I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Lived in Calgary, got to stay true to the home team!

Gabby Giffords apparently gave her doctors a thumbs up this afternoon.  I so hope she continues to improve and makes a full recovery, with few or no deficits.

That is terrific news, IronJaw!  Thanks for posting the info!

Shirley:  If you have already left the thread, you won't have the thrill of reading my reply.  However, I will post it any way.  No matter how I personally feel about Sara Palin, I think it is true garbage to blame her for any part in this tradgedy.  I kid a lot about things she does and would never vote for her but this surely is not in any way that I can think of her fault.  She is probably as distressed by this as all of us are.  You and I may have big political differences but that doesn't make me think you are a mean or bad person.  You, most certainly, have a right to think any way you want as long as it does not cause harm to your fellow man.  That is the difference between us, imo, and the deranged person who caused so many deaths.  We care about our fellow human being and "he" didn't.  So have a nice evening Shirley.   I hope we are still good with each other.

http://www.neuroskills.com/edu/ceufunction7.shtml

Some good info on right/left brain functions.

Brain injuries of any kind are slow to recover from, but this was far more positive than what I had hoped for at this stage. Seems from what they described this morning that they are expecting speech deficits at the very least, but perhaps with intensive therapy she will be able to reclaim a "new normal" of her life.

A friend of mine was drawing the comparisons just yesterday to the political climate and rhetoric that led to the Oklahoma City bombing and that which we currently are dealing with.  Left, right, or central, all are responsible for controlling ourselves and our language.  My post of last week that was deleted by speech police here dealt primarily with controlling hate speech.  Most sane people are not going to get a gun and shoot someone because someone said something inflammatory.  However, we are responsible to understand that some of the weakest members of our society, the mentally disturbed, may take a hateful statement and use it as society's permission to perform a dreadful act.  It's far too easy to be the catalyst in a catastrophic event like Tuscon, or the death of a teenager because of bullying, and then throw up our hands and say it's nothing to do with us because we didn't intend any harm.  Thanks for posting that.

 Linda, I copied a para from the article you posted.

"His mad act was not random. Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, is a former police officer who often consults with law enforcement. He points out that it's hardly uncommon for mentally ill people to commit political violence. "Paranoid people, people with mental illness, try to find very simple, identifiable scapegoats," he says. "When you have political rhetoric that is on a parallel track, that also is increasingly using bizarre conspiratorial theories, it's just kindling for someone who is mentally ill."

Gee, Lewing, aren't you one who always complains when articles aren't from balanced enough sources?  Do you believe that is in any sense of the term a fair and balanced article?

Utilizing the pain inflicted in Arizona to justify vilifying anyone whose views are not in lock-step with your own is unbelievable.

From every report I've seen, the shooter's political leanings are far, far left, and he is far more likely to have targeted Rep Giffords because she wasn't liberal enough for him rather than because of any rhethoric from any politician or pundit on the right.  Blaming Republicans for the shooting is just beyond sanity. 

I wouldn't take everything he has ever written or expressed as true beliefs, and I suspect that much of it was specifically intended to shock the adults around him.  Many young adults go for that shock value, without regard for the consequences of their words or actions, and few things are more shocking than using a gun to make your point, even if it is insane and irrational.

I read  the article at Lewings URL.

Quote from the article:

"In the 1990s, Republicans kept flirting with extremist rhetoric right up until Timothy McVeigh bombed a federal building in Oklahoma. In the immediate aftermath, leading conservatives wailed when they were called on their history of insurrectionary propaganda. Newt Gingrich called connections between his own anti-government stance and McVeigh's "grotesque and offensive," while Rush Limbaugh complained about liberal attempts to whip up "national hysteria."

Eventually, though, it became politically incorrect for Republicans to urge the violent overthrow of the American government. Perhaps something similar might happen again. What's amazing is how many conservatives seem to think that's too much to ask."

My response is at THIS URL:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdF5TQIv1fU

"On July 2, 2008, in a speech given in Colorado, Senator Obama called for a "civilian national security force" that was as "powerful" and "well-funded" as the military.

He has so far failed to clarify what the role of this "national security force" would be."

I guess the "left wing" thinks that a civilian force that is as well-funded (read well-armed) would just be okey-doke under a "progressive" president, since there was no outcry at the time from them.  If George Bush had made that statement, it would be linked with the Palin targets in the rhetoric today...but......oh well.

For the most part, I've been trying to stay on the subject of the tragedy in AZ on this thread, but it seems that some want to keep on with the blame game.

