even more arrested as an accomplice to murder!
To the person saying that
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 16:14 — Anonymous (not verified)To the person saying that people are being childish, and that this guy just wanted more social spending on education, get your head stuck out of your rear end, buddy! And when you listen to Limbaugh tomorrow make light of this situation, think about who is being childish!
While so many try to excuse
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 16:24 — fredboy (not verified)While so many try to excuse Palin, Limbaugh, Beck and the other Tea Party/KKK hate team with the false claim of "political speech," wise attorneys and prosecutors must pursue both criminal and civil redress based on incitement.
If I enter a crowded theater and yell "Fire!" or an aircraft and yell "Bomb!" and as a result people are injured or die, I would be culpable. My actions and statements would have incited violence.
Palin and the rest should be arrested, prosecuted, and sued. Their hatred, the "target" imagery, and their sustained viciousness must now be held to the legal tests. It is disgraceful and ignorant that Palin's spokesperson says their target imagery and messaging should be excused. Are they saying we can post similar Website targets on the Palin family and if harm results we are simply to be excused?
If only we had a President and Attorney General willing to pursue this and seek justice for those killed and injured.
Another BOY...raised without
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 17:03 — D.E. Goodman (not verified)Another BOY...raised without discipline, ORa Daddy? Either that, or he was PAID to do it? There are those who want to take our weapons away. And these type of "ACTS" are used to do it. "Guns don't kill people; PEOPLE kill people." He didn't have the BALLS to do it with his fists. HE is a punk. And THAT responsibility, belongs to his PARENTS! NOT the weapons industry. Nor the gun laws!
Fredboy, above, I agree with
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 17:28 — facebook (not verified)Fredboy, above, I agree with you that the president and Attourney general haven't demonstrated much interest in justice(Google Jesse Trentadue Eric Holder),
bit I'm glad this website still allows anonymous commentary/feedback, and caution everyone to heed Franklin: "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
I disagree regarding the word "deserve", but along the same lines, I don't want to lose my right to heap scorn apon Pelosi, and liberals who tolerate her. Or lose my right to do it trampled on by people who are "tired" of it. Personally, I prefer ridicule to anger when expressing these sentiments, but there 's a difference between voicing anger and making threats/inciting violence, and the latter is already illegal. To everyone who disagrees, I recommend delving a little deeper into the past examples of this type of violence, because with time, new information surfaces that often contradicts the official spin that's remarkably nimble. Google "Columbine Investigator's son was in Trench Coat Mafia."
Not proposing a conspiracy theory, because without any, this is still no justification for barring me from recommending legislation: "Exile for Traitors," or the Pelosi Penalty. I don't want to pay Wackenhut to house her. Buhbye! Yes you can take the graft with you. No, can't come back. Have fun in Haiti.
Writing the name of someone
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 17:50 — JadeQueen (not verified)Writing the name of someone of whom you disapprove gives them more infamy, which means more famy. We could teach negotiation skills first thing in our schools. It will be interesting if a substance test is done on this person and what comes out of it. Instead of teaching emotional temperance, we drug active kids, putting a faulty lid on them. Persons who can express constructive hopes have little play, not only in the mainstream media, but in the movies. If you do not turn away from violence as valuable entertainment, you bear responsibility, no matter how much you name-call others where you want to project your own hunger for blood.
The party of hate. The party
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 17:51 — Anonymous (not verified)The party of hate. The party of hate. The party of hate. The party of hate. The party of hate. The party of hate. The party of hate. Sarah Palin, Bill O'Reilly, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh. Michelle Bachman, Michelle Malkin, Jan Brewer, Mitch McConall, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Fox News, Fox News, Foux News, Fake News, Sean Hannity and the rest of the Tea Party, low I.Q. second amendment, flag waving morons who are responsible for this disgusting situation America finds itself in now.
Wow, this looks really scary
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 17:54 — Anonymous (not verified)Wow, this looks really scary - what's going on over there? When we had a massacre in Australia it was the instigation of strict gun laws, hopefully the same happens in the US following this assassination attempt. I simply cannot believe it is legal for any citizen to carry concealed firearms - what a recipe for disaster.
