Federal Judge, 5 Others Shot And Killed In Arizona; Suspect Lamented About ‘Gold Standard’ And ‘Currency’; Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Shot At Close Range, Survives Emergency Surgery
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
A federal judge was shot and killed in Arizona yesterday in an attack apparently aimed at a member of Congress who was holding a constituent event outside a supermarket in Tucson, an official said.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at close range. President Obama said she was battling for her life after undergoing emergency surgery. The president announced the death of U.S. District Judge John Roll in a special statement at the White House.
Roll had just attended Mass and had stopped by the supermarket on his way home. The Wall Street Journal reported that he stopped at the event to thank Giffords for signing a letter to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that a judicial emergency existed in Arizona because of a high number of immigration cases and a lack of judges to hear them.
Also killed in the attack were a nine-year-old girl, three senior citizens in their seventies and a 30-year-old Congressional aide engaged to be married.
In 2009, Roll was under the 24-hour protection of the U.S. Marshals Service for about a month because of threats made against him, the Washington Post reported.
The alleged shooter used a semiautomatic handgun, authorities said. He was identified as Jared Loughner, 22, of the Tucson region. This is believed to be his YouTube site.
Obama dispatched FBI Director Robert Mueller to Arizona to coordinate the investigation.
“We are going to get to the bottom of this,” the President pledged.
Judge Roll was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.
Giffords, a Democrat, was serving as the host of the constituent event, which was dubbed “Congress On Your Corner.”
She is the wife of Capt. Mark Kelly, a naval officer, U.S. astronaut and Space Shuttle commander. Kelly’s brother, Scott Kelly, also is an astronaut. He is currently aboard the International Space Station in a mission that began in October.
A disturbing portrait of Loughner was emerging in the early hours. The YouTube site and remarks attributed to him elsewhere suggest he was a burgeoning conspiracy theorist who authored or uttered incoherent ramblings on subjects such as the gold standard, government trickery and how one properly defines terrorism.
“If I define terrorist then a terrorist is a person who employs terror or terrorism, especially as a political weapon. I define terrorist,” Loughner appears to have written. “If you call me a terrorist then the argument to call me a terrorist is ad hominem. You call me a terrorist.”
Loughner also appears to have pondered the fractured thoughts that college was “illegal” under the U.S. Constitution and that people should be provided “accurate information of a new currency.”
Country Sherrif, Clarence Dupnik, expressed it very well when he criticized the political environment in Arizona and the rest of the country, and speculated it might have had a role in the shooting.
“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous,” Dupnik said.
“And, unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
Sarah Palin’s map of electoral targets marked each one with the cross hairs of a rifle sight. The imagery and inflamatory language used these days by extremists, including politicians, bears little relation to the original concept of Freedom of Speech embodied in our First Amendment.
Our prayers are with the Gifford family and the families of all those killed and injured in this tragic event.
This shooting is highly disturbing. I watched the local coverage extensively.
The young girl who was killed was born on 9/11/2001 and was the granddaughter of Dallas Green, the former Phillies manager.
The alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, was expelled from a local community college for disruptive behavior in October and was told to obtain a letter from a qualified mental health professional to effect he posed no danger to the community if he wished to re-enroll. Yet, he was able to legally purchase a hand gun on Nov 30th.
I agree with the Sheriff that the vitriol of our politics has gotten out of hand. I strongly disagree with Sarah Palin’s use of cross hairs to “target” politicians who’s policies she disagrees with. Reasonable people will see that tactic as over the top rhetoric but some will not be able to distinguish between rhetoric and reality.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was on Palin’s “hit list”. Whether that inspired the gunman or not is speculation at this point but who knows. Any high school student who makes a similar post on their Facebook page gets a visit from the authorities.
Lastly, Rep. Giffords was spending her Saturday morning listening to the concerns of her constituents in the parking lot of a Safeway. No $5000 per couple tickets were needed. I can see nothing more fundamental to our democracy than our representatives interacting with the people they represent.
I certainly hope that people will start to see their political opposition as good Americans and not enemies to be “targeted”, rhetorically or otherwise.
