Utahs Chaffetz says hell carry his gun

Commentary: Kentucky gets low marks on Brady Campaign score
It would be just as easy for a mentally troubled young person, someone who had been rejected by The Army and banned from his community college, to walk out of a gun store with a semi-automatic Handgun and a 30-round clip of bullets in Kentucky as it was in Arizona. Both Kentucky and Arizona scored 2 out of 100 possible points on the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence's scorecard in 2009. Since then, Arizona outdid Kentucky by becoming the third state to allow the carrying of concealed weap...

Why Arizonans Can Buy Guns Made In-State Free of Background Checks, and Other Issues in Gun Control
ProPublica, Jan. 11, 2011, 11:30 a.m. The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and more than a dozen of her constituents in Tucson this weekend has sparked criticism of Arizona’s lax Gun Control laws and renewed calls from some to tighten those restrictions. Six individuals were confirmed dead. Here’s our attempt to briefly break down a few of the issues at play: In the Arizona case, the gun used by accused shooter Jared Lee Loughner was a Glock 19—a semiautomatic weapon with a ...

Should More Congressmen Carry Guns For Self Defense?
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s event in a Tucson strip-mall parking lot Saturday did not seem risky. In fact, this type of event is a basic way members of Congress connect with people in their districts. It’s part of the job. But will the recent shooting change that? U.S. News blogger Linda Killian argues that canceling such events would be a terrible idea. “It would be a serious mistake to limit the access constituents have to their government representatives,” she writes. ...

Holder calls shootings unspeakably tragic (AP)
WASHINGTON – The killing of a Federal Judge and attempted Assassination of an Arizona congresswoman are an "unspeakable tragedy" that serve as a reminder that violence and cruelty persist more than 40 years after the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Attorney General Holder said Tuesday. Threats against public officials "continue to be cause for concern and vigilance," Holder told a Justice Department memorial for the slain Civil Rights leader in advance of the holiday commemorati...

Shot US lawmaker 'breathing on her own': doctor
The Arizona lawmaker shot in the head in an attack that killed six in Tucson remains in critical condition but is now capable of breathing on her own, doctors said Tuesday. "She's holding her own," said Michael Lemole, the head neurosurgeon who operated on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, adding that she was still responding to simple commands, a key sign for her recovery prospects. "She's breathing on her own," added the doctor at University Medical Center, saying they had reduced the sedati...

Tuesday: Guns for everyone (and bullets for every gun) edition
As realists we know that here in the United States we aren’t ever going to outlaw private ownership of guns. But, you might (realistically) think that this Tuesday Morning — nearly 3 days after the terrible shooting in Tucson — there would be a steady stream of articles calling for more serious Regulation of the guns in this country. There isn’t. Apparently Gun Control is off the table. With my background in programming and maintaining databases I should have known bett...

Gun Crazy
We may not be sure that the bloodbath in Tucson had anything to do with politics, but we know it had everything to do with our nation’s insane refusal to impose reasonable controls on guns. Specifically, the rampage had everything to do with a 9mm semiautomatic Glock pistol—a sleek, efficient killing machine that our lax Gun Laws allowed an unstable young man to purchase, carry anywhere he wanted and ultimately use to shoot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the head. The weapon also was use...

Lawyers: Insanity Defense Wont Work
CNN reports: The alleged shooter in Saturday’s deadly Tucson massacre may have difficulty making the case for a successful insanity plea, experts said Tuesday. Jared Lee Loughner, 22, who authorities say shot up a gathering held by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, outside a Supermarket, has been anecdotally regarded as very troubled and perhaps mentally unbalanced because of his ramblings spotted on the Internet and the ways he has been described by acquaintances. But Paul Callan...

In wake of Arizona rampage, two lawmakers say they will carry firearms in home states
Source: myfoxorlando (NewsCore) - In the wake of Saturday’s deadly shooting rampage in Arizona that left a congresswoman critically injured, two lawmakers said they would begin carrying guns with them in their home states, Politico reported Sunday. Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), both of whom hold conceal and carry permits, said they would carry their Firearms with them when they appear in public in their home districts. The lawmakers said they would not carry the guns w...

Rep. Jeff Flake: Congress "Will Take Threats More Seriously"
On Monday's Washington Unplugged Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a colleague of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), spoke with CBS News political analyst John Dickerson and expressed shock and disbelief over Saturday's tragic shooting in Tucson that left 6 dead and Giffords in critical condition. Flake told Dickerson, "No one could fathom this kind of thing happening, Arizona or anywhere." Flake also noted the reaction among fellow members of Congress and acknowledged that in light of Saturday's eve...

Keep rampage blame where it belongs
We add our thoughts and prayers to the many for critically wounded Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the six people killed, including a senior Federal Judge, a 9-year-old girl fascinated by politics, a congressional aide and three other innocents, as well as the 13 people wounded, in the attack Saturday in Tucson. The accused, Jared Loughner, is a deeply disturbed young man whose violent proclivities had frightened several acquaintances but who had not yet done anything overt enough to bring h...

Congressmen Say They Will Carry Firearms in Their Home Districts
Several lawmakers are already changing their security arrangements in wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), and at least two lawmakers say they’ll now be packing Firearms in public when they’re in their home districts. Both Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) told Politico they will be carrying their guns in their home districts for protection. Both lawmakers hold a conceal and carry permit, but will not carry their weapons in the Dis...

Giffords Breathing on Her Own, Doctors Say
Like this Story? Share it: Last Friday Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition, expressed the need to tone down Rhetoric and Partisanship in Congress in an e-mail. Katie Couric reports from Tucson. Only On The Web: CBS News digital Journalist Arden Farhi spoke to Tucson-area residents as they reflect on Saturday's shooting and the impact it's had on their community. In light of the recent shooting rampage which critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, concerns have...

