Have we discussed this?

prettygirl06 · January 2011

TUCSON, Ariz. ? A gunman opened fire as a congresswoman met with constituents outside a grocery store, killing Arizona's chief federal judge and five others and leaving the lawmaker fighting for her life in an attempted assassination that had Americans questioning whether divisive politics had driven the attack.The shooting targeted Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, authorities said, and left the three-term congresswoman in critical condition after a bullet passed through her head. A shaken President Barack Obama called the attack "a tragedy for our entire country."Giffords, 40, a moderate Democrat, narrowly won re-election in November against a Tea Party candidate who opposed her support of the health care law. Anger over her position became violent at times, with her Tucson office vandalized a few hours after the House passed the overhaul last March. More recently, at a Giffords event someone dropped a weapon out of their pants. The Pima County Sheriff's office listed the dead as:John M. Roll, 63, a federal district court judge.Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, Giffords' director of community outreach.Dorwin Stoddard, 76, a pastor at Mountain Ave. Church of Christ.Christina-Taylor Green, 9, a student at Mesa Verde Elementary.Dorthy Morris, 76.Phyllis Schneck, 79.Police say the shooter was in custody, and people familiar with the investigation told NBC News that he was Jared Lee Loughner, 22. Other sources gave The Associated Press the same name.His motivation was not immediately known, but Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik described him as mentally unstable and possibly acting with an accomplice. He said in addition to the six deaths, 13 people were wounded in the melee. Dupnik said the rampage ended only after two people tackled the gunman. Investigators said they were looking for an accomplice, believed to be in his 50s, who may have assisted in the attack.A 9mm Glock handgun that had what police described as "an extended clip" with 30 bullets was recovered at the scene, The Washington Post reported. Officials told The Associated Press the gun used in the attack was purchased legally. The Post said it was bought Nov. 30 from the Sportsman's Warehouse in Tucson.The shooter had another magazine that held about 30 bullets and two that held about 15 bullets each, sources told the Post, and he also had a knife.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/politics/

prettygirl06 · January 2011

"Divisive politics" is putting it lightly.

amidavey06 · January 2011

We've been following the coverage all weekend. It's incredibly sad that someone would do this.

During church yesterday our preacher actually informed us that he knew the preacher that died. Apperantly the preacher stepped in front of the gun because the gunman was about to shoot his wife. He died and his wife was also shot in the leg but survived.

gingerfeathers · January 2011

Such a sad incident.

What frustrates me is that even though this SHOULD be a wake-up call as to how much hatred has been spun into politics these days, and that this is something we need to stop, unfortunately I'm seeing people still blaming each other. Conservatives have been saying that it's the liberals' fault because someone who went to high school with the gunman claimed he was a "left-wing nut," and liberals are blaming conservatives for using targets and a lot of other gun-related innuendos and images during the elections.

I wish people could understand that no specific person is at fault except the gunman. Yes, he was probably motivated by the political climate these days, but THAT is everyone's fault. This isn't a left or right-wing issue, and I hate that it's turning into one.