CNN has posted the criminal complaint against Loughner in the killing of Judge Roll, the killing of another federal employee, the attempted killing of Rep. Giffords and other federal employees.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/01/09/loughner.complaint.pdf
Here is a CNN story:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/09/arizona.shooting.investigation/
Patrick
Those of you who claim to know what you are talking about should know this. The so called cross hairs are not gun ‘crosshairs’. They are survey symbols. You might want to do a bit of research before shooting your mouths off about something you obviously know nothing about. You are good at one thing. Taking talking points and running with them. Laughable.
How’s this for vitriol?
Barack Obama has said the following:
If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun. – June 2008.
I want you to go out and talk to your neighbors… I want you to argue with them, get in their faces. – September 2008.
I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry. I’m angry. – March 2009.
Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, who recently published a hate screed that damned the entire conservative movement as the “American Taliban,” declared Gabrielle Giffords was “dead to him” after she voted against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House, and that was just a couple of days ago. We have learned that Loughner was a 9/11 conspiracy theorist, and ‘shock’ a leftist loony toon. Why am I not surprised?
Dylan Ratigan recently called for revolution.
From Dylan Ratigan’s introduction to communist cartoonist Ted Rall: “Are things in our country so bad that it might actually be time for revolution? The answer is obviously ‘yes.’ The only question is, ‘how to do it?'”
Ted Rall has called for violence against conservatives and republicans.
Who are the loons here? For an incompetent like dirty bird to say that Giffords was on a hit list shows his political acumen. Watch any msnbc lately bird brain?
Pathetic.
http://surveying.wb.psu.edu/sur162/stadia/radial.htm
http://hillbuzz.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/demmap.jpg
See any difference there Dems?
How’s this from March 2010
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-dallas/democrat-named-weiner-sarah-palin-should-shut-the-tweet-up
A bulls eye, or a surveying symbol? Funny, I can tell the difference.
When will Country Sherrif Clarence Dupnik. a Democrat, demand that the term ‘battleground state’ be banned? How far do you Dems want this to go?
Awesome post. Thanks for clarifying that Ace.
So what, Ace? Won’t matter to a broad swath of the U.S. public even if true. They look like scope cross hairs. The distinction you’re trying to draw has a Bowdoin-like quality to it: You know, like the distinction Bowdoin was trying to draw when he thought he could sell “securities” by calling them “advertisements?”
“They’re not securities, I tell you!” he might have said. “They’re ADVERTISEMENTS!”
Here’s what I hear you saying: “They’re not cross hairs,” I tell you! They’re SURVEY SYMBOLS!”
Ace, I know you’re no Bowdoin fan. Even so, you might want to rethink your own talking points a bit. IMHO, they won’t help you advance the ball down the field — just as Bowdoin’s talking points didn’t help him get in the end zone or even get a first down.
If Sarah Palin walks to a lectern or issues a statement that tries to make a distinction between “cross hairs” and “survey symbols,” whatever political ambitions she has will wilt on the vine — and she’ll be lampooned forever on Saturday Night Live.
It will be her “I’m not a witch” moment — and Sarah Palin instantly will become Christine O’Donnell.
If what you’re displaying now is your political acumen, Ace, I’d say I’d be inclined to back your hand-selected opponent.
d_b, BTW, has never impressed me as incompetent. In fact, I’d say he is highly competent.
I’d like to ask you a question, Ace: If you had to choose between, say, Quincy Tech and Notre Dame, who would you choose?
The Surf’s Up Mods and many of the members chose Quincy Tech. I think you’re choosing them, too — based on the political acumen and the flying elbows you’ve displayed above.
d_b incompetent?
Hardly.
Guenther used to say things such as this here and elsewhere. He almost always turned to the ad hominem argument. It didn’t work for him very well.
Are you expecting different results?
Patrick
Great post Ace. Its not like anyone didnt make a movie advocating the assassination of a president…oh wait, that was done and one could hear the crickets chirping as a movie was actually made showing President Bush being assassinated.
The same people that are rushing to blame Palin and blaming the rhetoric did not seem to care that much when an actual president was shown assassinated on film.
The hypocrisy is astounding.
