Rep Gabrielle Giffords Shot at Arizona Meet & Greet

‎"An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve." ~ Speaker Boehner

On Saturday, Congresswoman Gabrielle (Gabby) Giffords was shot as she spoke with a couple at her Tucson meet and greet. Held at a grocery store and billed as "Congress on Your Corner", this appears to have been Congresswoman Gifford's approach to public service - to encourage her constituents to come up and speak with her, in a casual setting, about whatever was on their minds. This was her third one of such meetings with constituents since her November 2010 re-election.

This was her last 'tweet' on Twitter:

My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind or tweet me later.

Multiple shots were taken at the gathering and multiple injuries resulted. Among the victims - a nine year old girl was shot and killed.

The Congresswoman was shot at close range in the temple of her head and the bullet exited from the other side of her head. She was rushed to a hospital in Tucson with a trauma center. Originally reported as dying on the scene or en route to the hospital, she survived the surgery performed as she reached the hospital.

As with most early reports after a tragedy, they were wrong. Even when the media takes an abundance of caution into reporting, this happens. And, as also happens, the political ideologues ran wild on social media venues. The vileness from the left, in particular, was stomach turning and heart wrenching. It is hard to understand the motivation so important to some that this tragedy would be turned into such a spectacle.

From all reports of Gabby, as she is called, would not at all appreciate such politically motivated vitriol. Instead of calling on their supporters to stand with the victims and encase everyone in positive energy, they spiraled out of control. Early blaming of the Tea Party and of Sarah Palin, in specific, was strong. In a bit of irony, one blogger who fancies himself important in politics of the left was found to have on his own website the very same that he was so indignant of others over. He then did what all cowards do - he 'scrubbed' his website of all such examples. The shooter was not motivated by his political leanings. He was motivated by mental illness.

Someone on scene tackled the shooter and he was taken away in police custody.

Those in favor of gun control were quick to blame the gun. Silly but true. It is not the presence of guns in society, it is the misuse of them and guns in the hands of those not worthy of them. It may surprise some on the left to know that Rep Giffords is a strong advocate of the 2nd Amendment. She is a gun owner herself.

A former Republican, she is a moderate Democrat. A Blue Dog coalition member, she is in strong support of border protection and fiscal responsibility. She comes from the private sector - having run her parents' small business in Tucson before entering politics. She is a friend of Governor Brewer. Her meet and greet gatherings attract hundreds. She is well liked and a dedicated public servant.

Giffords introduced a bill to lower Congressional salaries. She said since that hadn't been done since the 1930's, it was high time for Congress members to lead by example.

She won her re-election in November 2010 by a mere 4,000 votes. Her opponent was a Tea Party candidate. She dealt with office vandalism and threats after casting a vote in favor of Obamacare. This is the dark side of politics. House Majority Leader Cantor reached out to her family immediately. He also experienced office vandalism and threats in the recent past for some of his political stands. It is wrong of the far left to assume only those who think like them experience personal attacks.

This horrific attack was a time for everyone to come together and pray and support those dead and injured. Too bad so many failed to rise to the occasion.