I read every single comment
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 18:13 — Anonymous (not verified)I read every single comment to this post, and I am absolutely astonished at the comments strictly coming from the mental garbage and anger that fills most of them. A verbal purging with no self examination of their hearts or souls. This country has had a "spiritual crisis" that has been looming since JFK was assassinated!! This country has lost it's way and the arrogance of the average American of "self-entitlement" is the worst disease of this collective. If a Congresswoman can't even express her political beliefs, can you even imagine what Obama goes through every day of his life?
CORRECTIONS AND/OR
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 18:20 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)CORRECTIONS AND/OR ADDITIONS:
...And some if not many "Americans" call for Obama, who is a willing accomplice in this extremely corrupt and evil system of things, and part of the very government that is fomenting this violence in order to turn the U.S. into a complete corporate-fascist, militarized police state, to reform it, which he is never going to do. (See directly below.) He might put on a show of "calling" for it, if that, but he won't ever reform it.
So please, people, stop living in "la-la-land", falling for it, and calling for your own, and the entire country's, demise; and/or the demise of all of our exceedingly important freedom(s) and liberty(ies); just as they want you to do! Our own Founders of this country warned us to never trust government; but, even though you don't trust the so-called "right-wing" side, you're much too trusting of the "left-wing" side!
Newsflash: None of it, or neither side of it, "right" or "left", is to be trusted, AT ALL!...
...For (more) information on tasering, please go to the sidebar of my blog, at:
wolfbritain.com/#Tasering
Any statement that the
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 18:39 — Greg Alario (not verified)Any statement that the malicious, confrontational, contempt in present-day political rhetoric has no connection to acts of angry, disillusioned madness, as took place in Arizona Saturday, is in absolute denial to the malevolent nature of such rhetoric and its possible manifestations.
My thoughts go out in hope that Gabrielle Giffords survives and is able to continue with her sincere, charismatic pro humanitarian efforts
This venomous style of politicking must be recognized across the board as unacceptable and cease.
He didn't just read the
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:16 — Anonymous (not verified)He didn't just read the Communist Manifesto. It was on his list of favorite books.
Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle,
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:28 — jwa1968 (not verified)Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle, and the rest who used violent language and imagery to promote Tea Party and Republican candidate over others must be indicted as co-conspirators. There is no excuse ina supposedly advance democracy like ours for this type of language or action. Political assassinations (including attempts at them) must be strongly and swiftly punished!
00:28 Is Mark Moulitsas also
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:53 — Anonymous (not verified)00:28
Is Mark Moulitsas also a co-conspirator? Should he also be indicted? He had listed Giffords has having a "bull's-eye" on her district for being a bad Democrat.
Dear Anonymous Aussie @ Sun,
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:59 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)Dear Anonymous Aussie @ Sun, 01/09/2011 - 22:54, etc.,
What a recipe for disaster if all or most guns, "the last defense against tyranny", are taken away from U.S. citizens like they have been taken away from Aussie citizens and others; because then, when absolute tyranny seeks to completely take over the your and/or our country(ies), like it is already doing in both the U.S. and Australia right now; when your and/or our country(ies) are folded into world government and global enslavement as is the globalist dictators' goal, who absolutely hate True Freedom(s) and Liberty(ies); and you have no defense from it, the True Patriots in your and/or our country(ies) will then wish they hadn't allowed their weapons to be taken away from them; but it will be far too late to do anything about it. Then what are you and/or Americans going to do to save themselves from absolute tyranny and despotism?
Going up against these extremely weaponized, tyrannical governments with sticks and stones certainly won't do much if any good. I abhor violence, but can I say the American revolution was wrong? No, of course not. If the American colonists had not had the weapons they did, in order to defend themselves and to fight for liberty and freedom, we might very likely be living under global empire, completely despotic tyranny, and worldwide enslavement, without any True Freedom(s) and Liberty(ies), long before today, lasting right up to today. But thank God the colonists delivered America from that fate, at least until now. Can you imagine, rhetorically-speaking, what it would have been like living under a worse and worse British Empire tyranny for much, if not all, of the past 235 years, both "down-under" and in America?...
