Another Day, Another Piece of Sad News

By now, everybody has heard of the shooting in Tucson, AZ. Six have died, including four seniors, one of whom was a federal judge, one 9-year old girl, and an aide to United States Representative Gabrielle Giffords. 14 people were wounded, including Congresswoman Giffords. Congresswoman Giffords was shot in the head, but was out of surgery late yesterday and doctors are apparently hopeful for a recovery.

The prime suspect, already in custody and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and attempts to kill a member of Congress, is 22-year-old Jared Loughner, and he has currently invoked his right not to incriminate himself. According to CNN, the suspect was mentally disturbed and was a high school and community college dropout who attended Giffords's constituent meeting yesterday with the intent to assassinate Giffords.

This is scary in many ways. First, the meeting of an elected official should be exciting, whether because you get to meet someone important and pick this person's brain, or whether you want to exchange ideas. Nine-year-old Christina Green was a member of her school's student council, and was invited to visit Giffords at this meeting. Think of how happy she was before and while meeting Giffords. What Giffords was doing, meeting with the people who elected her to office, was exactly what she should have done. It's her job to represent her people, and take their wishes to Washington with her. This happy and important occasion is something that must go on, and now the fact that this kind of shooting has happened at an important public event at a supermarket makes things scarier. People should not have to think twice about making their voices heard or being a public official. Unfortunately, these things will happen.

Second, we should have learned a long time ago that firearms and mentally unstable people do not mix (read: Virginia Tech). Now, the facts have not all come out, especially about how Loughner was in possession of a firearm, so no one is to blame as of now (including Loughner, innocent until proven guilty, however much public opinion may despise him). But mentally unstable individuals with an agenda against others already tend to be dangerous, and putting weapons in their hands make them even more so. This should be common sense. I could get on my soapbox and talk about restrictions and gun control (even though I know that the right to bear arms is the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, but you have to admit some people just should not be able to have a firearm) and background checks, but I'll just say this: it's common sense. Dangerous people should not have dangerous things that can put others in danger.

I'm sure much more will come of this in the days and weeks ahead, including the search for an alleged accomplice. Right now, thoughts and prayers do go to the victims and their families, and hopes for a speedy recovery for the survivors of this horrible yet way too common tragedy.