Horrifying and terribly upsetting actual news to pass along today … earlier today Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a crazed gunman who opened fire on a group of people who came out to hear Giffords speak at a grocery story in Tuscon, AZ AFTER he walked up to Giffords and [...]
Horrifying and terribly upsetting actual news to pass along today … earlier today Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a crazed gunman who opened fire on a group of people who came out to hear Giffords speak at a grocery story in Tuscon, AZ AFTER he walked up to Giffords and shot her point-blank in the head. Earlier this year, the Huffington Post reported that Sarah Palin released a map of the US that featured gun-sight targets on the parts of the country that elected Democrats into office. Gabrielle Giffords‘s district in Arizona is among the districts with a gun-sight target on it.
Gabrielle Giffords, a congresswoman from Arizona, was shot in the head on Saturday at a public event held at a grocery store in Tucson, her spokesman, C. J. Karamargin, said. Others at the event, including members of her staff, were among the injured. Her condition was unknown. She was taken to University Medical Center in Tucson, the trauma center for the area, about 10 miles away. Even though NPR and CNN reported that she had been killed, Darci Slater, a hospital spokeswoman, said that Ms. Giffords was in surgery. CNN quoted a public information officer for the sheriff’s office as saying that 12 people had been injured in all and that the shooting had occurred around 10 a.m. local time. Dr. Steven Rayle, a former emergency room doctor who now works in a hospice, said that he had witnessed the shootings. He said the congresswoman was standing behind a table outside the Safeway greeting passersby when the gunman approached her from behind, held a gun about a foot from her head and began firing. “He must have got off 20 rounds,” he said. Ms. Giffords slumped to the ground and staff members immediately rushed to her aid, Dr. Rayle said. Dr. Rayle said he performed CPR on some of the victims. He said one of the victims was a young child and appeared to be in critical condition with a gunshot wound.
And now … aboutPalin‘s map. As a proud gun rights advocate whose motto IN HER OWN WORDS is “Don’t retreat – reload”, Sarah Palin — thru her SarahPAC political action committee — released a map of the US with gun-sight crosshair targets on districts across the country that put Democrats into office. One has to wonder what the implication of putting gun-sight crosshair targets on congressional districts means to Sarah Palin and her gun-toting followers:
Sarah Palin is targeting — yes, with gun sights — House Democrats facing tough reelection fights who voted for health care reform. Palin’s Facebook page now carries a map featuring 20 gun sights, one for each of the Democrats targeted this year by her political action committee SarahPAC. Three of the gun sights, those where incumbent Democrats have already announced their retirement, are colored red. Likewise, Palin’s rhetoric is decidedly militant. “We’ll aim for these races and many others,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to sarahpac.com and join me in the fight.”
In my mind, it’s doesn’t take a lot to connect a political action committee’s call to arms presented in this way to a whacked out crazy person’s decision to pick up a gun and shoot one of the listed targets. I am outraged and disgusted that any political action group would release something as outrageous as this … EVER! Here is the full text of the tweet message that Sarah Palin posted previously on her official Twitter profile:
Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: “Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!” Pls see my Facebook page.
Palin‘s official Facebook page, before this incident occurred today, featured the gun-sights target map above. As if crazy radicals need help with their deranged plans, now they have colorful maps to help them plan out their assassinations. I can’t even describe how horribly disgusted I am by this shooting. Rep. Giffords may lose her life just because she decided to go to a local grocery store to talk to supporters (i.e. for doing her job as an elected official). In my mind, this is a clear case of political assassination. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Giffords family and to the families of all of the innocent people who were killed or injured in today’s shooting. Let’s keep them all in our thoughts and prayers.
UPDATE: Doctors confirm that Rep. Giffords survived both her gunshot and her surgery and is listed in critical condition. The death toll has risen to 6 and a 9 year old child is among the dead. Additionally, the gunman is in police custody:
“The Congresswoman is not deceased. She is in critical condition,” Rhee said in a press conference. “I am very optimistic about recovery” … Six people have died and 12 – including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords – were injured in a shooting at a political meeting at a Tuscon, Arizona, grocery store Saturday, according to Rick Kastigar of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department … “The suspect is in custody. No further details on the motive or other victims are available at this time,” the statement said. “The U.S. Capitol Police are directly involved in this investigation. As more information is developed, it will be provided. In the interim, all Members and staff are advised to take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security.”
The gunman has been identified as 22-year old Jared Loughner, THIS apparently is his You Tube channel (which will likely get pulled down very soon).
Malin Akerman
Mila Kunis
Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima
No comments:
Post a Comment