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<p>Maybe “we” shouldn’t, but I disagree with you about people holding political office or running for office. For this very reason.</p>
<p>donna - you edited so I didn’t answer your question. DU is like CC. An online community I mean. 
I was speaking of discussion in that community among members about the last time Loughner had posted. I can’t link it unfortunately.</p>
<p>Well, I for one won’t be watching much news for the next few days.</p>
<p>I can’t stomach seeing families in this kind of pain. It actually puts me in a depression for the rest of the day. One can’t help but project yourself, your own child or wife into this scenario and feel the nauseating emotions that the victims loved ones are feeling. </p>
<p>Sleep close to your spouse tonight and give your children an extra hug before they go to bed.</p>
<p>Agree Big. This is a terrible tragedy. The Congresswoman sounds like a very good person, as did the Judge. We’ll probably find out many wonderful things about the other victims in the days to come. Heartfelt prayers for all who are suffering.</p>
<p>The sheriff said in a press conference that the shooter may not have acted alone. He reportedly came to the event with someone else. The police have photos of the someone else but have not released them. </p>
<p>The judge wasn’t the target. He usually attends daily mass at the Cathedral. He did that Saturday morning. He’s friends with the congresswoman and decided to stop by and say hello. The cathedral is right around the corner from the supermarket. There was no advance notice that he would be there. The sheriff said “He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”</p>
<p>jonri - that is so sad. The poor man.</p>
<p>Actually, I just think the kid is mentally ill. I don’t blame anyone.</p>
<p>Being mentally ill, by itself, doesn’t cause people to become political assassins. Let’s take it to the extreme and hypothesize that he heard voices telling him to kill Congresswoman Giffords. The voices would have come from inside his head, but they didn’t appear there by magic.</p>
<p>I don’t blame anyone but the shooter and (if there are any) any accomplices or people who knew he was violent and disturbed and who did nothing. </p>
<p>That sheriff was completely off base in his comments. He admitted he had no idea what set off Loughner. He has no idea if Loughner was influenced by any political group, right or left. From what I’ve read, Loughner’s beef was people who didn’t use good grammar. Completely nutty. </p>
<p>I certainly, absolutely do not think that there should be any censorship of political ideas because of this shooting. We have always had heated political rhetoric in this country and politically motivated killings (Alexander Hamilton may have been the first). It is not something new. </p>
<p>But to call for people to ‘shut up’ (right or left) about how they view the real problems in this country, is really unAmerican.</p>
<p>Actually, come to think of it, that sheriff is the worst sort of hypocrite. If tomorrow someone assassinates a TV commentator or talk radio host, would the sheriff be to blame?</p>
<p>I stand by my original gut hunch (post #19) that this is a case of a mentally ill young man acting out on the chaotic thoughts scrambling in his mind–nothing more, nothing less.</p>
<p>DonnaL: Sometimes thoughts do seem to “magically” appear in the minds of the mentally ill.
My friend is a social worker for patients coming into the emergency room because of mental health emergencies. She’s told me plenty of wild stories about some of the patients.
One very intelligent young man insisted that the government was monitoring him via his flat screen TV. He lined his doors and windows with tin foil to “block the signals” so the government couldn’t get a clear picture of him. Another patient believed aliens were coming to get her. In other words, just because the suspect today ranted online with a political theme, doesn’t mean that this had anything to do with politics. If he is psychotic or whatever his mental diagnosis happens to be, his thoughts are irrational and are his alone and have little to do with reality.</p>
<p>Until the investigation is complete, we won’t know what the truth is behind the shooting.</p>
<p>I don’t know that he WAS a political assassin DonnaL. For all we know at this time, he might not have liked Gifford’s grammar. </p>
<p>In general, I think it is contradictory complain about the level of civility in how we agree or disagree while jumping to conclusions about something that is just not a known and assigning blame prematurely. And I agree with Tatin and cmm completely. We are far too quick to categorize that with which we disagree as hateful rhetoric. I WANT to hear opinions that make me mad and upset…because it means I still live in a free country.</p>
<p>I am glad to know we agree, idmom.</p>
<p>Is I thought I said before, the notion of taking the tragic actions of an obviously disturbed individual and using that circumstance to assign responsibility to someone with whom you disagree is not productive and potentially hurtful. </p>
<p>For example, I agree with quite a bit of what the “tea party” espouses (not going to go into it here as that would not be appropriate), and to hear someone insinuate that I am in any way to be assigned responsibility for this tragedy is indeed hurtful. </p>
<p>We should be focused on supporting those that were hurt today and their families. As well as the family of the shooter…as I am sure their world has just been turned completely upside down. It’s such a tragedy!</p>
<h2>Being mentally ill, by itself, doesn’t cause people to become political assassins. Let’s take it to the extreme and hypothesize that he heard voices telling him to kill Congresswoman Giffords. The voices would have come from inside his head, but they didn’t appear there by magic. ~ Donna</h2>
<p>Not sure if this fits your narrative or not, but perhaps this helps answer your question.</p>
<p>"Parker described the gunman meeting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords previously: “He was a political radical & met Giffords once before in '07, asked her a question & he told me she was ‘stupid & unintelligent.’”</p>
<p>[Loughner:</a> I can’t trust the government - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40980334/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/]Loughner:”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40980334/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/)</p>
<p>Clicked TEXT once you get to the bottom of the page.</p>
<p>Getting back to Congresswoman Giffords herself, does anyone know enough about this kind of injury – shot in the temple at point blank range, with the bullet going all the way through her brain – to have any understanding of whether a recovery without extensive brain damage is possible?</p>
<p>I don’t know if it went through her brain completely.</p>
<p>I thought I read it went in her temple and out her forehead.</p>
<p>Donna, I have worked with head-injured adults many times, including gunshot wounds. The human brain is an amazing thing, but it’s hard to imagine how she could come through this without some significant level of impairment.</p>
<p>…or personality change…</p>
<p>I pray she recovers DonnaL I’ve heard it said of her that people saw her as having a bright future and being potential presidential material.</p>
<h2>“We should be focused on supporting those that were hurt today and their families. As well as the family of the shooter…as I am sure their world has just been turned completely upside down. It’s such a tragedy!”</h2>
<p>Agree cmm.</p>