Shooting of Congresswoman Gifford in Tucson

Saturday morning, a young man, only 22 years old, decided to make a name for himself by going to a Congress on the Corner rally held by Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, a rising star in the Tucson area, according to Democratic party leaders. The young man, name of Jared Lougher, has had a history of interesting rants and raves about politics and is a constituent of Gifford's as he is a part of her district. He had wanted to talk to her, according to some news reports, but was told to go back to stand in line with everyone else there but he returned to take out a 9 mm glock pistol and shot Gifford in the back of the skull pointblank. She survived due to the fact that the bullet entered the rear of her skull and went directly through narrowly missing the right side. Somehow or other, Ms. Gifford's guardian angels were able to have her situated so that her intern came directly to her, tried to relieve her pain by having her sit up, and he applied pressure to the wound, stemming the bleeding, and relieving the pressure upon the brain itself. She is in intensive care, as ordinarily, any other human being (90%) would have died instantly.

So she is a most fortunate young woman, but a judge who came to see her, was killed instantly, a young man who was one of her aides, and a young child, who had come especially to meet her, as well as three senior citizens were killed in the melee that followed.

The sorrow of all of this is that the Congresswoman was doing what good congress people do, greeting and meeting with her constituents. Why on earth this young man would think to take a weapon to a political rally is more than anyone can know. His action is an insult to the principles of America. It is especially hurtful when an open assembly for the purpose of communication between elected representatives and citizens is so blemished in the cause of democratic lifestyles.

All we can think is that the young man is psychologically disturbed, incompetent to be a part of the democratic lifestyle, since he has taken it upon himself to take matters into his own hand, choosing to kill rather than to reason with officials within the government.

I sincerely hope that he does not become some kind of antihero to the malcontents who love to sling words of hatred around so free and easily. Government has become a known evil amongst the citizens of the nation when the wrong way politicians continue to self aggrandize themselves, forget their constituents altogether, and reward themselves with great salaries, benefits, and perks that include free vacations, trips, gifts, etc. so that they have all become career politicans whose only interests appear to be self- serving rather than representatives of the citizens who have so foolishly elected them to office.

It is with sorrow that we lament the actions of one long gunman. It makes it difficult for all those who want the democratic lifestyle to work right. We must continue to believe in the promises of government for, of, and by the people and the people themselves must help to make it work.