One of us
Rep. Giffords
No doubt by now you have heard of the recent shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others by a lone gunman in an Arizona shopping center.
Doctors are hopeful for her recovery, and a suspect is in custody. The U.S. House of Representatives will take this week off.
Rep. Giffords has been described as a friend to all, and recently won re-election to a third term in Congress.
And she’s a scooterist.
A mutual friend who used to live in Arizona told me she had quite the fleet of vintage Vespas. I’m also told there’s one in her garage in Washington, D.C. (It’s actually in her living room. Click the link in Jeff’s second comment.)
She is co-chair of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus, and belongs to many, many others. She was meeting individually with constituents, in something she called “Congress on your Corner,” when the shooting occurred.
Much is being said about the greater implications of this tragic event. About the vitirol, about the hate that fills public discourse at the moment. The last time it was this bad, a president, a senator and a civil rights leader were assassinated. Cities erupted in riots. Lots of people seemed to think anyone who disagreed with them should be thrown in jail. Or killed.
America was not suffering through a deep economic recession then. That would’ve made things ten times worse.
Let’s remember Rep. Giffords in our thoughts and prayers. And while we’re at it, let’s hope sanity will ultimately prevail. 
Comments are closed.
This event really sickens me. Sounds like a lady that was shot interferred with the shooter reloading a second magazine into his Glock and probably saved some lives.
And while we have freedom of speech in the US, irresposible statements such as Sarah Palin’s “taking aim” , “putting in our crosshairs”, “reloading” in respect to Democrats that were for Obama’s helath care legislation, or to Democrats with opposing viewpoints to her and other Republicans were certainly way out of line and statements such as those may contribute to someone acting on thoses statements especially if they are already mentally unbalanced. Other republicans had made similiar statements against Democrats possibly contributing to rocks being thrown through windows and threats against those people.
The other thing that I am in disbelief of is those gun owners who feel the need to wear their firearms openly, even in some cases, where politicians at the highest levels were present. I’m not anti guns. In fact I was raised around firearms and gun safety and have fired probably 20,000 rounds in competetion and target shooting over many years. I even had to use a firearm in self defense once (without having to actually fire a shot I might add). But I don’t walk around displaying firearms in public, or feel the ridiculous need to do so.
It’s a sad day in America when a representative of our government can no longer appear in public for fear of being shot.
jon, it’s not just politics. A friend who attended the Seahawks-Saints game yesterday said people were hassling her and her fiance (Somebody wanted to beat him up! WTF?) because they were rooting for the Saints (she’s from New Orleans). It’s a GAME, ferchrissakes! Geez. People need to chill out, or something really bad is going to happen…
Thanks for finding this, Orin. And I hope Rep. Giffords has a speedy and full recovery, even though I fear neither is possible.
And Orin, if you’re wanting a link… 1963 GS w/sidecar.
I’m grateful to commenters on this here blog for keeping the discussion on track, and civilized (and I’m sorry comments can’t appear as soon as you post them, but a few jerks made comment moderation necessary). Major online news sites, however aren’t so fortunate: The L.A. Times offers an example. And even the comments on the linked story are pretty moronic…
Dear Orin:
It is a sad day when anyone, anywhere, gets shot for any reason. The occasion becomes sadder still when political parties, and their well-intentioned but highly emotional members, start envisioning hidden messages urging the shooting of the opposition. There will always be kooks running rampant, and there will always be innocent victims. I do not think this warrants eliminating phrases like “zeroing in, targeting, settng my sights, or drawing a bead” from the English language, nor from common usage.
Nary a day goes by without someone being shot in Philadelphia. The lives lost there are just as significant as those lost in the shooting that occured in Arizona. What words or phrases should we eliminate to prevent these sad tradgedies from re-occuring? What political party should we blame for the deaths of these individuals. I think Sarah Palin lacks the sense of the turkey I ate for Thanksgiving… And so (in my opinion) does anyone else who thinks any political party in the United States is advocating the shooting of the opposition through phrases of common speech.
It is my thought that the “unbalanced” can be incited by just about anything. It is the nature of their condition.
I have the greatest respect for your politics and deeply regret any previous dialogue I may have penned that gave you cause to think otherwise. I read your blog often and have learned a great deal from it. I would fully understand and support your decision not to publish this statement of mine, if for no other reason than to return the focus on the issue of scootering. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your comments calling for tasteful and reasonable discussion.
Fondest regards,
Jack Riepe
Twisted Roads
Jack, thanks so much for writing. I enjoy your blog, Twisted Roads, and feel privileged to count you among the community of commenters here at Scootin’ Old Skool. (BTW, I encourage you and everyone who comments here to set up a Gravatar—it’s free, it’s easy, and you won’t have cartoon bacteria next to your name. Go to http://www.gravatar.com).
