US: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot in Arizona

Unless he'd actually been under a civil commitment at some point for psych issues, then even if he had privately sought counseling of some sort, I don't think that it would show up in a background check.  There's just no way, under the current system, to screen for people who are merely disturbed.  It pretty much only catches folks who've spent time in a rubber room. 

And as for the vaguely eluded to 'troubled past,' unless he was a convicted felon, again, I don't think there are grounds under current laws to deny a permit to someone who's only had misdemeanors.

Just to echo what woadgrrl said, I have an ex that was held in California on a 5150 after he had one of his rampages that ended very badly for me and for him...he is prohibited from purchasing or owning a firearm for a period of 5 years.

Just remember that not all firearms are registered or have been purchased the 'legal' way or purchased since the requirements for background checks have been initiated. In fact, all my parents firearms were purchased before the requirement was in place and only 1 of them is actually registered simply because my mother carried it with her concealed weapons license.

My husband is always shaking his head about this kind of thing- that there is no way a politician could express such blatant violent personal opinions and still be in office in the UK. Here its a race to see who can be the most radical. And the filth that spreads like wildfire- things like the 'Ground Zero Mosque' and the 'Government Takeover' and that the president is a 'closeted islamic terrorist'. This stuff spreads and spreads.
Like senator Lynn Jenkins who made comments about finding the 'great white hope' with no understanding of its racist context, and told a 24 year old waitress and her uninsured 2 year old who asked why she was opposing health care reform to 'go be a grown up'. Palin defending her daughter callling other kids at school 'faggot'... and then they 'wonder' why younger adults are so desensitized to violence when they are subjected to bullying and abuse from a very early age.

To be fair, and this is not the thread so this will be my only post on the subject here, there are a few crazy and racist political parties in the UK and quite a few of them have been elected as MEPs. 

Bullying and abuse happens here as well. Gun crime might not be an issue, knife crime certainly is. Maybe not in small places, but then gun crime isn't in most places either. 

I do feel safer in the UK. As much as I still love Miami, there were many times when the thought, "I could get shot here" played through my mind. I remember going to sleep on teh rare cool night when you could leave a window open and hearing the flat crack of semi auto fire off in teh distance. I have driven through bad areas where guys would have the butt of 9mm's and .45's showing from thier trousers.

Knife crime is bad, and if you get killed by one you are just as dead as from a gun shot. But a gun has the ability to reach out to you, and a semi automatic, especially one of these extended clip jobs makes delivery fast and effective and in great volumn.

Guns are horrible things, just watch some ballistic videos of what slugs do to materials.

Doctors are cautiously optimistic about Gabrielle's condition, but brain injuries are so tricky sometimes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12148446

The shooter has been charged with trying to assassinate Giffords and killing two government officials.  Other charges to follow for the attack on non-government officials.  (The first charges are federal ones, the next ones will be from the state.)  They are saying that, if convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Everyone has been so courteous in tone on the thread so far - please may I ask to leave this thread for news & condolences?  There are such a number of potentially volatile issues surrounding the incident - the politics, guns, now the death penalty...(and I'm a liberal with a capital L, so I am restraining myself!).  There are a number of old threads on Pettifog (or you could start new ones) if people want to debate these things further.

61-year-old woman who wrestled ammunition clip from gunman as he tried to reload...

Amazing.  My hope is that should I be faced with the same situation I will behave as admirably. 

Definitely!  And also that young man, Hernandez, who ran into the gunfire to help Giffords! 

Don't think I could have done that.  I totally understand the person(s) who said they laid down & played dead to avoid getting shot - that kind of survival instinct.  I can't really fault them either on playing it sensible.

A bit about the shooting suspect.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40996934/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts

So very sad and horrible.   

And something so vile like this...
Westboro Baptist Church, the Topeka church known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests, plans to picket the funerals of the six people gunned down in Arizona on Saturday. In a flier posted on its web site, the controversial church writes, "THANK GOD FOR THE SHOOTER -- 6 DEAD!"
...makes it even worse.   

And something so vile like this...
Westboro Baptist Church, the Topeka church known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests, plans to picket the funerals of the six people gunned down in Arizona on Saturday. In a flier posted on its web site, the controversial church writes, "THANK GOD FOR THE SHOOTER -- 6 DEAD!"
...makes it even worse.   

I don't know what's wrong with those people.  I know there's something very very wrong, but I can't fathom what it is.

I don't know what's wrong with those people.  I know there's something very very wrong, but I can't fathom what it is.

They're professional haters.  I believe that most/many of them hold law degrees and they sue people right and left for violating their first amendment rights.  People have occasionally held separate fund-raisers where others donate a certain amount of money to a LGBT charity for every minute that those people protest. 
This whole event has just been disheartening and frightening. Did anyone else see Keith Olbermann's take on it? I thought he did a good job of both taking responsibility for anything he might have contributed to this sense of heightened tension and violence and calling on others to do the same.

They're also blaming the vitriol on talk radio for this. 

@bookgrl

I dont think that crazies dont exist in the UK- I've seen them too. I think what upsets me is the lack of social outrage- people dont care until someone is actually shot. A number of attempts were made to some of these politicians/media pundits to tone down the violent language but refused. Its like Westboro Baptist giving out 'wanted posters' for obgyns and then saying it wasnt thier intention to have those individuals murdered. Leaders need to be voices of reason when the debate gets that heated, rather than fueling the fire. That does go for both sides- I'm a big L too (Mrs Robinson) and I was appalled when the man held up the broadcast network with demands that 'we save all the animal species ont he earth'... I dont think it is a left/right arguement- its a human arguement. Everyone should stand up for non-violence. Thats what I dont see here.


This was the congresswomans response to the Palin bullseye map.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Talks Palin Cross Hairs

I dont think its an issue of the RIGHTS to free speech, but the RESPONSIBILITY of free speech.

I dont think its an issue of the RIGHTS to free speech, but the RESPONSIBILITY of free speech.

A VERY important point!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/good-morning-its-expected-to.html

A national moment of silence. The House of Representatives is not in session today, but House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood requested Sunday that all members of Congress, staffers and visitors present on the House side of the Capitol join President Obama and the country at 11 a.m. in observing a moment of silence for the victims of the tragedy.We invite you to share your thoughts for the victims of the shooting and their families or on how you plan to observe today's moment of silence.

11am eastern/4pm GMT

If I remember I'll definitely join in the moment of silence.  This whole thing is just awful.  Having lived in AZ for seven years I'm not surprised this happened there (it was fairly common to hear gunshots)