At Thursday’s sentencing hearing of murderer Jared Loughner in U.S. District Court in Tucson, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly faced the man who viciously and unalterably changed so many lives. They were among a gathering of numerous other survivors of the tragic and senseless Tucson shooting, who emotionally addressed Loughner.
The sentencing was a legal formality. In August, Loughner pleaded guilty to killing six people and wounding 13 others at a constituent meeting Giffords was holding outside a local supermarket on Jan. 8, 2011. For the massacre, Loughner, 24, received a life sentence.
The angst of those who spoke is understandable. Survivors of the dead along with the wounded have endured tremendous pain.
Thus it was inconceivable that Mark Kelly inappropriately took the opportunity to criticize Gov. Jan Brewer, the Arizona state legislature and others he termed “the political class,” regarding gun-control and related measures, saying the nation has “done nothing” to address mass shootings. His solution is gun control.
Included in Kelly’s lengthy statement were these words:
“We have a political class that is afraid to do something as simple as have a meaningful debate about our gun laws and how they are being enforced. We have [state] representatives who look at gun violence, not as a problem to solve, but as the white elephant in the room to ignore. As a nation we have repeatedly passed up the opportunity to address this issue. After Columbine; after Virginia Tech; after Tucson and after Aurora we have done nothing.
In this state we have elected officials so feckless in their leadership that they would say, as in the case of Governor Jan Brewer, “I don’t think it has anything to do with the size of the magazine or the caliber of the gun.” She went on and said, “Even if the shooter’s weapon had held fewer bullets, he’d have another gun, maybe. He could have three guns in his pocket” — she said this just one week after a high capacity magazine allowed you to kill six and wound 19 others,* before being wrestled to the ground while attempting to reload.”
Those who lost their lives:
1. Christina-Taylor Green, 9
2. Federal judge John Roll, 63
3. Gabriel Zimmerman, 30
4. Dorwan Stoddard, 76
5. Dorothy Morris, 76
6. Phyllis Schneck, 79
Those shot and wounded:
1. Susan Hileman, 58
2. Mavanell Stoddard, 75
3. Pamela Simon, 63
4. Ronald Barber, 65
5. Gabrielle Giffords, 40
6. James Tucker, 58
7. Kenneth Veeder, 75
8. George Morris, 76
9. James Fuller, 63
10. Randy Gardner, 60
11. Mary Reed, 52
12. Kenneth Dorushka, 63
13. Bill Badger, 74
*Although Mark Kelly said “wound 19 others,” he was most likely referring to the 19 total counts against Loughner.
It was especially telling when even the Republic’s editorial today called Kelly’s comments “inappropiate.” The newspaper has milked this terrible tragedy for all it was worth and then some, Yet even it reaiizes the outlandishness of Mark Kelly’s statement. I hope we’ve heard the last of former astronaut Kelly, now jobless and craving attention….in exactly the wrong way.
After the Marxist-in-Chief has collected everyone’s guns, how about knives?
I don’t have any guns!!!!!!
Th’ liar-in-chief has already stated that he will address gun “control” during this term…& he has NUTHIN’ TO LOSE, SO…
Kelly’s lame-0 remarks in front of these other families is typical disrespect for those of his ilk…BOOK SMART AIN’T GOTTA’ LICK-A SENSE…
Oh! & 1 more thing: Why do we have to support this murderer for th’ rest of HIS life while just 1 more bullet would met out th’ Appropriate Justice? I don’t mean to offend, SRA & Co., just meanin’ what I say…
No offense taken, Doc. We happen to be strong believers in the imposition of the death penalty in cases where it is appropriate.
I notice in Mark Kelly list of shootings, he conveniently omitted recalling the mass murders that were committed by Muslims. For starters, how about the Fort Hood massacre that was committed by U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who was a devout Muslim, calling himself a solider of Jihad? In 2009 he slaughtered 14 and wounded 31 in a premeditated murder as he shouted “Allahu Akbar!” in the attack on the Texas Army post. The case has yet to go to trial. Hasan described himself on his business card as a “soldier of Allah.”
This might be just a bit too problematic for Obama‘s new close friend, Mark Kelly.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Uh, what? Huh? Oh, I was so bored and over this topic that I fell asleep. Next Issue …
Birds of a feather …
if you are bored by these events, you aren’t paying attention. Dancing with the Stars more your speed? Our country is in dire straits. We ALL better stop snoozing.
Oh SNAP! Nice right cross, Maggie!
Thanks, ZOO. Nice compliment coming from you. I always enjoy your pithy comments.
Americans like our friend here, need to wake up! Time is short. While he’s snoring, the country is uttering a death rattle.
My biggest problem with life sentences, as opposed to the death penalty, is that the bad guy gets a free roof over his head and three square meals a day, not to mention a lounge with a TV and other recreational accoutrements.
At La Mesa penitentiary just south of Tijuana, the basic accommodation for prisoners is a cot, a blanket, and two bowls of gruel per day.
Sanitation consists of a hole in the dirt floor in a corner of the barracks-like facility.
This is where the murderous bastard belongs.
You’ll forgive me, garvan, but while your talk is exceedingly tough and hard here, in another thread you are advocating for a guest worker program for illegal aliens and saying how it is “impossible” to secure the border. I’m trying to figure out where it is that you actually are on the political continuum! You certainly don’t appear to be a traditional Conservative, garvan!
Mark Kelly is supposed to be on the little-watched
Piers Morgan show tonight (11-09-12).
Second verse, same as the first.
He’s using this to begin his political career.
I actually thought he would run for Gifford’s congressional post. He has been in DC several times cozying up with the Obama clan.
I have to say, I thought it very odd when he abandoned his critically ill wife to take off on his last space mission. That spoke volumes about his commitment — to himself.
Did you see this???
Louisiana residents petition to secede
http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/louisiana-residents-petition-to-secede/
Joseph Hobbs,
We have taken the liberty of locating and including the link to the article you posted. We simply do not have the space or inclination to become a cut and paste site.
Thank you for your interest in Seeing Red AZ and for your thoughtful comments. We hope you understand the parameters in which we exist. Copied articles from other sources drive our regular commenters off the page. The link we provided has all of the information you initially included.
I have three words for Mr. Kelly: “Fast and Furious”. Three hundred Mexican citizens slain with guns run into Mexico by the Obama administration, not just through Arizona, but through Texas and Florida as well! Accountability? Zero! Not one head has rolled! Let’s address THAT in the next four years, if Boehner doesn’t stomp on Issa for being too Conservative!
I’m stocking up at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Mesa this weekend.
Oh! Thanks for the heads up, Hagar. Wasn’t aware there’s a gun show this weekend!
Sadly for US, especially AZ, we haven’t seen the last of Mr. Giffords (who was an astronaut, you know). His astronomically-sized ego and the pathetic dimocrat party will continue to push him to ride his crippled wife into the federal political arena. Even sadder, his starting point will be from his new home down here in Baja AZ. That just confirms that Baja AZ is even more malleable than the ultra-liberal Houston, TX.
Look for a lot of exposure for Mr. Giffords on all of the MSM talk and news shows. We ain’t seen the last of him.
God bless America.
I think you nailed “Mr. Giffords” here, Leo. This man is all about himself and his partisan and misdirected slams at the sentencing hearing were an example of his need for attention. He’s got no “mission” and no space craft. But he can use his wife, while further connecting and ingratiating himself with Obama.
When the shooting first took place, the left just knew the violence had to be the act of a “rightwinger.” Turns out, the opposite was true. Then Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dumnik and his ilk clammed up.