...Most of the private
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 20:01 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...Most of the private American citizens of today who possess firearms, and probably most of the Aussies who used to possess firearms until they were tyrannically taken away from them, use their weapons responsibly and don't do anyone any harm. Rhetorically-speaking, does that mean that, just because there are a very small percentage, compared to the whole, of people who use firearms for murder and mayhem, and because there are of course some accidents, they should be taken away from the majority of people who use them responsibly? If citizens could carry guns and could defend themselves, a lot of these violent incidents like what happened in Arizona, could be stopped in their tracks, and tyranny and despotism would be very unlikely to completely take over as they are today; but because the majority of the populace are unarmed, just as tyrannical government wants, we are relatively defenseless and wide open for the takeover of despotism...
...There are very good
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 20:01 — S. Wolf Britain (not verified)...There are very good reasons why the Second Amendment was put in the U.S. Constitution, primarily for the reason(s) that I've already outlined, "the last defense against tyranny". The Founders of the U.S. very wisely saw what could and would happen if the general citizenry was disarmed; and we see it happening right now in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere; the greater and greater eradication of Liberty(ies) and Freedom(s), more and more absolute government control, and the resultant enslavement. [Little or no True Freedom(s) and Liberties equals little or no True Free Will, and therefore also equals enslavement.] I've never owned any firearms in my entire life, and I still don't, but I understand why the Second Amendment exists, and I stand totally behind the Second Amendment and the ENTIRE U.S. Constitution, except for that and/or those one or two Amendments that are unconstitutional, like the Sixteenth Amendment.
Because of my religiousness, my belief(s) in the Ten Commandments, and my faith in nothing but True Christianity, not the counterfeit, false, so-called "Christianity", which is full of evil, that has taken over most of the world, I do not believe in firearms for my personal use, and I could not with a clear conscience carry out violence against anyone, even only in self-defense. But I stand completely behind the liberty(ies) and freedom(s) of those who do possess firearms, and their right(s) to possess and use them for self-defense, and/or against the takeover of absolute tyranny and despotism. That is why the Second Amendment is in the U.S. Constitution, and it is treason against the U.S., against the People of the U.S., and against the U.S. Constitution to violate the Second Amendment, and not to completely uphold, defend and protect it, as well as the entire Constitution, from all national enemies and traitors who are presently overthrowing it, overthrowing U.S. sovereignty and independence, and overthrowing all True Freedom(s) and Liberty(ies) both in the U.S. and abroad.
GOD AND THE PEOPLE, BOTH NATIONALLY AND THE WORLD-OVER, SAVE THE ENTIRE PLANET FROM THE DESPOTISM AND TYRANNY THAT ARE VERY QUICKLY TAKING OVER THE U.S., AUSTRALIA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD AT THE PRESENT TIME!
That is what True Patriotism is.
Your's for nothing but True Liberty and Freedom,
/s./ Wolf
S. Wolf Britain, Fully Physically Disabled Equal, Human, Civil, Legal, and Liberty Rigths Advocate (wolfbritain.com)
My thoughts go out in hope
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 20:08 — John (not verified)My thoughts go out in hope that Ms Giffords does survive in order to, 1) with the best of her abilities get even with her attackers by, 2) doing even more than what she has done, with what she has left, to reverse the bigotry, violence, and Right-wing shortsightedness that has ruined this country for over the past 30 years. Then the rest of us could easily try to match what she could still do.
Yes, get even, as that is what RFK used to say. Had he survived, he sure would had, too.
To those right wing
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 20:44 — Anonymous (not verified)To those right wing Christians: Jesus would be ashamed of your hatred. Satan loves you.
The ONLY thing that will
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 21:21 — Anonymous (not verified)The ONLY thing that will stop the right-wing media hate machine is $$$. We need to start watching Faux News and listening to Rush Limbaugh. We need to make note of every one of their commercial sponsors and let all of them know that they are complicit in MURDER by sponsoring hate-mongers. Then, we each need to take personal action and refuse to buy their products and/or services until they renounce the hate.
To use the right's words, we need to "starve the beast." $$$ is the only thing corporate America understands and without corporate support Faux News would die.
Consider for a moment...
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 21:51 — Anonymous (not verified)Consider for a moment... thid horrible event confirms how much of the world sees the US.
A nation living in constant existential fear...a nation eager to use deadly force to destroy real or imagined dangers... a nation with the most destructive military on the planet, a nation of media hysteria and spineless politicians. A mation addicted to ranting shock-jocks. A nation comfortable with the use of violent rhetoric to promote products and candidates.
