BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG
We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
THIS IS PATHETIC....rather than join in the mourning for the dead, the celebration of what their lives were, and support with prayers and thoughts those who were wounded, michelle malkin wallows in the gutter and tries to drag others down with her. She chooses to continue the atmosphere of hate and intolerance in politics and society, a slap in the face of the victims of the Tucson shooting and their families and friends and society as a whole.
The White House "branded" the memorial service for the Tucson shootings with a "Together We Thrive" logo and slogan.
Michelle Malkin on Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 in a blog post
Share this story:
The University of Arizona memorial service for the victims of the Tucson, Ariz. shootings was called "Together We Thrive." But Michele Malkin claimed the slogan was cooked up by the White House
In an opinion piece about the Jan. 12, 2011, memorial event, Malkin, a conservative pundit, accused the White House of "branding" the memorial service with the slogan, complete with its own logo.
Malkin noted that all 13,000 people who attended the "Together We Thrive" event were given blue and white T-shirts with the logo.
"Can't the Democrat political stage managers give it a break just once?" Malkin wrote in her column.
The Drudge Report subsequently ran a headline atop its web page, "Political Theme, T-Shirts at Memorial?" It linked to an AP photo of "Together We Thrive" T-shirts draped over the back of chairs before the memorial service at McKale Memorial Center on the University of Arizona campus.
But officials at the University of Arizona said the White House had nothing to do with the name or the logo.
"The name of the event and the logo for the event were done entirely by the university," said Johnny Cruz, a spokesman for the University of Arizona. "Branding of the event was not done in consultation with the White House, or any elected officials or political organization."
The T-shirts were also the university's doing, Cruz said.
"That was the university's idea," he said. "We wanted to give people something to remember, to symbolize the community spirit."
The university bought the shirts without the use of taxpayer dollars, although he wasn't sure if the cost was borne by donations.
"Almost everything was done by the university," Cruz said, including selection of the location for the event and planning the agenda. Once the president accepted an invitation, he said, the White House helped coordinate some logistics, such as security, but that was the extent of the White House involvement.
And "Together We Thrive" was conceived by a University of Arizona student, he said.
White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said during his briefing that the university was responsible for logistics. "I think it’s important to understand we were invited to and accepted quite happily the invitation of the university," he said.
We should note that Malkin later added an update to her blog posting that stated, "As noted above, the University of Arizona announced the Together We Thrive event — and a few readers wrote in to say that the campus initiated the logo/campaign. Given U of A president Robert Shelton's embarrassing, thinly-veiled partisan cheerleading for Obama tonight, it may indeed be a 100 percent-campus-initiated campaign. Given the Obama White House's meticulous attention to stage prop details, however, I would say the odds of involvement by Axelrod/Plouffe & Co. are high."
But university spokesman Cruz said all of the "stage prop details," as Malkin called them, were entirely conceived by and arranged by the college.
The burden of proof is on Malkin and she has failed to prove any White House involvement. She may believe she sees the handiwork of the White House at play, but there's no evidence to back that up. Certainly not enough to justify her claim the White House used the shooting tragedy as an opportunity to orchestrate a "branded" political event. We rate Malkin's claim False.
THE VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE TUCSON SHOOTING VICTIMS
Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service for the Victims of the Shooting in Tucson, Arizona
McKale Memorial Center
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
6:43 P.M. MST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Please, please be seated. (Applause.)
To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants who are gathered here, the people of Tucson and the people of Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow. (Applause.)
There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: The hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy will pull through. (Applause.)
Scripture tells us:
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech. (Applause.) They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders –- representatives of the people answering questions to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns back to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” -– just an updated version of government of and by and for the people. (Applause.)
And that quintessentially American scene, that was the scene that was shattered by a gunman’s bullets. And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday –- they, too, represented what is best in us, what is best in America. (Applause.)
Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. (Applause.) A graduate of this university and a graduate of this law school -- (applause) -- Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain 20 years ago -- (applause) -- appointed by President George H.W. Bush and rose to become Arizona’s chief federal judge. (Applause.)
His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons and his five beautiful grandchildren. (Applause.)
George and Dorothy Morris -– “Dot” to her friends -– were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together -- traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. (Applause.) Both were shot. Dot passed away.
