This is horrible. Shocking. Terrible. Increasingly America becomes more Third Worldish.
Please pray for these folks.
Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman Saturday morning outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Fox News has confirmed.
Giffords was taken to a hospital but her condition was not immediately known, the Tucson Citizen reported.
hat tip Bob McCarty
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords (D) of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District died is in critical condition, according to a Fox News Channel broadcast update at 1:47 p.m. Central numerous news reports, after being shot in the head at point blank range during [her first] “Congress on the Corner” event she was holding in Tucson this morning.
Several others — including members of her staff — were shot as well. While their conditions remain unknown at this point, the condition of our country — and how Americans will react to the news as more details begin to surface — becomes an even larger concern.
If the shooter turns out to be a right-wing conservative, I fully expect members of the liberal media to attempt to portray the shooter as a typical member of the Constitution-loving side of the political fence. In addition, they will use the event as another reason to clamp down on gun rights.
Not only gun rights, but new "hate speech" laws, violations of privacy laws, and increased targeting by DHS.
If the shooter turns out to be an illegal immigrant, those same media outlets will paint the person as a victim of his circumstances and gloss over the “elephant in the room” that is the lack of real security at our nation’s borders.
If the shooter turns out to be an Islamic extremist, they will downplay his religious affiliations and spin the Muslim shooter’s actions as criminal but not an act of terrorism.
Of course, other possibilities exist.
UPDATE: Giffords is "responding to some commands."
Religious affiliation: Jewish
Giffords on gun rights:
Giffords supports gun rights.[19] She opposed the Washington DC gun ban, signing an Amicus curiae brief with the US Supreme Court to support its overturn.
Very strong supporter of border control.
Immigration and border security
Arizona's 8th Congressional District is one of 10 in the country bordering Mexico. Giffords has stated that the Arizona SB1070 legislation is a "clear calling that the federal government needs to do a better job".[23] and saying that she hopes the legislation acts as a wake up call to the federal government despite the fact that it "does nothing to secure our border". [24]
On August 31, 2010 Congresswoman Giffords praised the arrival of National Guard troops on the border: "Arizonans have waited a long time for the deployment of the National Guard in our state. Their arrival represents a renewed national commitment to protecting our border communities from drug cartels and smugglers."[25]
Giffords worked to secure passage of the August 2010 bill to to fund more Border Patrol agents and surveillance technology for Arizona’s border with Mexico. The legislation passed the House of Representatives only to be sent back by the U.S. Senate with reduced funding. Ultimately a $600 million bill was passed and signed in to law. The bill was over $100 million less than Giffords fought for, but she said that “This funding signals a stronger federal commitment to protect those Americans who live and work near the border.”[26]
UPDATE: Judge John M. Roll among those shot:
Roll was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Roll was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on September 23, 1991, to a seat vacated by Alfred C. Marquez.
Obviously a very sick person. Clearly mentally unbalanced.
UPDATE from AP sources: Ariz. gunman ID'ed as Jared Laughner.
