In January 2011, six people were killed and U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was severely wounded in a mass shooting at a Tucson area supermarket.
After being shot in the head at point blank range, Giffords "had part of her skull and brain removed, underwent intensive reconstructive surgery, and lost the full use of the right side of her body and half of her vision." (Salon.com)
This is what Representative Giffords did last night.
It's easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding the mass killing last Friday in Colorado - the bizarre setting at a Batman movie premiere, the eerie proximity of Aurora to Columbine, the killer's booby-trapped apartment.
But what does tragedy really look like? Like this.
You can learn a little more about the victims here.
A Utah man was shot in the butt by his dog last week while duck hunting. Police indicated the dog accidentally stepped on the trigger after the hunter went to re-position duck decoys, leaving his shotgun untended. I believe the dog may have been trying to save a few ducks.
Regardless of the dog's intent, the moral of this story is clear - guns don't shoot hunters in the ass, dogs do.
A man filming a police line at the Occupy Oakland protest was shot by police with a rubber bullet, although he provoked no one and was given no warning.
No doubt, city officials and police forces are challenged by the Occupy Movement to strike a delicate balance between ensuring public safety and protecting the rights of all of us, but when that fine line is trod all over by a pair of jack boots, the authorities do themselves no favors.
As I watched the clip below, I wondered - what if the bullet were real? What would the unprovoked police shooting of a protester, presumably armed with only a video camera, say about the state of our democracy? Are we one poor decision away from witnessing a bizarre Tiennamen-style showdown in the U.S.?
It wasn't a real bullet this time, but with so little organization in the Occupy Movement, and with thousands of frustrated and overworked cops interacting daily with teeming hoards of tired and angry protesters, the opportunities for a tragic mistake are mounting. Keep your wits about you, America.
This is a chilling and sobering scene.
Viewing Tip: Click the title bar at the top of the clip to view in a larger window.
