Yes, sometimes a target is “just a target,” as when a major retail corporation chooses to use it as a logo. Sometimes, however, when it is in the format of rifle cross-hairs centered over the names of politicians that you would like to be removed, it is somewhat more troublesome. When one of those politicians actually gets shot, I don’t think it’s outrageous to point out the connection.
That said, I’m holding off on outrage until we figure out what the guy’s real motivation was. The fact that Giffords’ office was previously vandalized and shot is making me think it’s not that likely that this guy is just an “impress Jodie Foster” style psychopath, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
There is a certain grim satisfaction in being proven right, yes. It’s vastly outweighed by the sorrow and anger that the shit has devolved to this level.
It shouldn’t take a politically-motivated death to make people understand that they have been acting absolutely fucking insane for the last decade.
So, Sarah was just protesting the incursion of Target department stores into small-town America? Or maybe the targets were for the best locations to shoot wolves from a helicopter? Even for a smokescreen, this is pretty thin.
Then you once again fail to understand a view not in keeping with your preferred interpretation of the Second Amendment. NO ONE here wants what you say to be true, you hatefilled asswipe. But a lot of us do EXPECT to find out that it is. And nobody but the “Second Amendment remedies” faction you are, shall we say, uncomfortably close to being a part of would consider it “point-keeping”.
As I said, even if it is a lone nutjob (a word that has become increasingly nebulous as Glenn Beck has become mainstream), whose views have little overlap with official Republican dogma, the right-wing leaders who have been spewing venomous lies are still responsible. They have decided to bank on the energies of the crazed and malicious, and this result is inevitable.
I didn’t expect to see such typical rightwing bullshit reaction to statements of inconvenient fact from a sane poster, but life’s been full of surprises lately.
Well I guess they’ll have to get by on the illusion that *not killing people because of their politics *makes them better people.
This IS about politics, whether you like it or not. A sitting Congresswoman was shot at a public event for her constituents. We may not know much about the shooter – and I’m holding off on any judgment until the police have interrogated him – but it’s not likely she was shot as an innocent bystander.
Frankly, this horrible event is going to be used by political opportunists on both sides. That’s just the nature of the current political climate, a climate that has been fostered by both sides.
Unfortunately, I have come to expect left-wing knee-jerk “OMG the righties are at it again!” rhetoric from lots of otherwise sane-sounding people on this board.
Just look at the OP. Without a single piece of evidence out yet as to the motives of the shooter, it’s all about right-wing hate.
And I’m the jackwagon here for pointing that out? Fior trying to put a dose of moderation and perspective on the issue? For saying, “wait until we know some more before rushing to judgement?”
Look, FWIW I agree that the level of rhetoric in political discourse has gotten pretty skewed, and I’m willing to lay blame equaly on both sides. Just because I happen to believe strongly in something that is typically related to one side doesn’t automatically make me an ardent partisan believer in everything that side says and does, or a hater of the other side.
And attempts by people to try to paint me into a corner only goes to illustrate the “If you’re not with us, the you’re against us” mindset that seems to be gripping both sides, but by the nature of this board’s membership tends to be more one-sided.
Where did I say, or even imply, such a moral choice was illusory?
Just glanced over at Faux News, they are reporting that the gunman was immediately fired upon someone also in the crowd. Guess they wanted to get that bit of spin in there, reminding us how much safer we are because of all the concealed carry permits that abound.
Goody. News reports don’t say anything about the gunman being wounded, just in custody. Four dead, quite a few more wounded.
Reports say he was white, the age means absolutely jack shit, and she was targeted by violence once before, after she voted for Health Care. Immigrations Rights activists don’t shoot people anyway. Right wingers shoot people.
I wonder how many causalties were caused by the John Wayne in the crowd. Returning fire was an incredibly reckless and irresponsible thing to do. I hope that person is also arrested and charged.