If there are forces capable of condoning and executing such an act in one of your main cities, what hope for the rest of the world. I you are willing to do that to one of your own, what will you do to us?
Is it any wonder we fear you more and more, even as your influence declines?
This has "Tea Party radical"
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 21:54 — oleman, (Michigan) (not verified)This has "Tea Party radical" written all over it. Ya know when we read about some kid converting to Islam and then doing violence, we say "he was radicalized by radical Muslims." Do ya think that maybe this kid with questionable mental capabilities was "radicalized" by the "right wing" and thought he wa being a "hero" for them? What do u want to bet that when he begins to talk, that he starts spouting "Right wing propaganda." Someone should look real close to see who steps in to defend him or "pay anonumously" for his defense. He will definetly plead insanity to get out of this. I like my guns and wouldn't give em up for anything, but there is a time and place for violence.
02:21 Is Mark Moulitsas part
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 21:57 — Anonymous (not verified)02:21
Is Mark Moulitsas part of the "right-wing media hate machine"? He put a bull's-eye on Gifford's district.
Another book on his
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 22:22 — Anonymous (not verified)Another book on his favorites list was Mein Kampf. He's a right-wing anti-Semite who attempted to assassinate a Jewish Democratic Congresswoman. He lived out Sarah Palin's violent fantasy.
Watching the extreme right try to spin this is pathetic.
I'm outside of the USA but
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 22:47 — benalbanach (not verified)I'm outside of the USA but it seems to me that if a Democrat or at least someone remotely left of centre were to suggest that someone take a pot-shot at,say,the Palin woman...Nothing would happen. But if someone on the right of centre (wherever your centre is) were to make such a crack you can be fairly sure some nut somewhere would heed the call.
This sad event is going to
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 22:54 — tomo (not verified)This sad event is going to lead to endless statements about how "both sides need to clean up their speech and talk civilly." I'm going to vomit when I hear that stuff. One side is talking assassination, "loading up," targeting; the other isn't. I don't need to say which is which. EVERYONE knows which is which. The party that's been doing this will probably continue to do it. If you personally have an ounce of decency and you know someone in the offending party, you should try to get them to leave it; if you belong to the offending party, you should leave it. Let me add one more note just to be clear: no decent person can belong to that party and remain decent.
Okay.... it's the guns. And
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 22:56 — Anonymous (not verified)Okay.... it's the guns.
And it's the crosshairs, it's poor mental health, it's screechig media commentators, it violent imagery, it's a bad economy, it's poor education, it's racism,.... but above all else... it's the constant climate of fear in YOUR communiry. Existential fear of... well, almost everything.
As of now, there has been no
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 23:37 — Jim-Bob (not verified)As of now, there has been no further information about the shooter being politically right/left, sane/insane [etc]. We do not even know what brain damage Gabrielle Giffords will sustain. About all that can be said now is that the brain itself has no nerve cells and hence feels no pain. There will (of course) be ancillary pain. Sarah Palin (et al) may or may not be culpable although their no-holds-barred campaigns would seem to indict them. The 22 yr old shooter looks like a nice Jewish boy still home with his parents - no law against that. Pending more information, there's little more to be added.
The Sarah Palin apologists
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 23:57 — John (not verified)The Sarah Palin apologists are all jammed up over the cross-hairs on her website and the obvious connection to what happened in AZ.
They all basically claiming that the cross-hairs were just some sort of gimmick and meant nothing in the sense of actually targeting anyone.
But I have to agree with Michael Moore on this one. He asked that if a Detroit Muslim had a website that singled out 20 politicians with cross-hairs and one of them ended up getting shot ---- where do you think he'd be right now?
So why isn't there a caravan of unmarked Crown Vic's headed toward Sarah's house right now?
Hell, they could make a reality show out of it and call it The Secret Service in Alaska to go with the other fifteen "Alaska" shows we have now that are designed to market Lil' Sarah and her Survivalist constituency to the public.
People listen to yourselves!
Sun, 01/09/2011 - 23:58 — Anonymous (not verified)People listen to yourselves! Stop eating food full of pesticides and chemicals and see how you thinking clears up, seriously...
