Congresswoman Giffords, Others Shot/Killed in Arizona

[middleman]

Can't everybody calm down? We shouldn't be blaming anybody for this tragedy because we simply don't know the facts yet. We don't know if this wasn't a planned assassination attempt by any organization, and I suspect it will turn out that this individual acted on his own.

And without blaming the tea-party or Sarah Palin or Karl Marx or anybody else... shouldn't we be thinking about the violent rhetoric that we hear from political groups and the media today? Anyone that thinks Palin's "target the democrat" post we actually meant to incite violence need to chill! We will never know what motivated this guy, so stop speculating about it.

However, I think it's a good idea to lay off the violence metaphors in the name of public safety and good taste. It's fair to assume that nut-jobs like Loughner are influenced by the violent rhetoric prevalent in politics today. whether that rhetoric is coming from the left or right. There are sick people out there that listen to this stuff and take it for real. Let's all stop feeding their illness, OK?

[civil42806]

Can't everybody calm down? We shouldn't be blaming anybody for this tragedy because we simply don't know the facts yet. We don't know if this wasn't a planned assassination attempt by any organization, and I suspect it will turn out that this individual acted on his own.

And without blaming the tea-party or Sarah Palin or Karl Marx or anybody else... shouldn't we be thinking about the violent rhetoric that we hear from political groups and the media today? Anyone that thinks Palin's "target the democrat" post we actually meant to incite violence need to chill! We will never know what motivated this guy, so stop speculating about it.

However, I think it's a good idea to lay off the violence metaphors in the name of public safety and good taste. It's fair to assume that nut-jobs like Loughner are influenced by the violent rhetoric prevalent in politics today. whether that rhetoric is coming from the left or right. There are sick people out there that listen to this stuff and take it for real. Let's all stop feeding their illness, OK?

Thats quite sensible but wont get much suport here, watch all the nuty posts.  Puffington Hosts  posts should skyrocket.  expect the lecture on being polite also its past due

[Singejoufflue]

Now who was it that was explaining there was no right wing violence problem in Arizona a few months ago.  If I remember correctly it was in the context of how the mexicans were so dangerous that they needed to be herded out of the state.....

Something about the Tea Party and how patriotic they all were.   Can't seem to remember who that was coming from here on our boards.......

Oh, Stephen.  Your need to bait individuals into an argument where you can present yourself as in some way superior is what is truly astounding here.  I haven't yet whittled my pettiness to a fine point.  Do you offer classes?  Should I make my payments directly to you or have you founded some organization?  Have you not yet created that textbook? I like options.

Interesting that two of these topics where we have different perspectives have been about mentally unstable individuals.  I think there needs to be improved handling of the mentally ill; maybe if we get them treated, perhaps the most vehement, violent, vitriolic of the bunch will fall by the wayside when suitably medicated.

It's hard to find an actual issue in the current political discourse without it turning into quien es mas macho.  The Tea Party is violent, the Democrats like to goad and mock and the Republicans can't seem to figure out what the hell is going on anymore.  But what they all know is the other guy is wrong and nothing can convince them otherwise.  Propaganda is propaganda whether it comes from Communists or Message Board Thread titles.  I happen to be against it in all forms.  The violent rhetoric is being ratcheted up further when people can't just let it go that they aren't always right.

[ChriswUfGator]

Your rush to blame the Tea Party and Sarah Palin for the behavior of this deranged individual is as pathetic as it is predictable.

Really?

Stephen's not the one with a self-titled "Target List" of his most-hated political candidates in convenient map-form with gun sights placed over their locations and the phrase "We've diagnosed the problem...Help us prescribe the solution" emblazoned on top of it. That would be Sarah Palin wouldn't it...

[JMac]

If they find that screenshot in his pocket, get back to me.

[BridgeTroll]

Meh... yawn... consider the source... The daily kos...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/8/934526/-Insurrection-timeline

[BridgeTroll]

    Hardly...

This does look like this case is a good candidate for the Federal death penalty though...

[RiversideLoki]

"If a Detroit Muslim put a map on the web w/crosshairs on 20 pols, then 1 of them got shot, where would he b sitting right now? Just asking." - Michael Moore

[JMac]

"If a Detroit Muslim put a map on the web w/crosshairs on 20 pols, then 1 of them got shot, where would he b sitting right now? Just asking." - Michael Moore

We'd be told not to jump to conclusions.  Remember Ft. Hood?

[JMac]

And Times Square? Bloomberg said he was probably a Tea Partier.  And Christmas Day bomber?  How about following the same advice now and wait until the facts come out.

[Shwaz]

(CNN) -- Until we have more definitive information about the shooter, pointing fingers at who might bear responsibility for the Tucson, Arizona, massacre only contributes to what we must end in America: a toxic political environment.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/01/09/gergen.pointing.fingers/index.html?hpt=T2

Soon after the news broke, the internet lit up with accusations, even before we knew anything at all about the man who pulled the trigger. Much of the early commentary, especially from the left, blamed the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, etc. for employing a rhetoric of militarism and creating a climate of hate.

[ChriswUfGator]

"If a Detroit Muslim put a map on the web w/crosshairs on 20 pols, then 1 of them got shot, where would he b sitting right now? Just asking." - Michael Moore

We'd probably be at war with yet another country based on bogus intelligence already...

[urbanlibertarian]

Loughner's motive for the shooting MAY have been because of her answer to his question at an event in 2007.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/jared-lee-loughner-friend-voicemail-phone-message?page=1

[Live_Oak]

Where are his eyebrows???

[Ocklawaha]

Kind of scary isn't it?

OCKLAWAHA