CNN: Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot

[Adam]

Exactly! Even if it is for idiotic, illogical motives. I don't think anyone here is saying Sarah Palin shot this woman, or that she even has anything to do with it, I certainly wasn't. Its just, with the rhetoric she spreads (such as the cross hairs thing), it makes sense people would be bringing it up when one of the people she targeted actually ended up getting shot.

[Scotty]

This just adds to my belief that something is going on in this country that it is beyond our control. I'm not saying I believe that the world is going to end or anything, but this plus all the birds and fish that have turned up dead, and the crazy weather lately across much of the U.S., all to indicate that something is not quite right.

Go ahead and call me crazy....but weird things are happening.

[Scotty]

I think you bring up an excellent point. Her rhetoric, along with others like Glen Beck, fuels these unhinged kinds of people who actually take what all of what they say literally and decide to act out against the government. And, as you say, that doesn't mean she pulled the trigger herself (or literally forced someone else to).

[Adam]

Well said Scotty! I just think its kind of naive to chalk this up as or any incident involving an attempt on the live of a politician as some crazy idiot and NOT to take nasty political rhetoric (on both sides of the political spectrum) into account. We are all autonomous in our decisions yes, but some more than others can be heavily inspired or influenced by what powerful people have to say. This case is no different in my opinion.

Like, look at how many people STILL believe Barack Obama is a Muslim....

[Scotty]

Exactly Adam! And thanks. And I can't tell you how many times I've flipped through the channels on TV and heard Glen Beck crying and screaming and spewing his crazy ideas and thinking "My God, some people actually believe this garbage and take it seriously."

People as a whole are ignorant...and therein lies a lot of the problem. Just look at some of the other crazy things some people still believe in. And, while that doesn't always make them dangerous, it does certainly have the potential to.

[dragonflies]

I guess it was a 9 year old girl, everywhere I read they said it was a 9 year old boy.

List of people killed:

http://globalgrind.c...n-91101-photos/

The identity of the 9-year-old tragically killed in this morning's deadly rampage is Christina Taylor Greene.

Family says she was vibrant, excited about life, and she was the "best daughter in the world.Born on September 11, 2001, Greene was excited about the political process, was on the student government, and went to the Giffords event today to learn more about the political process, family members say.

Greene attended Mesa Verde Elementary School. She was the only girl on the CDO baseball team - she loved the sport, as well as horseback riding and swimming.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office has released the identities of the six people killed in this morning's tragic shooting.

-John Roll, 63, a federal district court judge.

-Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, Giffords' director of community outreach

-Dorwin Stoddard, 76, a pastor at Mountain Ave. Church of Christ.

-Christina Greene, 9, a student at Mesa Verde Elementary

-Dorthy Murray, 76

-Phyllis Scheck, 79

The suspect is being interviewed at PCSO headquarters currently, and will be transported to jail later this evening, deputies say.

[quartermainefan]

we know and it has been documented that insane right wing statements are out there--even by the politicians--such as if you can't rectify the problem with ballots to turn to bullets, talks of secession, the whole crosshairs thing and to not retreat but reload, etc. What parallel comments have come from the left that leads you to say from both sides?

[Adam]

I don't know of any specific examples in the realm you speak of, but there is just as many whacked out ideologues on the left with severe cases of verbal diarrhea as there is the right. That was my general point.

[quartermainefan]

I am having trouble coming up with the left wing parallel to Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, the birthers, Michelle Bachman, and the Gov of Texas who openly talks of Secession (also known as treason)

[GoldenDogs]

Then which political party or figures were responsible for the jackass who went on a firing frenzy at a school district board meeting in Florida? Those are elected officials, as well.

The attempt to somehow create the idea that the likes of the Tea Party or any conservative is responsible for the actions of a nutjob tells me exactly who the real lunatics are. That anyone seizes upon this tragedy and turns it into a way to score a political point is inexcusable. I've said it before and I'll say it again... it's obvious who the real intolerant ones are and it often is those proudly wearing the liberal badge. Tragedies like this certainly allow the sour amongst us to bubble to the surface...

