And the Republican governor gets to appoint a replacement.
Don’t you think you should hold off on the accusation until more information comes out?
What’s with the thread title? I was unaware of Congresswoman Giffords until now, but a quick search on her indicates that despite her party affiliation she is fairly pro-Gun Ownership (opposed the D.C. gun ban.)
Based on the story it sounds like 12 people were shot, I highly doubt it was someone trying to make some sort of political statement on gun ownership.
Indeed, it seems she was. But people can get violent over many issues, and a shooter need not be protesting restrictions on gun ownership.
Without information on the shooter, this could mean anything. Maybe he was scared of lizard people taking over the government. There will be years to discuss the meaning of this assassination. It seems premature in the extreme to call it politically motivated when it could’ve just as easily been psychotically motivated.
He’s referencing the fact that some conservative pundits and politicians have made remarks to the effect of armed rebellion is the only way to curb the socialist expansion in America. Not a commentary on the second amendment itself.
The two seem to have been conflated, of late.
This is the second time Giffords has been targeted with gunshots. Her office was vandalized, and shots fired following her vote for health care reform.
I think we are going down the road to civil war.
Indeed. It seems much more in character of a lone nutter who could have just as easily have shot up a business/place of employment, a mall, or a school yard.
If it was politically motivated…I do believe Arizona has a death penalty on their books. And I don’t think it would be too good for him.
Really? Shootings, mail bombs, and threats are scary but a handful of nuts does not civil war make.
And what is the likelihood that they’ll execute someone guilty of right wing violence? If he’d shot a Republican maybe, but they’ll do everything they can to let him off easy.
When it is up close and personal like a bullet to the head, it has a much more inflammatory effect than an anonymous letter bomb.
I think there will be retaliation. There is no shortage of extremists on the left, in spite of the hippie-dippy peacenik caricature that is popular on the right. I remember the Weathermen.
Do I think it’s some right-winger/teabagger? Yeah, I’d bet on it. But, without discounting the political orientation of those most frequently responsible for violence, I do think it’s also a question of what sort of society we want to encourage. Regardless of the guy’s political beliefs, the blame rests with those who have spent the last two years implicitly and explicitly encouraging violence: Glenn Beck, Michelle Bachman, Sharon Angle, Palin, etc. Even his beliefs are off the political map (e.g., David Icke’s lizard people), this is still the kind of personality that has found comfort and confidence in the words of such people.
Maybe this will be the event that prompts all the fucking rightwing retards to cool their stupid fucking kill-them-all-and-let-God-sort-it-out rhetoric?
Yeah, right, I know. I’m sure Palin and Glenn Beck will see this is as the first clear victory in the glorious revolution.
Giffords is dead.
Maybe, but it doesn’t seem likely to me. At least right now, there is no militant left of the size that existed in the 70s. That said, some kind of guerilla-based civil war would erupt if such a retaliation occurred.
Personally, I support vigorous protest, and destruction of property in certain cases. But I hope that no such (murderous) retaliation happens.
Can we stop with the pre-overreaction? For all we know the shooter is a Democrat.
No. She’s a congresswoman. The seat will be vacant until a special election is held.
My prediction…some lone nutball that listens to right wing radio and Fox news all day and fancies himself a patriot and a freedom fighter but is unaffiliated with any organized right wing group.
Just guessing at this point.