John @04:57, Well said. I
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 02:14 — Anonymous (not verified)John @04:57,
Well said. I have to say, I have been just as tired, lately, of some of the so-called liberal media like Huffpost providing people like Sarah Palin a platform. Why is this lunatic in something like 3 headlines per day in their newspaper? With additional headlines on her daughter and former spouse?
She lost miserably in the elections. Conservatives were afraid to vote for John McCain because they perceived her as such a loose wheel. The nation felt so relieved that they lost, mostly expecting (at least I did) that she would fade away into well deserved obscurity, a strange blip on the screen, a footnote for the textbooks.
Hopefully, that can still be the case, but obviously a lot more people must take responsibility for feeding this kind of continued rhetoric, because Sarah Palin certainly is not capable of doing so. The rest, however, should know better.
That this is a tragedy,
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 03:11 — RealTimeHistory (not verified)That this is a tragedy, there is no doubt.
I read the comments and want to rail
Against the thoughts that give violence worth
There is no value to this endless hurt.
But reason leaves: no one can please
this endless, mindless, shameless dirge
to make a point, to take advantage
no compromises, no talk of trying to gather
the merest wisps of common senses
to make the threads for a common cloth
to shelter grieving hearts
to shelter grieving hearts
to shelter grieving hearts, again.
"we never, ever, ever
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 05:29 — Nancy (not verified)"we never, ever, ever intended it to be gun sights!" Than what were the intentions? Did a baby write this? And this idiot on the shooting range, what message was he supposed to be sending? This is what you get, you morons! This is the result of all of these jackasses on fox and fat rush limbo. sara palin is just the latest a**wipe. The crazies are listening and now responding. What a nightmare.
Anyone posting here that the
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 09:55 — Anonymous (not verified)Anyone posting here that the murderer was somehow "liberal" or anti-property, well, that ain't going to wash. he was anti-government, and the last timer I checked, people who are anti-government are CONSERVATIVES and TEA BAGGERS! He lives in Tuscon, the Congresswoman barely won her seat back, and the Tea Party is strong there, and he undoubtedly knew about them and liked their anti-government principles enough to commit this crime!
Anyone (a Con or Tea Gagger)
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 10:09 — Anonymous (not verified)Anyone (a Con or Tea Gagger) who thinks this assassin was a lefty needs to take a good look in the mirror. Let's see: he obviously knows who Palin is, knows about Fox News and probably watches it, was turned down by the military (thankfully!), and had anti-government sentiments. Anti-government sentiments, typical of Tea Baggers who'd rather have their insurance rates go up than have what every other country has: nationalized health care. This Congressmember's office was trashed because she voted yes on Health Care Reform. She also said that there were consequences to having Palin putting gun sights on the districts of Democrats.
The threat of violence, of
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 10:10 — Interested Observer (not verified)The threat of violence, of "second amendment remedies", "watering the tree of liberty", and other manifestations of so-called "oath keeping" have become standard since the 2008 election. (No problem if the abusers are a right wing Christians embedded in oil and arms, but suddenly revolution is at hand!) I expect that this debate on violent rhetoric will be blown off by the right as yet another example of "liberal political correctness" and liberal attempt to deprive them of their first amendment rights (and prelude to an attack on their even more precious second amendment rights), expressed this case in a way not far from shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater, an accepted exception to the rule. It is sad that one must account for demented gun owners but that is the way we want it.
It's official now, with the
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 10:48 — liberalsunite (not verified)It's official now, with the attempted assassination of an elected Democratic Jewish woman, instigated by Fuhrer Palin:
The GOP is the new Nazi party.
Jared Loughner joins the
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:06 — Anonymous (not verified)Jared Loughner joins the "tradition" of American right-wing domestic terrorism, alongside Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph and Scott Roeder. These guys truly are the American Taliban, and their puppet masters are the likes of Murdoch, Palin, and Limbaugh.
You know this is exactly
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:15 — Anonymous (not verified)You know this is exactly what Palin, Angle, Beck, and so on have wanted.
03:22 The Nazi party was
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:17 — Anonymous (not verified)03:22 The Nazi party was left. National Socialist Party. Mein Kampf supports leftist thought. The extreme left are the Jew haters today.
03:22: You are a liar or a
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:32 — Anonymous (not verified)03:22:
You are a liar or a dupe.
