Democratic Congresswoman Among 12 Shot in Arizona

Are all the Redskins fans at a convention or something today?

 

Nah, this is shivering cat, a minion of basement cat.

 

Most Congressmen do not have a security detail.

 

Context matters. Palin's rhetoric, taken alone, was perfectly fine.

The issue here a political movement in this country that has advanced itself through the intentional inflammation and exploitation of a small percentage of people who genuinely do think that armed violence against the government is already or is close to becoming a viable option.

Trying to strip away that context, and then find vaguely comparable examples, is an attempt to take the discussion two levels of removal from what is actually happening here.

 

OK, but shouldn't the local authorities be a little more prepared given the stature of an elected official? It's not like it was a special Lady Gaga record release meet-and-greet.

 

I want to know more about past behavior.

Was he ever treated by a mental health professional? If so, what was the diagnosis?

Has anything come out about this?

What about the pictures the Daily News had today of the skull in the back yard?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/10/2011-01-10_chilling_shrine_in_madmans_yard.html

Don't know if I'd call it a "shrine" but it is odd.

 

From texting with a former roommate who is now a press secretary for a Republican Congressman, if the politician requests security local officials (at least in his district) will gladly help. He's been to hundreds of events like Giffords in the district and they've never had security. But that won't be the case in the future.

It's an odd situation. You're more likely to see an SEC football coach with two state troopers helping him cross the field to shake hands with the opposing coach than to see two of them at a meet-and-greet for a Congressman.

 

Very open-minded of you.

 

That wasn't a skull, MH. The hair may be gray, but there's still flesh on them bones.

 

dixiehack -- very funny comment re: Heath Shuler. I didn't mean to set that on a tee. Really!

 

"We've known that our job is to lead white kids into armed revolution. We never intended to spend the next five to twenty-five years of our lives in jail. Ever since SDS became revolutionary, we've been trying to show how it is possible to overcome frustration and impotence that comes from trying to reform this system. Kids know the lines are drawn: revolution is touching all of our lives. Tens of thousands have learned that protest and marches don't do it.
—Bernardine Dohrn[