Gabrielle Giffords, 40-year-old U.S. representative from Arizona, was shot in the head at a public event this morning. Several people were killed, including a nine-year-old girl. Police have a suspect in custody.
[Update: I originally wrote that Giffords had been killed; this was wrong, and I apologize for the misinformation. That’s what NPR and CNN and other outlets were reporting, and I mistakenly assumed that they wouldn’t do so without incontrovertible reason. She is in critical condition following surgery. A doctor at the hospital says he is “optimistic” about a recovery — please please please let this be true.]
I met Gabby at a reception a year ago. She seemed, on our very brief acquaintance, to be a really wonderful person — energetic, smart, full of optimism about doing good things as a member of Congress. Her husband, Mark Kelly, is an astronaut. If I may step away from the ideal of journalistic objectivity for a moment, this is a stupid fucking tragedy.
When a politician is shot, people will draw political conclusions. In this case, Gabby had been “targeted” by her political opponents using explicitly violent language. Sarah Palin released a map with a target site pointing at her district; her opponent had a “shoot an M16” fundraiser. (Via @mattyglesias.) At the time, various people were horrified at the casual invocation of this kind of violent rhetoric. Is it now inappropriate to link that rhetoric to the actual violence? I have no idea whether her killer was politically motivated in any way — he might have just been an unstable person with no agenda at all. Regardless, it would be good to tone down the language of deadly force in political discussions. Maybe both Democrats and Republicans can agree on that.
My heart goes out to her family and friends, as well as those of the other victims. We need more public servants like Gabby Giffords.
Sean, as of 12:41 AZ time, the hospital spokesperson inteviewed on MSNBC reported that she is alive, in critical condition, and currently in surgery.
Tucson local news is reporting that she’s passed. There are conflicting reports all over the place.
damn…
What the hell is wrong with people? The level of anger and violence in this country is just really frightening.
This sucks–both for her family and friends and for the country as a whole. According to CNN:
“She has served as chairwoman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee and also holds seats on the House Science and Technology and Armed Services committees.”
Smart? Energetic? Full of Optimism? Sounds like the kind of person we need behind Congress’ policy on science and technology.
Also, her husband is still an active astronaut. He is currently scheduled to command the final flight of the space shuttle this April. These events may have thrown a wrench into that plan as well.
Dear Sean, your impression of Gabrielle is spot on. She is our congresswoman here in Tucson, and we just returned her to congress after a close race in a district that is salted to the conservative side. She is intelligent, passionate, and full of optimism for bettering Arizona and our country. This is a very personal thing for our academic community here in Tucson. She has twice held campaign events in the houses of astronomers, and is working with Roger Angel to advance solar power production, among many, many other connections. The one time I met her she quizzed me about dark energy. I am writing this a block away from the UMC where she is in surgery. I wish I could go over there and do something…
It’s certainly an awful situation (though, as noted in previous comments, my understanding is that she is still alive at this time), and the violent rhetoric by political opponents that you refer to is shocking to me.
Rest of the World: “America, you’re a fucking strange place.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20027900-503544.html?tag=stack.
“Initial reports by CBS Affiliate KOLD that the Congresswoman was among the fatalities were corrected by her press people, who told KOLD that she is alive but in emergency surgery. ”
Let’s hope she and the other victims survive this tragedy. As a science fan, the fact that her husband is an active astronaut and may lead the next ISS mission somehow brings this closer to home.
#6: I disagree. America is actually just beginning to resemble the “Rest of the World” in terms of political killings – I can’t remember another such political event in recent US history. It’s just stunning that political discourse in the US would stoop to the anti-social standards followed by much of the rest of the developing world. This, and the American republic slowly, but steadily, resembling a police state in these post-9/11 years, is a tragedy. A constantly dimming beacon of freedom.
Many members of the opposing party condemn these killings; I just hope that this country, even if it were to elect another Republican president, does not let those that instigated this kind of thinking pass the primaries. I also hope that veteran Republicans recognize the gravity of this event and take their party back from the new gun-toting fundamentalists.