[GoldenDogs]

So then, Adam, I would expect you to condemn the sort of rhetoric liberals spread about Bush throughout his presidency. You will recall, I'm sure, the vile things stated about the man and his motives. Funny thing is, I don't recall some individuals I knew around that time (some of which are around here today) objected to the nasty flames thrown about during the Bush years, particularly in light of 9/11. I recall some particularly vile comments made about Rumsfeld and particularly Cheney... Hmmm...

Not pointing fingers at you, Adam, but I'm sure you could quite easily think of at least ONE person you have known these past many years who has went so far as to boldly state their hope for the death of Bush and/or Cheney, or some other conservative political figure.

Glass houses, friends... some here reside in them and I really am disgusted by it.

[Adam]

Fair point. I can't think of any examples though of politicians who are openly aspiring to be President using the kind of gun-totting, militaristic rhetoric against Bush or any of his administration that Sarah Palin has been using. Like I said though, I am not saying Sarah Palin had anything to do with anything that has went on the last couple of days, I am just saying it makes sense her rhetoric will come up in the conversation. That's all I am saying.

[GoldenDogs]

Here are a few... let me know if you need more...

"A spoiled child (Bush) is telling us our Social Security isn’t safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here’s your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [audio sound of 4 gunshots being fired.] Just try it, you little b*stard. [audio of gun being cocked]." — A "humor bit" from the Randi Rhodes Show

"I want to go up to the closest white person and say: ‘You can’t understand this, it’s a black thing’ and then slap him, just for my mental health" — New York city councilman Charles Barron

"..And then there’s Rumsfeld who said of Iraq ‘We have our good days and our bad days.’ We should put this S.O.B. up against a wall and say ‘This is one of our bad days’ and pull the trigger." — From a fundraising ad put out by the St. Petersburg Democratic Club

"They’re selfish and stupid. It’s unfortunate that drivers must worry that their SUVs are being targeted by insulting stickers and Molotov cocktails, but one thing’s for sure: It couldn’t be happening to a more deserving group of people." — Ted Rall winks at ecoterrorism

"I believe in ecoterrorism." — James Cameron

"F*** God D*mned Joe the God D*mned Motherf*cking plumber! I want Motherf*cking Joe the plumber dead." — Liberal talk show host Charles Karel Bouley on the air.

Republicans, whose goal in life is to profit from disaster and who don’t give a hoot about human beings, either can’t or won’t. Which is why I personally think they should be exterminated before they cause any more harm." — The Village Voice’s Michael Feingold, in a theater review of all places

I think Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker but he was just so strung out on Oxycontin he missed his flight. … Rush Limbaugh, I hope the country fails, I hope his kidneys fail, how about that?" — Wanda Sykes

"You guys see Live and Let Die, the great Bond film with Yaphet Kotto as the bad guy, Mr. Big? In the end they jam a big CO2 pellet in his face and he blew up. I have to tell you, Rush Limbaugh is looking more and more like Mr. Big, and at some point somebody’s going to jam a CO2 pellet into his head and he’s going to explode like a giant blimp. That day may come. Not yet. But we’ll be there to watch. I think he’s Mr. Big, I think Yaphet Kotto. Are you watching, Rush?" — Chris Matthews

"I have zero doubt that if Dick Cheney was not in power, people wouldn’t be dying needlessly tomorrow….I’m just saying if he did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact." — Bill Maher

Thanks, Adam...

[DRW50]

This is the type of stuff which Giffords was directly having to deal with, instead of just the usual blather on both sides.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/flashback-giffords-opponent-had-m16-shooting-event-help-remove-gabrielle-giffords-from-office.php

An article on the guy who helped save her life. Considering the type of crap he must face in Arizona it was brave of him to even attend the event in the first place.

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/rep-giffords-hero-intern-congresswoman-alert/story?id=12575308

[Soapsuds]

I am so sick of hearing Palin's name. Why this woman gets media coverage is beyond me. This bitch actually thinks she can be president?? The world is trully over if this bitch does get the presidency!!

It's a tragedy about Giffords. Good to hear she is responding to commands...etc...