 Now, I have at my disposal numerous articles that can be posted in response to more of the "nasty conservative tea partying republican articles".   I'd rather not, but it seems that the "lefties" here want to ride along with the media on this track.

Since we are on the internet, and no one actually knows who we are, I believe THAT in itself is one of the causes of the increased violence of speech.  With the increased hostility and threatening verbage on the net, I suppose the two parties felt to get attention, they, too, would use the same angry, hostile terms. Not to point out one party or the other, but the media loves to give attention to the worst, of Both parties.  They have 24/7 to fill and assist to stir up anything they can so they and their "experts" will have Something/anything to say.

Have you ever read some of the comments sections on sports pages or news sites?  Truly jaw dropping with personal attacks and threats. 

I can remember when people were called Mr. or Miss (Ms is fine) or Mrs.  And in the congress and senate they referred to each other in polite terms, and I cannot recall--since I don't really watch C-span --  hearing yelling and screaming at each other by the members.  Passionate speech, for sure, but not rude and personal speech.

I know I sound like "can't we all get along", and I'm not a Pollyanna, and this country's manners are deplorable.  Yes, debate, discussion, et al, is very important in a free speech society, but good manners and being polite are still the best way to make a point.  When we are all yelling, no one is listening.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/01/10/20110110gabrielle-giffords-suspect-loughner-court-appearance-brk10-ON.html

The article says "in court appearance" Brenda.  I haven't seen a mug shot yet.

This website doesn't want to let me post a picture and live link in the same post.

http://www.azcentral.com/

Maybe I'm just slow, I can't believe any of you haven't noticed it. 

One hour after this happened, there was no one blaming anyone except a crazed shooter. There were interviews with those present, elected officials and even one via phone with the sheriff (more on him later) I was glued to every channel, switching back and forth. She was dead, she was alive, second suspect, how many shots, the whole range. NOT ONE WORD was said about political opinion, adds with "surveyor thingies" (really love that) or any blame being assigned except to the shooter. Very few even addressed what her party affiliation was. I wouldn't have known except they had it at the bottom of the screen.

Three hours later, the blame game was on and it hasn't slowed down on TV or this thread. It started happening when there was no more "news" to report. She was in a coma, the suspect in custody and no way to sensationalize any of that. By the next morning I had heard a doctor describe how he ducked behind a pole and after the whole thing was over, laid on the suspect's legs, from 6 different sources. So what did they do? Started interviewing people about their opinions (not facts now, but opinions). During the course of the interview, if the interviewee had said nothing about the "cause" of this, the commentator would ask.  Even that 9 year old's parents had the question posed to them, "Do you think the political atmosphere in Arizona may have contributed to this tragedy?"  I almost gagged. I did turn the channel. This is pure speculation. Very few additional facts have emerged (yes a few). Opinions by their very nature are going to cause controversy. The blame game was on!

PS I did hear the parents answer. They said they would prefer to keep this about their daughter.  

Has anyone noticed that these sick creeps who can go around killing innocent children and adults when they are caught, can't "man" up and at least tell the prosecutors "why" they did what they did? It says to me that they are really sick cowards who, when apprehended, are terrified of the death they quickly impose on innocent people and don't want to face it themselves.  I do hope they get him to trial as quickly as possible and even tho he is insane, give him the same sentence he gave to those people he killed! 
 

I am so sorry for all of those people that were killed and injured. It hurts on a level no amount of rhetoric can minimize.

A good number of our law enforcement folks know first hand you cannot lock up everyone that exhibits #crazy# impossible.

Same with the teacher. If that was the case half of the free world would have been locked up at one time or another if someone thought they were $off$ ...it is little too police state- subject to vendettas and subjective opinions. It has been that way since the beginning of time.

Palin lost whatever lingering credibility she might have had (for me, there was none since her comment about Russia in '08-her explanation for that was even worse) with her REALITY series...er,campaign ad...Personally (read that- it is my personal opinion) I cringe to think any woman would want her in any office making major decisions. I think Backwoods Barbie has a ton of cash and god bless her, she is set for life...if there is any admiration for her it is in her obvious business acumen.

Sigh, I wish Bill was in office...attended a luncheon for him in Chicago a few years back and 4000 people fought to get in...all political persuasions- it was like a freaking sold-out rock concert. I asked one member of the extreme right why he was trying to get in and he said "I don't like his politics but damn, the man is brilliant I have always wanted to hear him speak" The man is compelling. I don't much like his sexual attitude but I can't think of one who is unscathed- must come with the territory.

Just the way I see it.