UPDATE: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70728S20110108
“Doctor optimistic about Congresswoman Giffords’ recovery”
Democrat or Republican, fucking tragedy here is that a young child was killed. I just hate 24 hour news networks. Aren’t those drones the real source and the medium? Where else can we peacefully direct our anger?
didn’t know her husband was an astronaut; thanks for that added bit Sean…
“tragedy” has become such an overworked, common term in this country it hardly has the appropriate punch or emotion anymore… though I don’t know a word that does. As Michael Moore would say I just want my damn country back again…
Absolutely dreadful news again.
I really think there should be more research done into the causes of these awful shooting sprees. We’ve had two bad ones here in the UK in 2010… it’y s not just a US problem. There seem to be some very screwed up people around.
When i look at the USA from over here, i’m really amazed how republicans can get away with almost anything. And this Palin gal is on her way to be the next president.
You are too soft. I’m telling you. Way too soft.
Maybe we need to take a lesson from the Muslims in Egypt and create human shields for our political leaders as well as our public scientists and philosophers.
Here’s a quote from a YouTube video made by the shooter, Jared Loughner, that should really cement the Sarah Palin connection for everyone — it’s almost as if she were holding the gun herself:
“If I’m thinking of adding the 1 new symbol and number to the current alphabet and number system then I’m thinking of creating 1 new symbol and number to the current alphabet and number system. I’m thinking of adding the 1 new symbol and number to the current alphabet and number system. Thus, I’m thinking of creating 1 new symbol and number to the current alphabet and number system. You control the grammar!”
I’m surprised to see a science website resort to collective guilt by association. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
Sean, perhaps you missed the Daily Kos diarist who said Giffords was “dead to him” because she voted against Pelosi (which has since been taken down). Or the Daily Kos diary which “put a bullseye” on centrist democrats including Giffords. Or the DLC map with bullseyes on states where Democrats could potentially pick up seats. I can provide links if you want.
This was the act of a lunatic and cannot be condemned severely enough. Republicans disagree with democrats – we don’t want them dead. Blaming the right is bullshit and is just your political bias showing.
Can we please calm down here?
The only thing we know at this time is that the suspect is mentally disturbed. At this point, all guesses as to who he was gunning for, and why, are just projections of each person’s biases.
If the gunman was gunning for Ms Giffords, why did he use up all of his ammunition shooting 18 other people? He killed six people (and not her), even though he was standing literally right next to her throughout the entire incident.
On a different note, I wish the media would give at least 1% of their attention to the six people who died, and to the dozen people who were also injured besides Ms Giffords. The Republican federal judge who was shot and killed is barely mentioned at all. It sends a strong message that the media considers his life, and the lives of the others, doesn’t count for squat as compared to Ms Giffords being injured.
I don’t think there was any blame in the post. He just pointed out that certain imagery can push unstable individuals into doing awful things. And he’s right to. Whether or not this is politically motivated, a lot of people would like to see the rhetoric toned down.
Always amazes me how well these mentally ill killers can track their targets and execute their plans flawlessly.
As the news reports indicate, the gun used was purchased legally. Unfortunately, none of the Second Amendment fanatics will rethink their bizarre positions.
@Wil:
the judge is mostly notable for presiding over a controversial immigration case, so while the judge is nominally a Republican, he’s very recently drawn ire from the Republican base. He in fact has recieved death threats, and recently had a security detail.
Why would someone target a candidate forum if the candidate wasn’t the target. It’s extremely fortiutious that Giffords survived the attack. She was intentionally shot in the head.
