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On January 8th, 2011, newly reelected Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was holding a meet-and-greet style public appearance, when an individual identified as Jared Lee Loughner walked up to her and shot her in the head. He then began firing indiscriminately into the crowd with a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol, equipped with a high-capacity magazine of the type which had been made illegal under the Clinton Administration, and later re-legalized under Bush. Congresswoman Giffords survived, but among the 6 dead were a federal judge and a 9 year old girl.

One of the first public figures to issue a statement on the shooting was Sarah Palin, who posted the following on Facebook:

My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona.

On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.

By Bill Quigley-

Question: How does a mentally unstable man who was kicked out of school and had run-ins with the law buy such a serious weapon?

The weapon reportedly used in the mass murders in Tucson was a serious weapon - a Glock 19, semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. Some weapons like that were illegal to sell in the US from 1994 to 2004 under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. It is now legal to sell and own them. The National Rifle Association reports there are tens of millions of assault weapons in private hands in the US.

To:       Palin-lovers, Fox "News," the "mainstream" media, and the Far Right, et al.
From:  William Rivers Pitt
Date:   Monday 10 January 2011
Re:       The blood on your hands

Dear “Patriots,”

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords isn't much older than I am. She served in the Arizona State House of Representatives, and the Arizona State Senate, before being elected to three successive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. She once described herself as a "former Republican," and is today considered a "Blue Dog" Democrat, meaning she holds a number of conservative political positions. This is not terribly surprising, given the generally conservative political bent of the state she has served for the last ten years. She was married four years ago to a space shuttle commander who had served as a Naval aviator, and who flew 39 combat missions in Desert Storm, before volunteering for astronaut training.

From the Brad Blog:

This flier was circulated in Dallas in the days before John F. Kennedy was assassinated...

Any of that look or sound familiar?