Absurd fingerpointing continues in wake of Arizona shooting
As more become clear about Jared Loughner, the facts seem to mean less and less for those seeking to turn this tragedy into a political witch hunt. It appears that Loughner, had an obsession with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) dating back to 2007 - before Sarah Palin or the Tea Party movement came on the national scene, and the warning signs that Loughner was an unstable person had been ignored; even by police. And while the debate on Loughner’s political leanings is still raging, Chris Ci...

Arizonans Rally to Prevent Westboro Church Disruption of Shooting Victims' Funerals
Disgusted Arizona residents are locking arms to stop the Westboro Baptist Church from disrupting the Funerals for Victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson, with bikers and others organizing a massive counter-protest and state lawmakers fast-tracking a bill to hamstring the so-called church. The Kansas-based Westboro church is notorious for showing up at the Funerals of dead Soldiers and other high-profile gatherings wielding inflammatory anti-gay signs. But when the church announced it would pic...

Mourners to hold 'community healing' Mass after Arizona shooting
Mourners will gather at a memorial Mass Tuesday for Victims of the weekend shooting outside an Arizona Supermarket that killed 6 people and wounded 14 others. The Mass will be held at 7 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) at St. Odiilia Church in Tucson, Arizona - where 9-year-old shooting victim Christina Green had her First Communion a year ago. "Right now it is important as a community to pull together and to reach out in care and concern to all who have been affected by this tragedy," Bishop Gera...

CBS Poll: American Public Not Buying Democrat, Media Spin on Arizona Shooting
From CBS News: Nearly six in 10 Americans say the country’s heated political Rhetoric is not to blame for the Tucson shooting rampage that left six dead and critically wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, according to a CBS News poll. In the wake of the shooting, much focus has been put on the harsh tone of politics in Washington and around the country, particularly after a contentious Midterm Election. Rhetoric and imagery from both Republicans and Democrats have included gun-related ...

US lawmakers urged not to arm themselves
US lawmakers should reconsider plans to carry Firearms in response to the weekend Assassination attempt against one of their colleagues, an official tasked with congressional security says. "I don't think it's a good idea," the US Senate's sergeant-at-arms, Terrance Gainer, told ABC television on Tuesday. "I've been a policeman for 42 years, and I don't find introducing more guns to the situation helpful." At least two members of the US House of Representatives have said since a shooting rampage...

Arizona lawmakers plan to block protesters within 300 feet of funerals
The Arizona State Legislature is expected to pass Legislation Tuesday that will bar Protesters at Funerals from getting within 300 feet of services, a spokesman for the state Senate said. The action, according to Senate spokesman Daniel Scarpinato, is in direct response to a Controversial church's announcement that it will picket the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old who was one of six people killed Saturday during the attempted Assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. West...

Vote for the Stimulus or Ill Shoot
That’s what a mentally disturbed North Carolinian, John Jackson Adams, said he told U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler in a phone message to the Democratic congressman’s Asheville office back in 2009. Shuler reported the incident to federal authorities, who later charged Adams. He was declared mentally incompetent and the charges were later dismissed. Shuler made headlines a couple of days ago when he remarked that after the Arizona shootings, he would carry his Concealed Weapon more frequently....

Pete King bill would ban guns within 1,000 feet of lawmakers
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), one of the few pro-gun control Republicans in the House, wants to make it illegal for someone to carry a gun within 1,000 feet of certain high-ranking federal officials, including members of Congress. “It is imperative that we do all that we can to give Law Enforcement the tools they need to ensure the safety of New Yorkers and prevent an attack before it happens,” said King, who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, during a press conferen...

Politician Safety and Protection
TACTICAL EXTRACTIONS Counterterrorism PAPER 01-2011 SPECIAL By R. J. Godlewski The January 8, 2011 shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Federal Judge John Roll and several others in Tucson has sparked a national outcry of support for the Victims and strong condemnation for the alleged gunman, Jared Loughner, 22. These actions are necessarily part of the human condition. So, too, are reactions taken on the part of the U.S. Congress, the Presidency, and the public regarding...

Jeff Biggers: Now Arizona Wants to Allow Concealed Guns on Campuses
Arizona's weak Gun Laws could reach a new low this spring. When the Arizona State Legislature reconvenes tomorrow for the first day of the new session, two gun bills will be on the table for debate. One bill--H2001--will allow faculty members to carry Concealed Weapons on campus. The other bill--H2014--will prevent educational institutions from stopping a person from carrying a weapon with a valid permit. In the blazing summer of 2009, Gov. Jan Brewer passed a law that allows Arizona reside...

Congressional leaders promise members security review after shooting
WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Democrats and Republicans participated in a rare Bipartisan Conference Call Sunday to discuss the condition of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords as well as security concerns for members of Congress. Republican and Democratic leaders, the chief of the United States Capitol Police, a doctor from the Office of the Attending Physician of Congress, and the Chief of Staff to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords briefed about 800 lawmakers, their spouses and top aides. "I've been in Congress 22 year...

Gabrielle Giffords' shooting leads lawmakers to carry weapons
WASHINGTON - Two lawmakers said Sunday they'll pack heat back home after the deadly attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The decision by Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) raises new questions about whether lawmakers should carry guns for self defense - or need to. "After the Elections, I let my guard down," Shuler, an ex-NFL player, told Politico. "Now I know I need to have [my gun] on me." Shuler and Chaffetz won't be the first lawmakers to be strapped. The U.S. Marsh...