A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her three children, her seven grandchildren and 2-year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she’d often work under a favorite tree, or sometimes she'd sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants -- (laughter) -- to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better. (Applause.)
Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together -– about 70 years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families. But after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy’s daughters put it, “be boyfriend and girlfriend again.” (Laughter.)
When they weren’t out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with his dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers. (Applause.)
Everything -- everything -- Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion. (Applause.) But his true passion was helping people. As Gabby’s outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits that they had earned, that veterans got the medals and the care that they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved -– talking with people and seeing how he could help. And Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year. (Applause.)
And then there is nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student; she was a dancer; she was a gymnast; she was a swimmer. She decided that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the Major Leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. (Applause.)
She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age. She’d remind her mother, “We are so blessed. We have the best life.” And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate.
Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken -– and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.
Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday.
I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. And I want to tell you -- her husband Mark is here and he allows me to share this with you -- right after we went to visit, a few minutes after we left her room and some of her colleagues in Congress were in the room, Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. (Applause.) Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. (Applause.)
Gabby opened her eyes. Gabby opened her eyes, so I can tell you she knows we are here. She knows we love her. And she knows that we are rooting for her through what is undoubtedly going to be a difficult journey. We are there for her. (Applause.)
Our hearts are full of thanks for that good news, and our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others. We are grateful to Daniel Hernandez -- (applause) -- a volunteer in Gabby’s office. (Applause.)
And, Daniel, I’m sorry, you may deny it, but we’ve decided you are a hero because -- (applause) -- you ran through the chaos to minister to your boss, and tended to her wounds and helped keep her alive. (Applause.)
We are grateful to the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. (Applause.) Right over there. (Applause.) We are grateful for petite Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer’s ammunition, and undoubtedly saved some lives. (Applause.) And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and first responders who worked wonders to heal those who’d been hurt. We are grateful to them. (Applause.)
These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, all around us, just waiting to be summoned -– as it was on Saturday morning. Their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. It raises a question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. How can we honor the fallen? How can we be true to their memory?
You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations –- to try and pose some order on the chaos and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system. And much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.
But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. (Applause.)
Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “When I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we have to guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.
For the truth is none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind. Yes, we have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future. (Applause.) But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. (Applause.) That we cannot do. (Applause.) That we cannot do.
As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together. (Applause.)
After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose somebody in our family -– especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken out of our routines. We’re forced to look inward. We reflect on the past: Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices that they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in a while but every single day?
So sudden loss causes us to look backward -– but it also forces us to look forward; to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. (Applause.)
We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we're doing right by our children, or our community, whether our priorities are in order.
We recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -– but rather, how well we have loved -- (applause)-- and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better. (Applause.)
And that process -- that process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions –- that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires.
For those who were harmed, those who were killed –- they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. (Applause.) We may not have known them personally, but surely we see ourselves in them. In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners. Phyllis –- she’s our mom or our grandma; Gabe our brother or son. (Applause.) In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America’s fidelity to the law. (Applause.)
And in Gabby -- in Gabby, we see a reflection of our public-spiritedness; that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union. (Applause.)
And in Christina -- in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic, so full of magic. So deserving of our love. And so deserving of our good example.
If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate -- as it should -- let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. (Applause.) Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point-scoring and pettiness that drifts away in the next news cycle.
The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better. To be better in our private lives, to be better friends and neighbors and coworkers and parents. And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their death helps usher in more civility in our public discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy -- it did not -- but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud. (Applause.)
We should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American Dream to future generations. (Applause.)
They believed -- they believed, and I believe that we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved life here –- they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that’s entirely up to us. (Applause.)
And I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. (Applause.)
That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. (Applause.)
Imagine -- imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council. She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
I want to live up to her expectations. (Applause.) I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. (Applause.) All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations. (Applause.)
As has already been mentioned, Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart." (Applause.) "I hope you jump in rain puddles.”
If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. (Applause.) And here on this Earth -- here on this Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and we commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.
May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
A insightful piece from AlterNet of the violence in Tucson. As much as some republicans want to deny any linking of political speech and this horrible event, one can not use words and images that suggest violence against those one opposes and then when it actually happens claim they were not advocating violence. People who spew hate, intolerance, violence, prejudice and rage across the internet through their blogs, pacs, press releases, campaign media, websites, e mails, mailings, radio and TV broadcast are responsible for the actions their words and images provoke. We can only hope the horror of these murders and woundings, the pain of the families and friends stays with us for a long time, as a check, to remind us of what can happen......
