RUTHFULLY YOURS

The shooting of Democrat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at Tucson, Arizona on Saturday morning will naturally raise questions about the wisdom of politicians’ “meet the people” endeavors. Ms. Giffords was at a table in a Safeway supermarket during a “Congress on Your Corner” event when attacked. Shot at point blank range in the head, she has miraculously stayed alive, even though the bullet passed through her brain and exited on the other side of her skull. She remains in a critical condition at University Medical Center in Tucson, but her doctor has suggested that she should pull through, though no-one has been able to say how mentally debilitated she may be from her injuries. Eighteen other people were also shot. Of these, six have died. A federal judge and a nine-year old girl were among the dead., and one of her aides was also said to have been among the dead.

The suspected gunman  has been apprehended. He has been named by a federal source as 22-year old Jared L. Loughner, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan.

The dead judge has been named as U.S. District Judge John Roll. The judge had worked with immigration cases and had apparently earlier received death threats.

Ms Giffords, who had recently been elected to a third term in congress, is married to NASA astronaut Mark Kelly and is the first Jewish congressional representative to be elected from Arizona. She represents the 8^th district of the state. On her website, it is announced that the “Congress on Your Corner” event today was to have been her first such event this year. The website states:

“Congress on Your Corner” allows residents of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District to meet their congresswoman one-on-one and discuss with her any issue, concern or problem involving the federal government.

Giffords has hosted numerous “Congress on Your Corner” events since taking office in January 2007. As in the past, the congresswoman’s staff will be available to assist constituents.

Previous “Congress on Your Corner” events in Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Sierra Vista, and Douglas have attracted between 75 and 150 people.

For the media, “Congress on Your Corner” is an excellent opportunity to view the congresswoman interacting with constituents or ask questions about any topic.

In May 2010 in the United Kingdom, Member of Parliament Stephen Timms was attacked at an “MP’s surgery” where a representative meets constituents on a one-to-one basis to listen to their problems. Mr Timms was stabbed repeatedly by a Muslim woman for his role in voting for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. When Roshonara Choudhry – who had been a reader of the Revolution Muslim website – was sentenced to life imprisonment for the politician’s murder, a list of other MPs who had voted for Iraq’s invasion appeared on the Revolution Muslim website. The list was accompanied by a message praising Choudhry, which included the words “We ask Allaah for her action to inspire Muslims to raise the knife of Jihaad against those who voted for the countless rapes, murders, pillages, and torture of Muslim civilians as a direct consequence of their vote.”

The Tucson shooter, named in full as in Jared Lee Loughner, is said to be white, though it is unknown what his political or religious affiliations may be. Congresswoman Giffords’ website highlights her concern for the welfare of troops and her concerns about defeating terrorism.

She wrote on her website:

Care for our nation’s warriors doesn’t end when their service in the military is over.  In Southern Arizona, we are committed to looking out for those who looked out for us.

I have the honor of representing nearly 94,000 veterans in Southern Arizona and issues affecting them remain very important to me.  My Veterans Advisory Council and local Veterans Service Organizations continue to provide constructive input on the changing needs of today’s Veterans.

During the last (111^th) congress, Gabrielle Giffords also sponsored several bills “that will improve educational opportunities and access to care for veterans and increase benefits for retirees.”

Therefore there should be little motive for an Afghan war vet to be hostile towards her politically.  The photo below, from the Arizona Daily Star, shows a man at the Tucson Festival of Books (which took place on March 13-14, 2010) who is credited as Jared Loughner.

A Facebook page for a Jared Laughner has now been closed. His online activities are being analyzed by federal authorities. On AtlasShrugged, there are some of his videos, in which his leftist views are made clear. The video below is – according to Fox News – featuring Laughner in a burka, burning the U.S. flag.

When more definitive information comes in, this post will be updated.

The Editor, Family Security Matters.