And the reason why Giffords is drawing more attention is because, 1) it was her candidate forum–meaning that she was the only one sure to be there, 2) people are shot every day. My hometown averages more than a murder a day. What is abnormal about this is that it was an apparent political assassination attempt, which doesn’t happen every day. While Loughlin is clearly mentally off, it is also clear that he is deeply interested in politics. 3) this happens aganst the backdrop of increased numbers of death threats against public officials (Including John Cornyn implying that the federal judges that got shot three years ago had it coming to them), people showing up to Presidential forums with guns, and a general uptick in violent imagery in politics. 4) if it is true that there is a second person involved, then this moves beyond a lone crazy person into something much more sinister
There are those that wish to fix blame for the shooting but lets fix the problem and what is the problem, being civil with others and especially those that we disagree with. The name calling of the other side needs to end not just by those in office, the media and blogs but also by the rest of us. All that is done by the name calling is to inflame those on the other side and any point that may be made is over looked but then most people in all walks of life chose to engage their ire before engaging their brain. Name calling should have ended in grade school but it seems that it is on the rise by those that should be adults and that is what we teach our children.
Inflammatory rhetoric, tinged with violent language has a good chance of provoking the unstable to violent action. It provides the justification that they need and deludes them into thinking they are acting for a greater cause.
The claim by some on the right that the shooter, Jared Loughner, is “mentally disturbed” is a defense of convenience because this tragedy threatens to have deep and long lasting political reverberations and the right is desperate to destroy damning linkage.
This type of whitewashing ahead of the facts is fairly typical of the conservative attitude. The tea party and affiliates engage in inflammatory rhetoric and parade signage that is highly provocative then imagine that the type of vitriol they whip up couldn’t possibly be a catalyst for violence…. AND… when it happens jump on their bikes to distance themselves post haste from the “mentally disturbed” perp who dunnit. This insults the intelligence of anyone who knows what goes on behind the scenes – particularly in uber reactionary Arizona. Giffords was the target of threats, had a gun left at one of her town hall meetings and her office door busted down… the signs were everywhere.
The right tempts the beast within and goads every lunatic in sight with their gun rhetoric, political meet-ups at shooting ranges, use of gun and scope graphics on ads and signage to target opponents and then they backpeddle and cry “madman!” when a Loughner steps up and pulls the trigger… the word “hypocritical” doesn’t cover it… criminal is more appropriate.
All the evidence may not be in yet, but it’s a safe bet that at a minimum Jared Loughner was subject to a few influences. One of his fave all-time titles listed in his MySpace profile is Mein Kampf.
Truth is the concerned hype coming from the right on this is because of the likely political repercussions coming down the pipeline. When you do incredibly irresponsible things such as target Giffords’ district with crosshairs – Palin and co’s genius idea – and generally ramp up the hate rhetoric, the likelihood is high something is going to give. The tragic killings and injuries involving – amongst others – a federal judge (deceased), a congresswoman and a 9-year old girl (deceased) has put the right back on their heels… they’re starting to sweat. Nobody knows at this point how this event may impact on voters in the upcoming months.
The idea that any threat from the left (as some on the right have been claiming on various threads in the wake of the Giffords’ shooting) is even comparable with right wing hate groups across the US with their calls for action is simply absurd. But the right is good at setting up straw men and churning out counter-spin.
According to the latest medical update via HuffPo, Congresswoman Giffords recognized members of her family and managed a few words. The prognosis for recovery is apparently good. At least one ray of light in a very bleak and tragic scenario.
This sort of violence is always a tragedy. My heart goes out to all the individuals and families who have had a loved one killed or injured in this irrational act.
oh look, “both Democrats and Republicans can agree”. Democrats were roundly condemning violent rhetoric all last year and this year. Some Republicans in official positions would come out and condemn violence “from both sides” when “lone wolves” shot police, shot people in church, cut a candidate’s brother’s gas line, smashed windows. Meanwhile, the Republican noise machine would keep on keeping on with the violent rhetoric with winks and nods from the Republicans in the House and Senate.
And now, Republicans are trying to say that the violent rhetoric came from both sides, and Sean, you are helping them.
Stop the lazy truthiness of “balance”. You wouldn’t say that both climatologists and skeptics can agree that the sun drives the climate. You wouldn’t say that both evolutionists and skeptics can agree that humans are now in charge. You wouldn’t say that the low-entropy state at the beginning of the universe might as well have been put in place by a Creator. You shouldn’t imply that Democrats had anything to do with the violent rhetoric that’s been poisoning America’s political discourse for especially the past two years.