>>>>>>>>>>>>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-congresswoman-shot,0,842180.story
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>We know Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, so yesterday was a very tough day (especially with the early wrong reports of her death).
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I would be appalled by this incident no matter who the victims were but this is personal for me. I blame, first of course, the shooter. But I also blame those who allowed an obviously unstable young man to have a gun and who generally oppose efforts to restrict access to weapons by the mentally ill. I also blame all those who have, by their demagoguery, set a tone in this country that implies that guns are the way to solve political problems.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Tamar
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Was he ever diagnosed as mentally ill?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I'm wondering how the privacy laws would work with that - how do we somehow restrict guns from the mentally ill without disclosing their illness and breaking privacy laws? If he owned weapons before being diagnosed, how do the authorities get notified to go retrieve them? Do we have a master database with names of people who cannot legally own guns (just like felons)? How do we stop mentally ill people (especially the mentally ill with dangerous tendencies or dangerous skills) from having any access to weapons?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On another note, it would be nice if the extreme political rhetoric would stop, but not likely :o(
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Not likely at all considering how well it works.
>>>>>>>>There is always room for discussion, heated or otherwise.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>That's the thing that gets me. It all seems heated now. Naive me really believed Obama could bring us together. I thought he was going to be the great conciliator of our time. On this site I am viewed as a liberal but actually I am not, not much. I would just like them to get something done instead of endlessly fighting wars with each other.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I almost get the feeling that you're blaming Obama for not overcoming TheCrazy thats been directed at him and his party. Instead of say blaming TheCrazy for bringing TheCrazy.
>>>>>
>>>>>No, I am not blaming Obama. In our system it's hard to get anything done with a resolutely determined opposition.
>>>>>
>>>>>Mitch McConnell said after the November elections that his party's new goal was to insure Obama is a one term President. Nothing about creating jobs, nothing about winding down in Iraq and Afghanistan, nothing about the flagging strength of the dollar. Our goal is to win the next election. He said that.
>>>>
>>>>Which would lead to all those goals. Obama has made it clear that his door is closed to the other party, although you and he say the opposite.
>>>
>>>I do not believe that. Would a closed door guy have conceded key points in health care reform? Would he have agreed to the extension of tax cuts to the rich?
>>
>>After he lost his supermajority ability to ram bills through no matter what American citizens wanted? After other Democrats saw the writing on the wall and realized they were going to be fired if they continued to try to destroy the foundations of the USA? Yes - I think he has to now.
>
>Health care reform had honest dispute. I think in time it will be viewed as long overdue. Financial reform should have gone further than it did.
>
>What foundations of the USA do you mean? Belligerence to all and sundry? A willingness to invade nations without provocation? Being despised in every country on earth?

Capitalism. Democracy.