Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Shot In Arizona

MoonHowler

by NPR Staff, National Public Radio

January 8, 2011

 

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.

Fox News reported that she was shot at point blank range in the head by a gunman who was firing indiscriminately. 

According to Wikipedia:

She is the only member of the U.S. Congress whose spouse, astronaut Mark E. Kelly, is an active duty member of the U.S. military.

Giffords is known as a strong proponent of solar energy as well as for her work to secure the border with Mexico

 

This is the third time she has met at this type of community event in Tucson.  She is 40 years old.     11 others, including local staff members, were also shot.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Giffords.

Fox News is reporting that there are multiple fatalities and that the congressman has died.  They are trying to get official confirmation.

The above information was incorrect.  Gabrielle Giffords  is out of surgery.  She is alive, in critical condition, but the doctor who just spoke said he was optomistic about her recovery.

 

Parent 1 and Parent 2

MoonHowler

 

Let the foolishness begin.  Now we  don’t have mothers and fathers.  I still haven’t recovered from the girl winning damages about 20 years ago for being called a water buffalo.  Now we have this, and out of the State Department no less!

According to the Washington Post:

The State Department has decided to make U.S. passport application forms “gender neutral” by removing references to mother and father, officials said, in favor of language that describes one’s parentage somewhat less tenderly.

The change is “in recognition of different types of families,” according to a statement issued just before Christmas that drew widespread attention Friday after a Fox News report.

The announcement of the change was buried at the end of a Dec. 22 news release, titled “Consular Report of Birth Abroad Certificate Improvements,” that highlighted unrelated security changes.

I don’t care if gay people adopt children or have children by whatever means that happens.  But, I am not willing to become parent 1 or parent 2 for the sake of a situation that  rarely occurs.  As far as I am concerned, the gay parents can just flip over who gets to be the mom and who gets to be the dad.  

 

 

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