Blue Dog Democrat Gabrielle Giffords was among at least a dozen people shot outside a Tucson shopping center during the Congresswoman's annual "Congress in your Corner" event.
Giffords, who recently took part in the reading of the U.S. Constitution on the floor of the House, was responding to doctors' commands Saturday evening after the bullet pierced her brain as it entered then exited her skull. The gunman also allegedly killed an unidentified nine-year-old girl and Federal District Court Judge John Roll.
Giffords is a former Republican who narrowly won her third Congressional term after a spirited challenge from a Tea Party candidate. She was one of the relatively few Blue Dog Democrats to have emerged victorious from the 2010 midterm elections.
The shooter was identified Saturday evening as Jared Lee Loughner, a man whose Internet ramblings (which were taken down after the shooting) further identify him as mentally ill. From the little information available about Loughner, his main problem with the federal government was what he saw as widespread illiteracy in Arizona's 8th Congressional District (the district served by Giffords).
In the coming days, there will undoubtedly be those from one perspective or another who attempt to score political points off this tragedy. If Loughner's writings reveal a liberal bent, some on the right will attempt to categorize all liberals as deranged. If his writings reveal a conservative bent, some on the left will attempt to do the same. Sarah Palin will also come under fire for her "crosshairs" map on Facebook, which identified Giffords as a vulnerable Democrat worth challenging in the midterms.
The reality, however, is that only a deranged person would take the concept of a "political target" to such a ridiculous extreme. Regardless of the political persuasion of the killer (and it's fairly clear there is none), those who attempt to use tragedies like this to further a political view or denigrate another are nothing more than opportunists, plain and simple.
Likewise, in the coming days, we undoubtedly will see a push for gun control in the state of Arizona, one of the few states to have an "open-carry" policy regarding licensed firearms. This is folly as well. Arizona's gun laws aren't responsible for this tragedy. The real question the people of Arizona should be how someone like Loughner fell between the cracks. From the little we know about Loughner from his Internet writings, he was someone who had serious mental problems. Unless he was a master of deceptions (and all evidence so far indicates that he was not), Loughner should never have been running around loose on the streets. His access to firearms is troubling, of course, but the reality is that if he was determined to kill people, he would have found a way to kill them sooner or later, whether it was guns, knives or bombs.
More on the Tucson tragedy from About.com:
"Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Environmental Leader, Shot in Arizona" by Environmental Guide Larry West
"The Gabrielle Giffords Shooting - Irony and Coincidence, Integrity and Foreshadowing" by Women's Issues Guide Linda Lowen
"Gabrielle Giffords Bio" by U.S. Government Info Guide Robert Longley
"Gabrielle Giffords On Sunny Side of Many Causes" by Nonprofit Guide Joanne Fritz
"Are Media to Blame for the Shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords?" by Media Guide Glenn Halbrooks
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Comments
Ding, ding. It is too easy for someone mentally ill to get their hands on a gun and do evil things. Too easy.
if someone in the crowd were carrying, maybe he wouldn’t have been able to get off so many shots and kill a 9 year old.
Arizona, one of the few states to have an “open-carry” policy regarding licensed firearms.
in fact
Forty-three states’ constitutions recognize and secure the right to keep and bear arms in some form, and none of those
prohibit the open carrying of firearms
With regards to your “open carry” statement – I believe what you meant was that Arizona has Constitutional carry, meaning that law-abiding citizens who are not otherwise prohibited (e.g. felons, mentally unstable, drug addicts, etc) may carry firearms WITHOUT the need for a license.
Is Gabby really a Blue Dog Democrat? The Democrat Party had trouble with the Blue Dogs because they wouldn’t vote for Obamacare. Gabby Giffords voted for Obamacare. She’s more like a socialist .
Justin, I understand your argument that he shouldn’t have been out on the street, but what supports that argument? Did he have other episodes? Commit other crimes? People should not be locked up just because they are mentally disturbed. A lot of people with mental issues are harmless and should be allowed to live their lives until/unless they are a known danger to themselves and others.
Communication is nearly instant today yet local, state and federal databases are inadequate to document potentially troubled people who should not be able to purchase arms, at least legally. His access to firearms is more than “troubling” and even if he “would have found a way to kill … whether it was guns, knives or bombs”. it should be made as difficult as possible and currently it is not – the process is not in place to gather necessary data.
@inerlogic:
I saw a TV report that one of the two men who stopped Jared Loughner was armed, but Jared was reloading by the time they got close enough. Hence tackling him instead.