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It goes against our Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Keep and Bear Arms, Freedom of Assembly, and our Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
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Could this been part of reason? She was perceived by the far right of attacking those liberties, and her office had been recently trashed for supporting the health reform bill.
Here is some of the background
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Politically, Ms Giffords is a centrist, as are most Democrats from her state.
She is part of the blue dog caucus in the House of Representatives, a group of fiscally conservative, moderate Democrats.
She upset Arizona conservatives by supporting President Barack Obama's health-care reform bill, a move which landed her on Sarah Palin's list of politicians to remove from office in the mid-terms last November.
She faced a tough challenge from a Tea Party candidate, Jesse Kelly, but won by a narrow margin of just 4,000 votes.
Although she voted against President George W Bush's economic bail-out bill in 2008 - the bill ultimately failed - she voted for Mr Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the following year.
Ms Giffords has advocated for immigration reform, and supported legislation that included a guest worker programme and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants - measures that are deeply opposed by most conservatives.
She has also expressed support for alternative energy, in particular, solar power.
Ms Giffords is passionate about military issues and served on the Armed Services Committee. Military contractors are a big employer in her district.
She has been deeply engaged in military issues, helping craft the GI bill which assists veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict in obtaining college degrees.
Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said she was "a huge voice for veterans and the military".
During the last Congress she chaired the space and aeronautics committee. Her brother-in-law is also an astronaut who is currently in space.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12143984
or perhaps someone took Sarah Palin literally. No doubt she now regrets that telescopic sight in her campaign!
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The congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, had been one of 20 names on a "hit list" issued by Sarah Palin, complete with graphics of a rifle-like telescopic sight. Ms Palin, of course, meant that she was to be targeted by voters in the mid-term elections.
But after the shooting, Ms Palin's Facebook site was filled with people blaming her for creating the atmosphere where this could happen. Equally, Twitter was full of right-wingers accusing the left of reacting before they knew the facts, or even blaming the left for the shooting.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereport...iffords_s.html Quote:
Mr. Loughner had exhibited increasingly strange behavior in recent months, including ominous Internet postings — at least one showing a gun — and a series of videos in which he made disjointed statements on topics like the gold standard and mind control.
Pima Community College said he had been suspended for conduct violations and withdrew in October after five instances of classroom or library disruptions that involved the campus police.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us...s.html?_r=2&hp
I have also read that the Gunman was refused admission into the Army
Sooner or later you have to admit the gun culture is part of the problem, and restricts the
right to be safe on the streets more than the
right to defend oneself! The word 'rights' and 'freedom' are the most misused and manipulated words in the Dictionary since individuals 'rights' can also restrict societies more basic freedoms.