Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in critical condition, 6 others killed in Arizona

[Free Palestine]

The left is assuming it was a teabagger -- the right is assuming it was someone in a drug cartel.  They're both wrong.  It was the Illuminati!

Seriously though, this is terrible.  

[Free Palestine]

So, it wasn't a teabagger or a cartel soldier.  Hurr

I'm glad to hear she'll be making a recovery, at least according to the doctor who operated on her.  It's unfortunate that six others died, including a federal judge and a nine-year/month-old.

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

It'd clearly be absurd to try and ban guns because of this, that would be going too far, but Arizona has particularly lax gun laws. You don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon there, and I can't imagine the regulations on who is buying the guns are very tight.

Still, it is absurd to try and restrict guns every time some crazy person gets a gun and shoots people.  We don't make it harder to get a driver's license every time someone runs a red light and runs over ten people.

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

Well, but does people really need semi-automatic weapons to defend themselves?

I don't think that's something for the government to decide.

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

Well, but does people really need semi-automatic weapons to defend themselves?

I don't think that's something for the government to decide.

Given than the only use of semi-automatic weapons to me, is making war, yes, it is to government to decide.

A simple weapon is enough for defending yourself and hunting, I think.

If the people are going to be banned from having semi-automatic weapons, the government should be as well.

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

It'd clearly be absurd to try and ban guns because of this, that would be going too far, but Arizona has particularly lax gun laws. You don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon there, and I can't imagine the regulations on who is buying the guns are very tight.

Still, it is absurd to try and restrict guns every time some crazy person gets a gun and shoots people.  We don't make it harder to get a driver's license every time someone runs a red light and runs over ten people.

We do, however, restrict drivers licenses from people who, by driving, would endanger themselves or others. A paranoid schizophrenic, who failed an army psychological exam, given a gun is clearly a threat to himself and others.

Grr...you may have a point there.

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

It'd clearly be absurd to try and ban guns because of this, that would be going too far, but Arizona has particularly lax gun laws. You don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon there, and I can't imagine the regulations on who is buying the guns are very tight.

Still, it is absurd to try and restrict guns every time some crazy person gets a gun and shoots people.  We don't make it harder to get a driver's license every time someone runs a red light and runs over ten people.

We do, however, restrict drivers licenses from people who, by driving, would endanger themselves or others. A paranoid schizophrenic, who failed an army psychological exam, given a gun is clearly a threat to himself and others.

Grr...you may have a point there.

Grr? Are you actually debating in good faith or are you trying to maintain a character? You shouldn't react with "grr" to someone who has a good point even in your mind. We're human beings here, not caricatures.

I was just being silly.  As in, "oh sh-t, I'm agreeing with Lief, grrrr."

[Free Palestine]

I think it would be a bit insulting to her to use her shooting as an excuse to ban guns, because she is -- apparently -- a supporter of Second Amendment rights.  Plus, it's just generally absurd to take every isolated situation like this and say "oh noes, we should ban guns."  Far more people's lives are saved every day because they defended themselves, or were defended by someone else, with a gun.  Yet we never hear about those situations.

It'd clearly be absurd to try and ban guns because of this, that would be going too far, but Arizona has particularly lax gun laws. You don't even need a permit to carry a concealed weapon there, and I can't imagine the regulations on who is buying the guns are very tight.

Still, it is absurd to try and restrict guns every time some crazy person gets a gun and shoots people.  We don't make it harder to get a driver's license every time someone runs a red light and runs over ten people.

We do, however, restrict drivers licenses from people who, by driving, would endanger themselves or others. A paranoid schizophrenic, who failed an army psychological exam, given a gun is clearly a threat to himself and others.

failing an army psychological exam is not in itself cause to think that person would be a threat. i'd bet people fail it far more for being unable to cope with violence than for having any violent tendencies themselves. i don't like the idea that we would be denying people's rights or privileges on the basis of a psychological diagnosis - which would mean fewer people would be willing to seek help.

I'm pretty sure I'd fail an army psychological exam.

[Free Palestine]

If he was already crazy, he could have shot someone if he happened to subscribe to left-wing vitriol, except it would be a Republican being shot.

[Free Palestine]

If he was already crazy, he could have shot someone if he happened to subscribe to left-wing vitriol, except it would be a Republican being shot.

You're trying to use logic and rational thinking to explain what a crazy man did... it just doesn't work that way most of the time.  Crazy people like this guy don't think rationally.

Either way, it's stupid to claim that he was an assassin for teh ebil Tea Party, or something of that sort.  Lief.

[Free Palestine]

what kind of  left winger likes Mein Kampf?

My insane professor apparently has it in his office, next to the Communist Manifesto and Ghandi's (auto?)biography.  He says he expects them to explode someday.

[Free Palestine]

As I've already said, he would've probably shot someone if he was a left-winger.  The man was batsh-t insane before anything else.  The people who cling to the idea that he was some teabagger brownshirt are f--king stupid, and their behavior, politicizing something like this, is morally reprehensible.

[Free Palestine]

No one is saying he was a teabagger brownshirt. What people are saying is that many on the right-wing (arguably the far right-wing) in this country have created an atmosphere where this kind of political violence is normalized and subtly encouraged, to the point that something like this happening eventually isn't very surprising at all.

lolno