"It's difficult to remember one came to drain the swamp when one is up to one's ass in alligators" - Barack Obama (not really...but it should have been)
I have been debating for a few hours now about posting this. There have been so many other postings regards this dastardly event, all of which have presented it in a much more compassionate and intelligent way than I could ever hope to. Nevertheless, it needs to be pointed to again.
Meanwhile, I received an email from Alan Grayson, which I added after the graphic below. I haven't anything to add to all of the fine outrages...and especially to Alan Grayson's words.
A reporter called me a little while ago, and told me that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had been shot at a public event. She is in critical condition.
I'm going to let others comment on what this means for America. I just want to say what it means to me.
Gabrielle Giffords and I served together on the House Committee on Science and Technology. She was the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, and I was a member of that subcommittee. Her D.C. office was one floor above mine.
I saw Gabby dozens, if not hundreds of times, during our two years together. And nearly every time that I can remember, she was smiling.
Gabby is one of the most cheerful, charming and engaging people I have ever known. She's always looking on the bright side. She has something good to say about pretty much everyone. Bad news never lays a glove on her. She loves life, and all the people in it.
No matter what is going on in your life, after fifteen minutes with Gabby, you'll feel that you can touch the stars.
Everyone knew that Gabby would have a tough race in 2010. (She actually won with 49% of the vote.) But I always thought that if each of her constituents could spend that fifteen minutes with her, and see what she is really like, then she would win with 99.9% of the vote. (Same thing about Harry Teague of New Mexico, who lost, and a few others that I could name.) You would want her as your Congressman, because you would want her as your friend.
I know nothing about the man who shot Gabby, and what was going through his mind when he did this. But I will tell you this - if he shot Gabby out of hatred, then it wasn't Gabby he was shooting, but rather some cartoon version of her, drawn by her political opposition. Because there is no way - NO WAY - that anyone who really knows Gabby could hate her or hurt her. She is a kind, gentle soul.
My heart goes out to Mark Kelly, Gabby's husband, and the many, many people who love her. Gabby, we don't want to lose you. Please stay here with us.
Alan Grayson
24 comments:
Is this the beginning of the 2nd Amendment solution of which Sharon Angle threatened us?
Punch---Let's hope not...but...
I couldn't believe Grayson lost. We're going to see more of this. You remember how mad we were over the Supreme Court sellout and the health care sellout. The other side ain't liberals.
Mr. C---You are absolutely right on with that. There are already right-wing talking heads proclaiming that we (libs) are jumping to conclusions, and that we shouldn't be blaming an entire party for the actions of one lunatic. Bullshit is what I say to that. They are all lunatics. Can you imagine the outcry if the shoe were on the other foot. If that had been a liberal who shot a tea bagger? I am so tired of these goddamn people I could spit.
made me weep...She didn't deserve to be shot by some lunatic, encouraged to do this by the teabaggers and especially sarah palin..
From what I have read, this could be a random shooting by a nutcase. In spite of my attempts to detach myself from American politics, I have been and will likely continue to keep tabs on this. Gun control and right/left political arguments just don't seem to apply in this case, in my early opinion.
YD G---It would seem that madness, anger and lack of compassion, have become the American way. Very depressing. I can say that all of my ideals regards this country, or rather many of it's citizens, have been flushed down the drain in my lifetime. I love the country...but I don't care for many of it's denizens. Sarah Palin being one of them. An opportunistic sleaze.
Doug---I just can't accept that the guy was simply a nut, and was not influenced by Palin, et al. It was bound to happen with all of the hate talk going on the last couple of years.
I'm in a melancholy but agitated mode right now, so what I want to ask is "where are all the liberal nutcases with .45 ACPs, and why don't Palin/Beck/Hannity/Limbaugh have targets on them?"
But I won't ask that, because I'm trying not to get involved...
I wasn't gonna post about the shootings til I got more info, but after hearing the press conference with the sheriff I had to put up his words....they speak volumes and we all know where the truth lies....
The divide between the left and the right is extreme and the right controls the media and FOX and Sarah tell their "idiot" followers what to do and how to do it. Their propaganda creates the hate that drive these nuts to do their bidding. This is "religion" to them, even if they don't get the 72 virgins at the end.
Chimp...They shot a 9 year old virgin yesterday.
Doug---You can be sure if it had been a progressive politician who presented that graphic, with tea baggers on it, all hell would have broken loose.
Sue---When I started this blog 5 years ago, my intent was to blog about light, and amusing things. Things that make me laugh, or give me pleasure. In today's political climate, that is just impossible for me to. We all have to scream and scream and scream about this crap. We do indeed know where the truth lies.
Chimp---This is probably an oxymoron, but it's supposed to be about RESPONSIBLE politics. So much for reason.
Punch---I am sure there are those on the right who consider that little darling collateral damage. MOTHERFUCKERS!
Did you hear that Westboro Baptist is going to be picketing the funerals of the shooting victims?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/09/westboro-baptist-church-arizona_n_806319.html
Mandazoid---Thanks for the link.
That is disgusting, to say the least. I suppose then if God sent this "mentally ill" shithead to strike down Representative Giffords (according to the WBC), then we must ask "God", WHAT THE FUCK THE 9 YEAR OLD HAD TO DO WITH IT? I want an answer! Damn loons...despicable loons at that...seriously.
I would tell you...except I am speechless.
intell---I don't know what else there is to say anyway. It's a national disgrace, I think.
Here's an interesting twist to the story if the information is credible:
Could Gabrielle Giffords' murder by Jared Loughner have been a crime of passion as WhatReallyHappened.Com speculates?
http://chimpplanet.blogspot.com/2011/01/could-gabrielle-giffords-murder-by.html
I haven't thought of anything to write about yesterday's massacre. I'm sure I'll think of something, but I haven't yet. This is very similar to the Kennedy assassination. It isn't the same magnitude of course, but it brought out those same feelings of shock, revulsion and "My God, how could this happen?"
Chimp---I don't even know what to say to that. Mighty convenient for certain right-wing pundits, basically. Can we say...rotten in Denmark?
Tom---I felt the same way, and wasn't going to either, until I saw that graphic. It pissed me off so bad that I had to post at least that...even though it was already posted by a thousand other liberal blogs.
This is so fucking sad... especially now that the right has started to come out with the smirk and a shrug as if to say, "Meh... we didn't have anything to do with this!"
squatlo---Yeah, they had nothing to do with it...and my bung hole never slams shut either!
Regardless of what the Never-RightWingNut talking heads say, the fact that Bible Spice pulled all the maps with crosshairs and references to 'reload' off the web shows that some in her camp think her talking points are in part responsible.
Of course, the media is calling the shooter a nutcase. Corporate media can't have people believing the fear-mongering of the Never-Right talking heads had anything to do with this shooting. Just like all the other shootings and other violence in the past.
Kulkuri---Amen, and thank you very much! Excellent points!
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