As I read on another blog today, this kind of sums the mentality of people who dislike Sarah Palin.
Lefty: Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement encourage hatred and violence!
Questioner: How do you know?
Lefty: Because whenever I think about them, I’m filled with hate and a desire to do harm!
This terrible tragedy has captured world news headlines and horrified the civilized world. Whilst Congressman Gabrielle Giffords fights for her life in hospital, 5 other citizens, including a Federal Judge and a child have died from the attack by yet another armed and unstable youth.
We are all shocked but, sadly, many are not surprised.
Irrespèctive of whether they come from the left or the right, ALL politicians and public figures have a responsibility to exercise control over the language they use to make their points. This is something that has been sadly lacking in the USA in recent times. We are reading about hate speeches and Koran burning by a pastor, calls for the death of the Wikileaks journalist from politicians, “hit lists” of political opponents that use the language of violence and a long list of etceteras that are the antithesis of responsible conduct in a modern democracy. .
Inflamatory language is just that. It inflames and is especially effective when heard by young or unstable listeners. Terrorists know this and indoctrinate their youth. The situation is no different when young westerners hear leading members of their society using language that incites violence and hatred in place of pride in their country and respect for public office and even more dangerous in a country where citizens have a fundamental right to own arms.
It is to be hoped that this tragedy has served for something, if only to bring people to their senses, to unite and allow America to move forwards instead of back.
Survey symbols? Are you kidding me? I’ve been around enough crosshairs to know what they look like. The “survey symbols” excuse is just what you ridicule, talking points except they come from the right wing. For some reason her website saw fit to take down the map literally right after the shooting citing “it was no longer relevant as it was meant for the 2010 election, which has past”.
MSNBC? Sorry, no TV here. So no FOX either. My opinion was formed because many of the people I know foamed at the mouth every time they mentioned Bush. I don’t know why they saw fit to yell at me, I’m not Bush and am not responsible for his views or policies. Likewise, many I know exhibit exactly the same type of behavior when they mention Obama. Basically my policy is if you can’t speak in a respectful manner keep your opinions to yourself because I’m not interested in anything you have to say.
Is Palin justified in doing Y because Obama did X? I think not. Is Obama justified in doing Y because Palin did X? I think not.
In contrast, Rep. Giffords sent out an email Friday night urging both sides to tone down their apocalyptic rhetoric and vitriol. Whether I agree with her or not, I will listen to her and take her point of view into consideration.
dB
Sarah Palin Target List, Crosshairs Prompts Possible New Legislation
http://news.lalate.com/2011/01/10/sarah-palin-target-list-crosshairs-prompts-possible-new-legislation/
Spouts dirty-bird:
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was on Palin’s “hit list”. Whether that inspired the gunman or not is speculation at this point but who knows.
But who knows? We do, now that WE KNOW this mental deranged person was not influenced by Sarah Palin.
Gifford’s was not on anyone’s “hit list”. Really bird man, that’s the best you have? The district was listed as one to be targeted, yes targeted, as a possible pick up. In fact, (something you apparently cannot provide) 18 of the 20 ‘targets’ are now under GOP control.
Your attempts to back track are pitiful. I’ll stick to arguing with those with some political acumen. You don’t pass the test. Sorry.
When will this political idiocy stop?? Now we have this from AP:
James Eric Fuller, 63, was detained on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and threat charges Saturday during the event taped for a special edition of ABC’s “This Week,” Pima County sheriff’s spokesman Jason Ogan said.
He apparently became upset when Trent Humphries suggested that conversations about gun control be delayed until all the dead were buried, KGUN-TV in Tucson reported.
Authorities said he took a picture of the leader and yelled “you’re dead.”
The Tea Party has blood on it’s hands, especially Sarah Palin. The old childhood saying that “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” has turned out to be extremely incorrect. Words can now get you killed!
James Eric Fuller is a survivor of the shooting in Tucson. One cannot make up irony such as this.
[…] var icx_publication_id = 9402; var icx_content_id = '16329'; .icx-toolbar-closure{clear: both;}Jared Lee Loughner, the Arizona man who advanced conspiracy theories and babbled about gold and currency prior to […]