Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford of Southern Arizona Shot At Constituent Event

[AZTheta]

Kappamd, the entire city of Tucson is devastated. We cannot get away from this. It is raw and painful beyond imagination.

I have a heightened compassion for the people of NYC, Oklahoma City, and other areas where there have been horrific and violent acts. Tucson has retained much of a "small town" feel (as I wrote earlier) and the legal community is shaken to the core. The medical community is feeling the effects, and law enforcement is stressed to the limit with all the attention and activity since Saturday. The community is pulling together as many resources as possible to support the children in Christina-Taylor Green's school, as well as other children throughout the community.

It could have been any Safeway, on any corner, in Tucson, on any Saturday. Gabby Giffords has been conducting "Congress On Your Corner" since her first term in office. John Roll was headed home from mass, and he stopped in to say hello to Gabby and thank her for supporting him in his efforts to get relief for the overburdened Federal Courts (due to the sheer volume of immigration cases stemming from our proximity to the Mexican border). Other people were there to meet our Representative; she has always been accessible to her constituency. It was just another Saturday morning...and then it wasn't.

It will never been the same here. We are picking up the pieces, we are planning funerals and memorials, we are going about the business of death, and life will go on.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Weapon in rampage was banned under Clinton-era law

The high-capacity magazine of the semiautomatic pistol used in the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and more than a dozen other people on Saturday would have been illegal to manufacture and difficult to purchase under the Clinton-era assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004.

According to police and media reports, the alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, legally purchased a semiautomatic Glock 19 with a high-capacity magazine in November at a gun store in Tucson. Under the assault weapons ban, it was illegal to manufacture or sell new high-capacity magazines, defined as those that hold more than 10 rounds. The magazines used by Loughner had 31 rounds each, according to police.

If Loughner had been using a traditional magazine, "it would have drastically reduced the number of shots he got off before he had to pause, unload and reload -- and he could have been stopped," Daniel Vice, senior attorney at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, tells Salon.

http://www.salon.com/news/gabrielle_...lt_weapons_ban

This isn't relevant. It's just not. Stop. Making. This. About. Politics.

[DaemonSeid]

Fine...turn to Hoarders!!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Fine...turn to Hoarders!!

What?

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

This isn't relevant. It's just not. Stop. Making. This. About. Politics.

Welcome to the 24-hour news cycle.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

Welcome to the 24-hour news cycle.

I'm aware of it. I'm encouraging DS to not lower the intellectual level of THIS conversation. We have frodo and max for that.

[sceniczip]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Of course, blunt and penetrating brain injury are very different creatures. Her main problem, other than the risk of secondary brain injury, is the direct trauma to her speech center. There is a long road ahead for Rep. Giffords recovery, and it will be a long while before we know what permanent neuro deficits she sustained in this assault. For now, she is lucky to be alive with the ability to process simple commands. It will be interesting to see what they report when she is extubated.

Oh yes wasn't saying they were even remotely the same! Just wanted to agree that it's still a long road even though she is able to respond to simple commands. One of the news briefs I heard made it out to be like she would be just because she could raise a finger It's good but it's by no means a full recovery. The brain is a very interesting thing though. I always said if I had gone into medicine I would have wanted to do neuro.

[DubaiSis]

1st, I think you mean Oklahoma City, not Kansas City. Thankfully KC hasn't been the site of one of these atrocities.

2nd, I saw a great interview with Bob Woodruff who had a remarkably similar injury and he is for all intents and purposes just fine. I'm sure there's a lot he deals with that he's not talking about, but he's sharp enough to continue to be a TV reporter. They also showed a picture of him with the piece of his skull still missing. GUHROSS. But hey, they eventually put it back and he looks fine.

We can't assume she's going to be perfectly fine, but there is reason for hope. I have so many friends who are politicos. One works for Congressman Cleaver in a similar roll as the staffer guy who died. I don't like the idea of having to worry about these friends doing the work of the people in a swing state where there is abundant negativity.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

This isn't relevant. It's just not. Stop. Making. This. About. Politics.

hey drole...BTW...no, it's not about politics, but what the article was stating is that had certain laws regarding his firearms were still in place, there would have been the possibility that he may not have caused so much damage.

Just a what if...no right vs left wing argument.

Iam sure what we will see as an end result are politicians and gun lobbyists battling for new gun measure laws just like what took place after the V Tech and Columbine shootings.


BUT...this muthafuggah was batshit crazy!!

moving on!

[Kevin]

Changing the gun laws over an isolated incident is dumb no matter how you slice it.

Let's say you reduce clip sizes to 15. What does a fella like this do? Carry two guns, problem solved.

[Chicago88]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

We can't assume she's going to be perfectly fine, but there is reason for hope. I have so many friends who are politicos. One works for Congressman Cleaver in a similar roll as the staffer guy who died. I don't like the idea of having to worry about these friends doing the work of the people in a swing state where there is abundant negativity.

Again, I'm no neurosurgeon but after having many family experiences with nearly fatal instances I believe you never fully return to normal. Something about you has changed whether it be personality, physically, mentally, and its because an integral part of your body (be it your brain, heart, lungs) has been altered in one way or another. Heart cells do not regenerate and neuron cells regenerate but very few do. There is hope and its a miracle shes alive.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by Chicago88

Again, I'm no neurosurgeon but after having many family experiences with nearly fatal instances I believe you never fully return to normal. Something about you has changed whether it be personality, physically, mentally, and its because an integral part of your body (be it your brain, heart, lungs) has been altered in one way or another. Heart cells do not regenerate and neuron cells regenerate but very few do. There is hope and its a miracle shes alive.

Have you read the recent studies and findings on neuroplasticity?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Changing the gun laws over an isolated incident is dumb no matter how you slice it.

Don't let Jim Brady hear you say that.

[Chicago88]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

Have you read the recent studies and findings on neuroplasticity?

No, and Im not speaking from what I know, I'm speaking of what Ive been told by family doctors. I'm not claiming to know everything.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Don't let Jim Brady hear you say that.

James Brady is just a political opportunist in a wheelchair.

Heck.. his own shooting only involved six bullets.

This was an isolated incident. 30 round clips are useful for a number of reasons. Especially at the gun range. If these clips are made illegal, do you think folks will no longer be able to obtain them?