"The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said. "Arizona, I think, has become the capital.
January 10, 2011 |
Hundreds gathered Saturday night at a candlelight vigil at the Tucson University Medical Center, were U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and at least 10 other people were being treated for gunshot wounds in a savage attack that left six dead and the nation sickened and stunned.
The marchers held signs reading “Gabrielle we are with you,” “Tucson, we love you,” and “Peace will prevail.” Delayla Herrera was among the Tucson residents who joined in prayer for the dead and wounded and their families, even though she didn’t know any of them personally.
“It’s painful because I have a daughter and a son, and this is something I wouldn’t want to happen to them,” Herrera said. “There was an innocent child that died just for being there,” she added, referring to 9-year-old Christina Taylor-Green, who had gone with a neighbor to meet Giffords and was killed in the attack. Christina, recently elected to her school’s student council, was born on Sept. 11, 2001.
Giffords, 40, a three-term moderate Democrat from Tucson, was shot point-blank in the head Saturday morning when at least one assailant opened fire outside a Safeway where the congresswoman was meeting with constituents. Doctors said the bullet went through Giffords’s brain, leaving her in critical condition, but they expressed optimism about her chances of survival.
In addition to Christina, the dead included John Roll, the chief federal judge for the state of Arizona, and Gabe Zimmerman, a former social worker who served as Giffords' director of community outreach. Also killed were 76-year-old Dorthy Murray, 76-year-old Dorwin Stoddard, and 79-year-old Phyllis Scheck, investigators said.
A shaken President Barack Obama called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," adding: “Such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society."
"I am sickened by the horrific attack in Tucson today and saddened by this senseless violence," Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, another Democrat from the Tucson area, said in a statement issued to the press. "This is a tragedy for Arizona, our nation, and our democracy. Gabrielle never let fear or intimidation prevent her from serving the people of Arizona. My thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her husband Mark, her staff, all those who were injured, and their families."
Giffords, like Grijalva, narrowly won re-election in November against a Tea Party candidate furious over the passage of Obama’s health care law and Democrats' opposition to Arizona's anti-immigrant laws. According to the Associated Press, during the campaign, her opponent, Jesse Kelly, held fundraisers "where he urged supporters to help remove Giffords from office by joining him to shoot a fully loaded M-16 rifle." Kelly is a former Marine who served in Iraq and was pictured on his website in military gear holding his automatic weapon and promoting the event.
Fury over Giffords’s position occasionally turned violent, with her Tucson office vandalized and someone showing up at a recent gathering with a weapon Law enforcement officials said members of Congress reported 42 cases of threats or violence in the first three months of 2010, nearly three times the 15 cases reported during the same period a year earlier. Nearly all dealt with the health care bill, the Associated Press reported.
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik blamed the shooting on the poisonous political rhetoric that has consumed the country, much of it centered in Arizona and fanned by a series of hard-line anti-immigration bills by lawmakers in the state, including SB 1070 and a new proposal to deny citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants.
"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," Dupnik said. "And unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry."
Giffords expressed similar concerns. In an interview after her office was vandalized in March, she referred to the animosity of conservatives, including Sarah Palin's decision to list her seat as one of the top "targets" in the midterm elections.
"For example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," Giffords said in the interview with MSNBC.
In the hours after the shooting, Palin issued a statement in which she expressed her "sincere condolences" to the family of Giffords and the other victims.”
Republican governor Jan Brewer, who signed SB 1070 into law last year and rode it to victory on Election Night, said: "My thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords and her family, the Congresswoman's staff and their families, as well as the other victims of this senseless and cruel violence."
But those words seemed empty to Isabel Garcia, director of Derechos Humanos, a human rights coalition in Tucson. She said the dead and wounded were victims of the militarization of the border created by federal policies and the negative rhetoric that has accompanied it for decades.
Garcia echoed Dupnik’s comments, blaming the mass media for distributing “misinformation by hate groups creating fear in the community and eventually leading to more anti Mexican rhetoric and anti-human rhetoric.”