The Nazi party was fascist hard right.
And 77% of Jews in America voted for Obama. They know their interests.
And their enemies. Like you.
The Nazi party was far
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:33 — Anonymous (not verified)The Nazi party was far right.
Try again, you pathetic right-wing liars . . .
Oh, wow, so the word
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:36 — Anonymous (not verified)Oh, wow, so the word "Socialist" was in the title; therefore . . .
What?
Words have multiple meanings, or hadn't you ever noticed, dimwit? Look at a dictionary sometime.
The Nazi Party is classified by all historians as "FAR RIGHT", duh . . .
"The ideologies usually
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:39 — Anonymous (not verified)"The ideologies usually associated with the far right include fascism, Nazism and other ultra-nationalist, religiously extreme or reactionary ideologies."
--online encyclopedia
(sounds like the GOP too)
16:17 is obviously a Nazi
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:45 — Mr. Bernstein (not verified)16:17 is obviously a Nazi itself.
And in Obamanible
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 12:02 — Vic Anderson (not verified)And in Obamanible paraphrase, "what we Do KNOW is that senseless and terrible US acts of global violence have no place in a FREE World."
Loughner belongs to the
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 13:01 — nazani14 (not verified)Loughner belongs to the party of NUTS, just like the Hutaree, Tim McVeigh, the guy who killed the guard at the Holocaust Museum, and the guy who crashed his plane into the tax office.
Can we please try to come up with some way to help the mentally ill? This shouldn't be a partisan issue. Yes, it will cost money to reach out to them, but I'm sure it will be less than the cost to society of so many wasted lives, so many people harming themselves and others. How many more kids have to be drowned in bathtubs or shot in their schools before we understand that we need to take mental illness as seriously as we take the flu?
It is a partisan issue
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 13:14 — Anonymous (not verified)It is a partisan issue because all these nuts are right-wingers who have been soaking up right-wing hate, anti-Semitism, and anti-government rhetoric from AM radio, Faux News, and other vile propaganda sources.
Some of you hate the far
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 20:29 — Anonymous (not verified)Some of you hate the far right, apparently.
The far right has created
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 20:45 — Anonymous (not verified)The far right has created the climate in which this event occurred--a climate characterized by nonstop violent, deeply misleading political rhetoric and the ability of a deranged person to purchase a semiautomatic weapon.
Um, yes, it would be safe to
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 20:48 — Simple Tones (not verified)Um, yes, it would be safe to say that Nazis and other elements of the far right aren't popular here.
The photo reveals Mrs.
Mon, 01/10/2011 - 22:31 — Anonymous (not verified)The photo reveals Mrs. Giffords to be an extremely attractive and winning young woman. What a senseless tragedy. What a despicable act. What a national nightmare.
Dr. Peter Rhee now says
Tue, 01/11/2011 - 11:01 — Anonymous (not verified)Dr. Peter Rhee now says Giffords' prognosis for survival is 100%!!
I sincerely hope Gabrielle
Tue, 01/11/2011 - 12:16 — That's Mr. Mill to You (not verified)I sincerely hope Gabrielle Giffords returns to her work as a dedicated public servant. She was a rising star in our politics until her encounter with a madman. May the best lie ahead for her.
This tragedy has brought
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 07:02 — Anonymous (not verified)This tragedy has brought home just how dangerous the extremely wealthy are. Think about it, how much power has condensed in the hands of a few (the Koch brothers are a prime example). They alone have the power to influence elections, public policy for better but mostly worse, make or break the functionality of our economy and decide how much of the worlds precious resources to destroy in the name of prosperity.
The Tea Party was bankrolled by Koch, they won the elections and had Giffords shot, we have no energy policy, we are heading like a runaway train towards certain tragedy and catastrophic global warming simply to pleasure a certain rich man.
This has got to be the most pressing issue of the day!
The problems we face can all be laid at the feet of the extremely wealthy. What is the purpose of having 21 billion dollars? There is none, and it should be illegal cause it certainly is detrimental to society.
Can we have a tax policy that fixes this? We used too, when we were the greatest nation of the world. We have since passed that off to the wealthy. The Koch brothers have the greatest nation stays now and they don't give a crap about you or the world. I have never seen such a pure state of evil.
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