Well, you probably said it best when you mentioned a "very hostile political environment". That's where I see a lot of the fear coming from.
I am waiting for some anti-gun legislation to come of this. For one second, with what this guy has been quoted as saying, does anyone doubt that he would have stabbed or otherwise hurt Giffords?
Take this clown, uni-bomber, timothy mcveigh and make a comparison. 2 things in common with all of these guys....1. Dissatisfaction with government 2. Different levels of mental illness.
I dont get fear or racism. Just pure evil in a very hostile political environment. imo....
Not to detract anything from this horrible act, but Dorsette Edmunds (mentioned above) claimed that this was based on fear and racism..... fear I get, racism I am lost with. This was white on white crime.
And we couldnt see this coming? The little 9 year old girl that died who had just been voted to the student council and wanted to see how government worked just broke my heart. My prayers to all and their families and to the family of the young man that caused such carnage for nothing, my heart goes out to them especially.
This is so terrible. Such unnecessary acts of violence. I'm so afraid things are going to continue to get worse before they get better. All the families and victims are in my Prayers.
In July, a California man known for his anger over left-leaning politics engaged in a shootout with highway patrol officers after planning an attack on the ACLU and another nonprofit group. The man said he wanted to "start a revolution" by killing people at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation.
Giffords herself has drawn the ire of the right, especially for her support of the health care bill from politicians like Sarah Palin.
Her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House vote to approve the health care law in March, with someone either kicking or shooting out a glass door and window. In an interview after the vandalism, Giffords referred to the animosity against her by conservatives. Palin listed Giffords' seat as one of the top "targets" in the midterm elections because of the lawmakers' support for the health care law.
"For example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," Giffords said in an interview with MSNBC.
Video: Rep. Giffords target of harassment, threats (on this page)
In the hours after the shooting, Palin issued a statement in which she expressed her "sincere condolences" to the family of Giffords and the other victims.
Capitol police responded to the shooting by advising lawmakers and their staff to "take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security."
.Despite her clashes with the right, Giffords describes herself as a former Republican and current Blue Dog Democrat.
"You know, actually as a former Republican, you know, I consider myself someone who is pretty in the middle, I'm a blue dog Democrat, and one that is interested in making sure that our country maintains our prosperity and frankly, our superiority over other countries and that's where we look at these threat, obviously our defense budget, our level of education," she said in an interview with Fox News Channel this week.
Law makers urged to take precaution
Officers with the Capitol Police force advised members of the House and their aides to "take reasonable and prudent precautions" about their own security in the wake of the shooting.
In an e-mail obtained by The Associated Press, the Capitol Police say they were directly involved in the investigation of the shooting.
Vigil outside hospital
Hours after the shooting, a group of women wept, hugged and clutched votive candles at a vigil outside Tucson's University Medical Center.
"I am in shock, I am in deep sadness, I ask myself why? Why do we keep killing our good people? I remember (John F.) Kennedy, I remember Martin Luther King. And I feel anger, but I also feel the basis of this is fear and racism," said Dorsett Edmunds, 67, a physical therapist, as she clutched a votive candle and wept.
Linda Ray, 66, who worked on all of Giffords' campaigns, said she feared the shooting would lead to more divisiveness in U.S. politics.
"The thing that's so powerful about this — is that Gabrielle Giffords' district is predominantly Republican. In order to win that district, I worked shoulder to shoulder with Republicans ... it was a model for what this country should be."
A half-a-dozen people sat on the lawn in front of the hospital with bunches of flowers.
Kevin Dahl, 54, a conservationist, said he viewed Giffords as one of the most intelligent and thoughtful voices in Congress.
"We live in a time of polarized politics where hate is acceptable. This is the exact opposite of democracy. I am ashamed of my state," he said.
Jason Brown said he was an intern for Giffords in both her Tucson and Washington offices.
"I was a witness to the threats she got at her office by phone and in letters. Then to see it play out today, it was all real. I was incredibly shocked, depressed for my country."
This is a breaking news story, check back for details. The Associated Press, Reuters and NBC News contributed to this report.
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