# "Second Amendment Remedies" \[re: Arizona Shooting\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905 "2011-01-08T18:52:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/1 "2011-01-08T18:52:11Z")
> **[Giffords shooting sparks national debate](https://www.politico.com/story/2011/01/giffords-shooting-sparks-national-debate-047244)** > > Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot in the head and critically wounded Saturday at a public event in Tucson, Ariz. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/2 "2011-01-08T18:54:26Z")
And the Republican governor gets to appoint a replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/3 "2011-01-08T18:56:19Z")
Don’t you think you should hold off on the accusation until more information comes out? ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/4 "2011-01-08T18:57:33Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/5 "2011-01-08T18:59:13Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/6 "2011-01-08T19:00:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/7 "2011-01-08T19:01:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/8 "2011-01-08T19:01:49Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > It seems premature in the extreme to call it politically motivated when it could just as easily been psychotically motivated. The two seem to have been conflated, of late. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/9 "2011-01-08T19:08:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/10 "2011-01-08T19:12:56Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > 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 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. ---
**Author:** ![wipetheclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wipetheclock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wipetheclock)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/11 "2011-01-08T19:13:22Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I think we are going down the road to civil war. Really? Shootings, mail bombs, and threats are scary but a handful of nuts does not civil war make. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/12 "2011-01-08T19:15:40Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/13 "2011-01-08T19:19:01Z")
> [@wipetheclock](#): > > Really? Shootings, mail bombs, and threats are scary but a handful of nuts does not civil war make. 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. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/14 "2011-01-08T19:21:36Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/15 "2011-01-08T19:23:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/16 "2011-01-08T19:24:43Z")
Giffords is dead. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/17 "2011-01-08T19:27:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/18 "2011-01-08T19:27:40Z")
Can we stop with the pre-overreaction? For all we know the shooter is a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/19 "2011-01-08T19:27:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And the Republican governor gets to appoint a replacement. No. She’s a congresswoman. The seat will be vacant until a special election is held. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905/20 "2011-01-08T19:28:15Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-amendment-remedies-re-arizona-shooting/566905.md?page=2)