“It’s not enough to just grieve together,” Garcia said. “Their deaths cannot be in vain. This should wake us up to what our real responsibilities are, which is to care for one another regardless of color and class, sexuality and nationality.”
“I don’t agree that we should take a political advantage out of what has happened,” said Daniel Ortega, a local civil rights attorney who attended a vigil for the victims in Phoenix. “But this does send the message that people who try to serve the community in political positions are risking much more than we imagine.”
Both Democratic and Republican Latinos expressed their sorrow. “[Giffords] was a good friend and represented the Tucson district very well,” said Alberto Gutier, a Republican lobbyist who has worked with her in the past.
“We demand justice against the person responsible,” said Francisco Lara Garcia, a political science student in the University of Tucson, “but also for the tone of the political speech in the country to calm down. There is a political climate in the U.S. that promotes these attitudes and attacks against people that are simply fulfilling their role as Congress people.”
Police said the shooter, identified as 22-year-old Jared Loughner, was in custody. His motivation was not immediately known, but Dupnik described him as mentally unstable and possibly acting with an accomplice, and police were searching for a second man, said to be in his 50s.
ONE of the victims of the mass shooting in Tucson, AZ today.There are, unfortunately, others, just regular people like you and me.....pray for their families as well as for the family of the shooter and for the shooter.....this is a tragedy, such a waste of so many lives.
John. M. Roll, the federal judge killed Saturday in the Tucson shooting that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), has been at the center of the state's complicated political battle over immigration.
In February 2009, Roll received hundreds of threats after he allowed a lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against a rancher to go forward. "They cursed him out, threatened to kill his family, said they'd come and take care of him. They really wanted him dead," a law enforcement official told The Washington Post in May 2009.
Threats against federal judges and prosecutors nationwide have been soaring in recent years. There is no indication he was the gunman's target, and witness accounts describe the shooter as firing at Giffords first.
U.S. marshals put Roll, who was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, under 24-hour protection for about a month. They guarded his home in a secluded area just outside Tucson, screening his mail and escorting him to court, to the gym and even to Mass.
Roll told the Post in May 2009 that "any judge who goes through this knows it's a stressful situation" and that he and his family were grateful for the protection.
More than a year after the threats against Roll, Arizona passed what is considered the nation's toughest immigration law, triggering a fierce national debate over illegal immigration and a lawsuit against the state by the Justice Department.
Roll, a Pennsylvania native, has served as the chief U.S. District Judge in Arizona since 2006. He is a former Arizona state appeals court judge and a former assistant U.S. attorney in Arizona, focusing on prosecuting drug cases, according to his judicial biography on Judgepedia.
GOD BE WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS AND OF THE SHOOTER, AND WITH HIM. There is no justification for this horrible crime no matter what one's politics may be...What have we become as a nation, a people, and where will this violence take us? Of note, she was on sarah palin's gun site pic, click on it for a larger view and to see who else is at risk. http://twitpic.com/3o7bno
EnlargeChris Morrison/AP The scene of a shooting that involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Ariz.
Chris Morrison/AP
The scene of a shooting that involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Ariz.
Updates as we get them on the news that there's been a shooting today in Tucson at an event being held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ, at a grocery store. (Click "refresh" to make sure you're seeing our latest additions): 4:03 p.m. ET: At the University of Arizona hopspital, Dr. Peter Rhee just said that one victim who was brought there — a child about nine years old — has died.
Ten people were brought to the hospital, he said. Five are in critical condition, including Giffords. Rhee is "very optimistic" that she will recover. 3:59 p.m. ET: Multiple media reports that the suspect is a 22-year-old male.
And the main news conference by local authorities is now said to be set for 8 p.m. ET. 3:56 p.m. ET: CNN is now saying there were six fatalities and at least 18 people injured. Again: This is a dynamic story and information is changing. We'll keep updating. 3:49 p.m. ET: Federal judge John Roll is now said by law enforcement sources to be among those who may have been killed, NPR's Carrie Johnson reports. Fox News and several other media outlets also say they've confirmed that the judge has died. 3:45 p.m. ET: NPR's Carrie Johnson has been told by multiple law enforcement sources that federal judge John Roll was among the other victims. 3:35 p.m. ET: KOLD-TV in Tucson says it has confirmed there are five fatalities and at least nine people injured.
