Gabby Giffords, whose congressional career was cut short in a mass shooting, responds to today’s shooting at a gathering of Republican members of Congress:
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, nor if you’re a senator or a representative, nor a staffer or a sworn officer. If you serve the institution of Congress, you’re connected to your colleagues, current and former, by a shared sense of service to ideals far greater than yourself.
This shooting is an attack on all who serve and on all who participate in our democracy.
I am heartbroken for the pain of Congressman Scalise, the other victims, and their family, friends, and colleagues who survived. I am thankful for the great courage of the Capitol Police, who were my protectors after I was shot and became my friends. I also know the courage it takes to recover from a shooting like this, and I know Steve and everyone there this morning have such courage in great supply.
May all Americans come together today with prayers for the survivors, love for their friends and family, and the courage to go about everyday making this country its best. Our nation is resilient, and we always come back stronger.
This article appears in Jun 8-14, 2017.
Amen
Let us also remember in our prayers the following victims of our Democracy:
President Abraham Lincoln, as well as the families of: President John F Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Senator Robert F Kennedy.
This guy was probably a right wing wacko pushed to the edge by talk radio.
Clarence D, the New York Times says the suspect was distraught over Trump’s election. I haven’t read the whole piece, but he doesn’t sound like a right-winger to me. Wackos can come from all over the political spectrum, IMHO.
Anyway, I’m glad to see that Giffords has slowly but surely made some recovery. I remember when she could barely speak in the wake of the shooting. We’re all rooting for you, G.G. Don’t give up.
Clarence D – The shooter was a Bernie supporter who idolized Rachel Maddow. And no, I am not making this up; it is being widely reported. However, I agree that he was probably pushed to the edge, but not by talk radio. Instead, he was manipulated by all the hateful imagery from the left including Madonna wanting to blow up the White House, Kathy Griffin’s ISIS impression, Snoop Dog’s video where he shoots Trump, Shakespeare in the Park’s nightly knifing to death of a Trump lookalike, etc. The left embraces intolerance, hate, violence, and fascism, no matter what they say, and it manifested itself yesterday.
Only a vile, vicious and vacuous right wing, conservative Trump asshole type of scumbag would write that last sentence.
PBS reported that he was a gun owning small business operator that drank and got into bar fights. That’s why I couldn’t understand him shooting at republicans. But a Bernie supporter? Come on.
Our Democracy is, as is any Democracy, inherently contentious in the competition of Political Ideologies; initially with the Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists; now with, generally Democrats vs. Republicans. We have developed, sadly and dangerously, into a “Democracy” that is controlled by powerful Financial Interests Groups that are using their money to “buy” “Politicians and Political Office” and, as a result, control the electoral process…….DONALD TRUMP!!!!!!!
The Current Extreme Political Polarization has, in the main, been created by the Extreme Vitriolic Rhetoric used by Donald Trump when he is in Disagreement with someone or has been Criticized. He is, in my view, Mentally Unstable, Unfit for Political Office, and hopefully, pending the outcome of Congressional Investigations, will be Removed from Office!!!!
But…..The American Voter needs to wake up and participate in the electoral process, at all levels of Government; using their notion of what is in the best interests of all US Citizens and their Understanding of our Constitutionally Protected Liberties. We will lose the latter if we do not.
I fear going downtown. I was walking at night to the court house parking wife got out started to walk. When I caught up she was terrified and shaking back in the camping on the street. She wont go now had tickets to the Children’s Museum.
I had a relative come into town to be picked up at the Rail Station was stalled for an hour getting around the GAY anti Trump thing of some type. Sister lives in Tualatin Oregon suburb of Portland went to see in February the Airport and access to the airport and from.
Yea America is a very very scary place now. There is absolute no truth being reported, what is being reported is who and why to hate. Then just one’s own personal disgust is enough validate violence.
Tucson Weekly Reader – take a long, hard look in the mirror because this is what the left looks like to everyone who is not frothing at the mouth over Trump and the results of an election. You’re welcome.
The shooter had a history of violence against women, which often precedes mass shootings. This is not a Democratic or Republican thing, violence is neutral with respect to political orientation – it has been embraced by adherents of all political orientations. https://thinkprogress.org/mass-shooting-do…
JCC – How can you say that it’s not a Democratic or Republican thing when he specifically asked people before the shooting whether there were Democrats or Republicans on the field after stalking the field previously? Do you honestly think that, given his documented history for hating “Trump and Co.” (his words) and belonging to a group called Terminate Trump that he would have shot Democrats? This was a premeditated, politically motivated act and all the spin in the world to deflect blame from the recent spate of high-profile, well-publicized Trump assassination fantasies can’t change the facts.
Correction: the group was called Terminate the Republican Party. Any questions?
Here’s the only thing you really need to know about this shooter: HE WAS AN ANGRY, VIOLENT WHITE MAN WITH GUNS.
And that places him in the most common demographic of mass shooter and the most common demographic of terrorist in this country. Angry, violent white men with guns pick all sorts of things to inflame and target their rage. Sure, this guy supported Bernie, but most of them are drawn to Tchump (because he speaks their language and purposely exploits their rage), but this really is not an issue of left or right. It’s an issue of angry, violent white men with guns. This guy had a history of violence and irresponsible gun use, yet he was still armed to the teeth. THAT is the problem–not political parties or uncivil rhetoric or TV shows or anything else but that.
Any questions??
Yes I have one. Who killed all the cops last summer?
And I thought of a second one.
If all guns were outlawed, how would angry, violent people kill?
Clarence D. Talk about making an A hole out of yourself.
skinnyman – He was hard-core socialist liberal who belonged to several hate groups who chose to specifically target Republicans and who was at least partially encouraged to do so because of the non-stop anti-Trump hate speech and murderous imagery that you and yours can’t seem to stop spewing. The “tolerant” “civil” left are master manipulators of the weak minded “victims” that they create and one of your soldiers took the bait. Own it. No one is buying the spin.
Maybe there should be a Northern Poverty Law Center group that investigates left wing hate groups. Could that be a money maker? They could call it the bandana bunch.
Francis. I don’t understand your obsession with PRESIDENT Trump. He speaks highly of you. Plus I’m sure he’s very impressed with all the big words you use.
@JCC, a commenter named Jay Dub posted the following on the article you linked to: “A minimal valuation of human life may be a common factor between mass shooters and people violent toward womenand I think thats a good correlation to drawbut to pretend that misogyny is the cause or catalyst for his actions doesnt pass a smell test.” I think that’s a sensible evaluation.