I arrived at my political and religious beliefs after exposure to many different points of view over many years (and many have changed considerably from when I was younger), and as long people stay on topic, stick to the issues and refrain from personal attacks, I welcome all to leave comments on the stories I post here. As I said, I regret having to resort to comment moderation, but a few people who broke the simple rules I stated above ruined it for everyone else. It’s not because I disagreed with what they said, it was their behavior I found unacceptable. I try to keep this here blog somewhat family-friendly.
In fact, it was comments on a posting I made on Facebook that brought this story to my attention in the first place. And it’s not off the subject at all; the whole point of this exercise has been to show that motor scooters are every bit as viable a form of transportation as cars, bicycles, buses, whatever. And that they are ridden by people from all walks of life…
I don’t think anyone is going to say that statements, such as those made by sarah Palin, caused the shooting. That is a huge jump. But when people with the kind of exposure she use that type of terminology, it is certainly irresponsible. Similiar statements , about throwing rocks through Democratic offices were made by some “misguided” Republicans, and shortly after, rocks and bricks were indeed thrown throw the windows at some Democratic offices.
I’m not a membet of any political party. I’m 57 and have voted, over many years, for both Democrats and Republicans.I’ve always voted for that person that I felt would do the best job in office. I hesitate to even say this, but after the behavior I’ve seen by Repulican politicians recently, I am going to have a tough time ever voting R again. When they, as a group, have a goal of simply destroying anything our President tries to do (as example the recent treaty with Russia)-even when they may agree with the President, they are acting like tantrum throwing two year olds. Whats even more sad to me, is where are the moderate Repulicans, and why are they not speaking out against this attempt to derail Obama no matter what, instead of working constructively?
This behavior may have taken this independant voter, and made him check all the boxes marked Democrat, for the rest of my voting life.
jon, I just have to say that your take on it resonates. It seems to me the conservative factions have continually pressed ever-rightward for decades — to the point that the very solutions they themselves proposed only 20 years ago are now met with call of “socialism” and “tyranny” (specifically with reference to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which was virtually indistinguishable from the Republican counter to the Clinton health care reform efforts of the early 1990s). The media is a huge enabler, as they refuse to even acknowledge this shift, and instead encourage ever-more bombast and vitriol to gain audience share.
What is telling to me is that a senior Republican U.S. Senator feels s/he has to be quoted anonymously to even suggest that maybe the rhetoric is going a little too far. I think we all know why this Senator is unwilling to lay claim to this reasonable point of debate.
Dear Orin:
Thank you kindly for publishing my opinion, and for your pleasant note.
I thought I might include some background data for “Jon.” I am in my mid-50s; am a professional writer; cut my teeth in politics and have always worked for Democrats; written extensively about legislation; have drafted Congressional testimony more than 10 times (for presentation in support of activities by Democratic-controlled committees); and campaigned hard for President Obama (writing more than 100,000 words on his behalf). My disappointment in President Obama and in the Democratic majority is unmeasurable. Blaming current circumstances on the handful of Republicans who remained in office following the Democratic electoral bloodbath (note correct usage of “bloodbath”) culminating in the Obama inauguration is unreasonable. (I could have used the word “landslide,” but I refuse to yield to politically correct pressures. You know how I get.)
I have put my time in for “Team Obama” and the Democratic cause. Now I support the independent man or woman, their personal platforms, and the people on whom they will ultimately rely.
You are as good as your last job in this environment and a nation of jobless people are getting tired of platitudes. (I have taken an 80% cut in salary and get no assistance from the Health Care Reform bill.) What millions of tired and desperate Americans want are results. And if the new team drops the ball, they will be on the street in two years too.
The liberal left will make a lot more progress once they understand that no one is required to buy the entire package, that opposition to part or all of the package is a Constitutional right, and that many of their answers are not only strange, but suspect. Just because a bridge looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it won’t fall down in reality. There is damn little room for speculative, experimentation in this economic environment.
Rocks thrown through Democratic office windows are the result of vandals and criminals. Arrest them and prosecute them (unless, of course, some claim the police are in on it too).
Once again, I will not be offended if my opinion is excluded for its content. I prefer to write about motorcycles, and on occasion, scooters.
I got the Gravatar device as you indicated. Yet as I hit “enable,” a clone of myself appeared at the keyboard and is making editorial suggestions. It appears to be better groomed and is making points with Leslie/Stiffie. What have you made me do?
Fondest regards during this extremely difficult times…
Jack
Twisted Roads
thanks for those candid thoughts. i have to admit i think of her differently now.
A perspective on the current state of politics in Arizona (by a part-time Arizona resident) can be found by clicking here.