State Sen. Lina Lopez, who is at the hospital where Giffords is being treated, just told Fox News that she's been told the congresswoman is responsive, though she was shot in the head. 3:21 p.m. ET: Fox News Channel says it has been told by sources that 19 people were hit by shots, and that five have died. Again: There is conflicting information coming from various news media. We are passing on reports from those outlets that say they have multiple sources — and we will pass on any changes as they come in. 3:18 p.m. ET: Local media say that Tucson authorities will hold a news conference within the next few minutes.
EnlargeDrew Angerer/AP FILE - In this July 28, 2010 file photo, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, in Washington.
Drew Angerer/AP
FILE - In this July 28, 2010 file photo, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, in Washington.
3:15 p.m. ET. A statement from President Obama:
"This morning, in an unspeakable tragedy, a number of Americans were shot in Tucson, Arizona, at a constituent meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. And while we are continuing to receive information, we know that some have passed away, and that Representative Giffords is gravely wounded.
"We do not yet have all the answers. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society. I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping Representative Giffords, the victims of this tragedy, and their families in our prayers."
3:10 p.m. ET. A statement from House Speaker John Boehner, R-OH:
"I am horrified by the senseless attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and members of her staff. An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve. Acts and threats of violence against public officials have no place in our society. Our prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her staff, all who were injured, and their families. This is a sad day for our country."
2:57 p.m. ET: Darci Slaten, spokeswoman at University Medical Center in Tucson, just told CNN that she can confirm Rep. Giffords was shot in the head and that she is in surgery now. Several other victims are also in surgery. 2:51 p.m. ET: The Arizona Republic is live-blogging here. It just wrote that:
"St. Sen. Lina Lopez waiting at UMC in Tucson says that Giffords parents are with her in the ER, Giffords is still in surgery and in very serious condition."
Various media are reporting that at least four people were killed. 2:37 p.m. ET: KOLD-TV in Tucson reports it has been told by hospital officials that Giffords, 40, is alive and in surgery. 2:34 p.m. ET: As we said earlier, when news is breaking fast there's often conflicting information. While NPR, Fox and CNN all report being told by sheriff's officials that Giffords has died, MSNBC is saying it has been told she is still live. 2:28 p.m. ET: Tucson's KOLD-TV is streaming its coverage here. 2:26 p.m. ET: Multiple news reports now that the shooter is in custody and may have been wounded. 2:24 p.m. ET: CNN reports it too has confirmed that Giffords was killed. 2:20 p.m. ET: Fox News Channel says it has also "confirmed" that Giffords is dead. 2:15 p.m. ET: Giffords has died, a source in the Pima County Sheriff's office tells reporter Mark Moran of NPR's KJZZ in Phoenix. Five others were also killed, the sheriff's office tells Moran. 2:12 p.m. ET: Multiple media outlets are saying there were several fatalities. 2:05 p.m. ET.Tucson Weekly writes that:
"Giffords, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting her first 'Congress on Your Corner' event at the Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media. ... Giffords was talking to a couple when the man ran up, firing indiscriminately, and then ran off, Michaels said. According to other witnesses, the was tackled by a bystander and taken into custody."
2:04 p.m. ET: The Associated Press says it has been told by "congressional officials" that Giffords was shot in the head. 1:59 p.m. ET: The latest Arizona Republic headline: "Reports: Rep. Giffords possibly shot in Tucson; 4 dead." 1:55 p.m. ET: Multiple media outlets are saying a dozen or more people may have been injured. Arizona Public Media is reporting that Giffords was shot in the head — but there is a lot of conflicting information at this moment.
From the Associated Press:
"U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Arizona Public Media reported Saturday.
"The Democrat, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting a 'Congress on Your Corner' event at the Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
"At least five other people, including members of her staff, were hurt. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson. Her condition was not immediately known."
As happens when a story is just breaking, there are conflicting reports at this moment about what has happened. The Arizona Republic, for example, is saying that reports Giffords was injured are unconfirmed at this time. But CNN has an eyewitness on the air who says Giffords was shot.
Drew Angerer/AP Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and six others died after a gunman opened fire at a public event on Saturday, the Pima County, Ariz., sheriff's office confirms.
