http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_806211.html
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How quickly does this turn partisan?
I don't think it will actually. I sure hope it does not. Horrific incident.
That's my thinking. I hope this wasn't partisan. Lone nut bags scare me less.Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
Having watched the YouTube videos of the alleged shooter, it was like reading the letters from my schizophrenic father all over again. The guy is clearly very ill and even his disjointed grammar seems textbook paranoid schizophrenic. It looks like some of his ramblings quote Tea Party rhetoric, but the mental illness was there to begin with.
Here is his identified YouTube account and here is a video that he favorited which uses language very similar to what he had used on his own account and so was most likely him as well. Despite the claim in the flag burning video, he very clearly has two arms.
These videos are truly bizarre:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_806243.html
That Huffington Post article is inaccurate based off of the other sources I've seen, FWIW. It was twelve wounded and six dead, not twelve shot plus Giffords. That's what the sheriff said last night before I'd gone to bed, at least. And there are five videos on Loughner's YouTube account, not three. Odd. :???:
They've finally released a picture of the other "person of interest."
There may have been "political" thoughts behind what the guy was doing (Mein Kampf was listed as one of his favorite books and Giffords is a Jewish politician, for example), but I really think it's going to come down to a disturbed person whose delusions happened to have a bizarre anarcho-fascist bent rather than anything else.
Yeah, the guy was nuts. No Glenn Beck posters in his apt. Rather glad this wont come down to that.Quote:
Originally posted by Zuul
There seems to be a lot of talk on the interwebz about whether the tea partiers and Sarah Palin are to blame, but hopefully that will not be taken too seriously.
Well, they certainly didn't pull the trigger or whisper the idea in his ear, but you can't deny that Palin, Bachmann and their ilk have been inculcating an atmosphere of politically-driven violence directed at democratic leaders. Even if there is no direct link between them and the shooter, it would make me feel better to hear them at least have the integrity to admit that they have been using language inappropriate to an adult political environment.
I think these events definitely show why it's in such bad taste and potentially dangerous to use violent rhetoric and to push sharp divides between the people in this country. It might be useful to fire up "your base", but it ultimately does harm.
Now, this guy was completely off his rocker and is more likely to have been influenced by the belief that his imaginary bird wanted him to kill Giffords than that he was taking orders from Palin, but no one--especially not people who have held public office--should rely on violent language when discussing political opponents.
I think this was a pretty good commentary on the situation.
"It's ok. Christina Taylor Green was probably going to end up a left wing bleeding heart liberal anyway. Hey, as 'they' say, what would you do if you had the chance to kill Hitler as a kid? Exactly." - comment on Sarah Palin's facebook page.
http://obamalondon.blogspot.com/2011...ah-palins.html
What effect is this likely to have on the Right to bear arms, given that he picked up the weapons only a couple of months before?
None, I'm sure. There may be some backlash, but access to firearms is so deeply ingrained in our culture that it won't make much of a difference in the long run.Quote:
Originally posted by CatInASuit
The guy had a criminal background, but had never been convicted of a felony. He clearly had mental problems and had been removed from school as a result, but until someone shows he's a danger to himself or others you can't force psychiatric evaluations. Had he been convicted of a felony or had been deemed mentally unfit, he wouldn't have been able to get the gun. If we took mental illness a little more seriously in this country--not as something to fear and stigmatize people over, but as something to watch for and get help to those who need it--this probably could have been prevented. From what I've read he was showing signs of schizophrenia at least as far back as three years ago, when his obsession with Giffords began.
The next question is, of course, should he face the death penalty for his actions?
He was caught red-handed attempting to assassinate a member of congress, the deaths of nine people and severely injuring several others.
I personally don't think he should be subject to the death penalty. The way that "innocent by reason of insanity" works in this country I doubt he'll get off on that, but really the guy needs to be in a hospital. Any sort of legal retribution against someone who is that out of touch with reality is pointless. This isn't some ordinary crime with a fathomable motive that can be held up as a deterrent to other criminals.
But since he killed several employees of the federal government while they were carrying out their duties, him getting the death penalty wouldn't surprise me at all.
Yeah, I don't think the death penalty is appropriate in this case, and I'm not even sure jail is. To me, this seems like a person who really needs hospitalization, maybe permanently.
Well, Sarah Palin has finally responded to the comments about it being inspired by her rhetoric
Video Here
The other pieces coming out in the news seems to be the usual comments from those who knew killer and his the family of "We knew he was creepy", "The family is standoffish", etc.
I'm betting the majority of them hadn't a clue.
Assuming he wasn't walking around like this for weeks leading up to this, anyway. It would probably depend heavily on how much interaction he had with people. At the very least I can't fathom his parents didn't realize he was mentally ill.Quote:
Originally posted by CatInASuit
Giffords stands up, may leave hospital tomorrow.
Less than two weeks after being shot through the head! The quick thinking of the intern who aided her, the skill of all the medical professionals who treated her, the medical advances in the last few years, and her own determination have come together for an awe inspiring recovery.
It really is amazing how quickly she's recovering. Her husband's said that the doctors keep warning that she might have a setback at any moment, but it hasn't happened. Personally, I'm thrilled that news of her recovery hasn't been overshadowed by some of the crazy that's made the news.
Crazy that's made the news, the news being crazy... I'm pretty disgusted about it in general.
Her recovery has been a bright spot, though. Rehab is where the hard work is going to really start, but there've been a lot of good signs so far. We're so lucky to live in a world where medicine can do this.