http://hotair.com/archives/2011/01/08/b ... tucson-az/
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/08/132764367 ... in-arizona
January 8, 2011
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman at a public event in Tucson on Saturday. There are conflicting reports about whether she was killed.
The Pima County, Ariz., sheriff's office told member station KJZZ the 40-year-old Democrat was killed. At least nine other people, including members of her staff, were injured.
Giffords, who was re-elected to a third term in November, was hosting a "Congress on Your Corner" event at a Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
The suspect fired indiscriminately from about four feet away, Michaels said. A congressional official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the gunman was using an automatic weapon.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., poses with House Speaker John Boehner Wednesday on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Enlarge Susan Walsh/AP
Giffords poses with House Speaker John Boehner on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., poses with House Speaker John Boehner Wednesday on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Susan Walsh/AP
Giffords poses with House Speaker John Boehner on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
The suspect ran off and was tackled by a bystander. He was taken into custody. Witnesses described him as in his late teens or early 20s.
Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson.
Giffords was first elected to represent Arizona's 8th District in 2006. The "Congress on Your Corner" events, which she holds regularly, allow constituents to present their concerns directly to her.
Giffords' Tucson office was one of three damaged last March by vandals who targeted Democrats in advance of the U.S. House vote on the controversial health care legislation. A glass panel at her office was shattered, and at the time her staff said that it appeared the window had been damaged by a pellet gun.
Her fellow Arizona congressman, Republican Jeff Flake, reached Saturday on his way to the hospital recalled that he had last spoken with Giffords on the House floor during this week's swearing-in ceremony.
"We have a fairly small delegation and we've met often," he said of Giffords, who in November beat back a tough challenge from a Tea Party-endorsed opponent.
"She got re-elected because she's tenacious," Flake said. "There was a very strong headwind against all Democrats and people did not expect her to come back to Congress.
"But she was tireless," he said. "Others may have held back after things happen — like the damage to her office. She was fearless."
Flake said emotions have been running high in Arizona over issues, including immigration.
"That's obviously an issue that is a very passionate one for a lot of people," he said.
NPR's Liz Halloran contributed to this report.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHY was she shot ?
I found this just now, about her stand on illegal immigration.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://giffords.house.gov/2010/04/us-re ... orde.shtml
U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS’ STATEMENT ON ARIZONA’S NEW IMMIGRATION LAW AND THE NEED TO SECURE OUR BORDER
April 30, 2010
Arizona lawmaker again calls for the deployment of the National Guard
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today released the following statement on Arizona’s new immigration law and the need to secure our border. Her statement comes after the Arizona Legislature on Thursday modified some provisions of the law.
Arizona is now known around the world for enacting an extreme immigration law in response to the federal government’s failure to act. This law does nothing to secure our border. My hope is that the events that have unfolded in Phoenix recently are a wake-up call to Washington politicians who for too long have refused to take seriously their responsibility to address the crisis on our border.
The people of Arizona are angry and so am I. Southern Arizona, in particular, has paid a heavy price because of drug smuggling and illegal immigration. But even with the changes enacted by the Legislature Thursday night, this law will do nothing to make the communities I represent safer from smugglers and the dangerous spill-over effects of border violence.
In the face of mounting criticism – including serious questions raised by prominent Republicans such as Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham and Tom Tancredo – the Legislature hastily modified some aspects of the bill that Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law last week. These changes, however, fail to address the concerns of local law enforcement officials about the cost and practicality of enforcing this policy. The changes also do nothing to address the concerns that the law could jeopardize the rights of American citizens. In addition, the potentially devastating impact this law could have on Arizona’s economy just as we are beginning to emerge from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is a reality that must be avoided at all costs.
Passage of this law is a stark reminder that securing our border is a responsibility that the federal government must confront with the full extent of its resources.
In the days after the tragic murder of Cochise County rancher Rob Krentz, I called for a series of immediate steps that the federal government must take to secure our border. They are:
• Deploy the National Guard
• Put more Border Patrol agents on the ground
• Establish Border Patrol forward operating bases
• Make greater use of new high-tech surveillance systems
• Improve cell phone reception so law enforcement agencies and rural residents can communicate with each other
I repeatedly have called on President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to implement these measures. I do so again today.
University of Arizona President Robert Shelton noted on Thursday that because of the state’s new immigration law, the families of a number of out-of-state students have informed the university that they are changing their plans and will be sending their children to universities in other states. Sadly, all them are honors students. I agree with President Shelton when he says these withdrawals should distress anyone who cares about attracting the best and brightest students to Arizona.
The point made by President Shelton highlights what might be the most egregious aspect of Arizona’s new immigration law: its divisiveness. Our state has thrived on its ability to attract new residents, businesses and visitors from around the world. Our cities and towns have long-benefitted from the influx of those seeking new opportunities. This law stands in direct contradiction to our past and, as a result, threatens our future.
Was the gunman today "white", or really a latino and the press is not reporting it correctly?
A current movie, "Machete", paints a white politician as being "evil" for trying to stop illegal immigration.