The 40-year-old Democrat, who was re-elected to her 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.
At least three other people, including members of her staff, were injured. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson.
Giffords was talking to a couple when the suspect ran up and fired indiscriminately from about four feet away, Michaels said.
EnlargeSusan Walsh/AP Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) poses with House Speaker John Boehner on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Susan Walsh/AP
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) 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 first elected to represent Arizona's 8th District in 2006. The "Congress on Your Corner" events allow constituents to present their concerns directly to her.
Giffords was married to astronaut Mark Kelly, a veteran of Desert Storm. They have two children.
Arizona congresswoman among 12 shot at Tucson grocery
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 8, 2011 2:46 p.m. EST
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was holding a constituent meeting at the grocery store when she and others were shot.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Conflicting reports about Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' condition
NEW: FBI agents headed to the scene, White House monitoring situation
The shooting happened just after 10 a.m. MST at a Safeway store
Giffords was holding a constituent meeting at the store
Share your accounts, images from the shooting with CNN iReport.
(CNN) -- At least 12 people were shot at a Tucson grocery store on Saturday, and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was among them, a Democratic party source told CNN.
There were conflicting reports about Giffords' condition. Giffords' press secretary said the congresswoman remained in surgery Saturday afternoon for her injuries, disputing an earlier report from a law enforcement source saying she had died.
The party source described the situation as "pretty serious."
At least 11 others were shot in the incident, which happened shortly after 10 a.m. MST, Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jason Ogan said.
AZ congresswoman among 12 shot in Tuscon
Several shot at Tuscon grocery store
Giffords, 40, was holding a constituent meeting at the Safeway grocery store when the shooting occurred, according to a schedule posted on her website.
The Tucson Citizen newspaper reported that Giffords was shot in the head.
An FBI spokesman said the agency was sending agents to the scene, and two senior Obama administration officials said the White House is monitoring the situation. They said they believed that a congressional staffer may have been killed.
Pictures from the scene showed a Giffords banner hanging from the storefront.
At least two victims with gunshot wounds were transported at Northwest Medical Center, according to spokesman Richard Parker.
The conditions of the 11 others shot were not immediately known.
The motive for the shooting is unclear, Ogan said.
"We're just trying to sort this out right now," he said.
An employee of a nearby business, Jason Pekau, told CNN that he did not see the shooting, but heard "15 to 20 gunshots."
Giffords, a Democrat, was first elected in 2006. She has served as chairwoman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee and also holds seats on the House Science and Technology and Armed Services committees.
She won her third term in a closely contested race against a Tea Party-sponsored candidate and was one of three Democratic legislators who reported vandalism at their offices following the March vote on health care reform.
She is married to Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, a NASA astronaut who is scheduled to lead a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
CNN's Dana Bash and Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
NO, THE UNITED STATES DOESN'T NEED STRICTER GUN LAWS, THIS STORY PROVES IT (AND YES, I AM BEING SARCASTIC)
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Arizona Public Media reported Saturday.
Giffords, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting her first "Congress on Your Corner" event at the Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
At least five other people, including members of her staff, were hurt. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson. Her condition was not immediately known.
Giffords was talking to a couple when the man ran up firing indiscriminately, and then ran off, Michaels said. According to other witnesses, the was tackled by a bystander and taken into custody.
More details to come.
Gabrielle Giffords shot in Tucson this morning
update 1316EST
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucson this morning after a public event outside a grocery store.
National Public Radio reports she was shot in the head.
Few details were immediately available, but the intersection of Ina and Oracle Road is closed after multiple shootings in the area.
Three helicopters landed on Ina Road to transport victims.
At least four victims were transported, including Giffords.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Shot In Arizona
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/08/132764367/congresswoman-shot-in-arizona
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Arizona Public Media reported Saturday.
The 40-year-old Democrat, who was re-elected to her 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.
At least nine other people, including members of her staff, were hurt. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson. Her condition was not immediately known.
Giffords was talking to a couple when the suspect ran up firing indiscriminately and then ran off, Michaels said.
The suspect was tackled by a bystander and taken into custody. He was not injured. Witnesses described him as in his late teens or early 20s.
Giffords was first elected to represent Arizona's 8th District in 2006. The "Congress on Your Corner" events allow constituents to present their concerns directly to her.
