News Article: Shots fired at congressional softball game.

They're saying 50+ shots were fired from a rifle, and the suspect is in custody. GOP whip Steve Scalise, two police officers, and several staffers were shot. Scalise was reportedly hit in the hip and is stable.

heard about this on the way in. sounds like scalise's security detail kept this from being a lot worse.

I hate to say it, but this is a natural escalation of what we've been seeing. By any means necessary right?

I've never seen such a tolerance for vitriol against a sitting president and violence as a legitimate means of resistance in my lifetime.

Bamaro said:

According to Arlington police 5 were taken to the hospital. Thats actually good news since so many shots were reportedly heard.

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In this case the security detail seems to have made all the difference. It apparently forced the shooter to take cover himself, so it completely changed the dynamic fortunately.

KrAzY3 said:

I hate to say it, but this is a natural escalation of what we've been seeing. By any means necessary right?
I've never seen such a tolerance for vitriol against a sitting president and violence as a legitimate means of resistance in my lifetime.

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I am glad that no one was killed. I am also glad that they were able to arrest this nutjob.

However I feel that to characterize this as a natural escalation is not accurate.

Gabby Giffords shooting
This isn't an escalation. It has happened before, and likely will happen again. If you don't remember the vitriol against the previous administration, I believe you have selective memory.

KrAzY3 said:

I hate to say it, but this is a natural escalation of what we've been seeing. By any means necessary right?

I've never seen such a tolerance for vitriol against a sitting president and violence as a legitimate means of resistance in my lifetime.

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oh good lord. at least wait until some details come out

chanson78 said:

However I feel that to characterize this as a natural escalation is not accurate.

Gabby Giffords shooting
This isn't an escalation. It has happened before, and likely will happen again. If you don't remember the vitriol against the previous administration, I believe you have selective memory.

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In addition to Giffords' shooting, some posters seem to forget effigies being burned for Obama, that GOP reps published portraits of Democrats with targets painted on their heads, and perhaps are unaware of the significant increase in far right violence since Trump's campaign.

I thought about pointing that out in more detail. But honestly, now probably isn't the proper time for that kind of finger pointing. I agree that this isn't an escalation; it's a continuation. Though perhaps it feels like an escalation to Republicans, since they largely been on the opposite side of this over the past decade.

CharminTide said:

I thought about pointing that out in more detail. But honestly, now probably isn't the proper time for that kind of finger pointing. I agree that this isn't an escalation; it's a continuation. Though perhaps it feels like an escalation to Republicans, since they largely been on the opposite side of this over the past decade.

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Facts don't take days off.

92tide said:

oh good lord. at least wait until some details come out

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Look, I can take the fact that Republicans were exclusively targeted as coincidence. However, the report about asking which party they were from beforehand (I'd consider that a detail)? This would be one of the oddest shootings in history if it wasn't politically motivated. They were literally wearing red jerseys that said Republican on them!

For the record, and looking at things this way is part of the problem, I'm not Republican or Democrat. There's not just two sides, it's not just us or them. I'm a libertarian, but this whole the other side is Nazis nonsense is stupid and unnecessarily inflammatory. Also, I would add that no political motivation for the Gifford's shooting has been uncovered. But anyway, you guys can wait for the inevitable revelations in this instance.

Too early to know this guy's motivation at this point.

Wasn't the Gifford shooter a left wing guy?

Prayers for those hurt. Glad this was stopped before it got much worse.

NationalTitles16 said:

Too early to know this guy's motivation at this point.

Wasn't the Gifford shooter a left wing guy?

Prayers for those hurt. Glad this was stopped before it got much worse.

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Here's Loughner's background. He was just a true nut job.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Lee_Loughner

Displaced Bama Fan said:

Here's Loughner's background. He was just a true nut job.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Lee_Loughner

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He had sort of morphed into an anti-government conspiracy theorist.

Not that it matters. Sort of goes out the window when you're talking about a paranoid schizophrenic.

AUDub said:

He had sort of morphed into an anti-government conspiracy theorist.

Not that it matters. Sort of goes out the window when you're talking about a paranoid schizophrenic.

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Not to derail this convo but I think many of us, including myself, take our mental health for granted.
Just taking a moment to be thankful I'm in complete control of my mental and emotional faculties.

Granted that clearly more info needs to come out first but with that said... I would not be surprised if this was politically motivated. Sadly I've been expecting something like this to happen more often as both sides push farther and farther away.

Unfortunately with the amount of vitriol pushed around the people already on edge are more likely to leap off that edge. Both sides need to take a good long look in the mirror and stop treating the other side as an enemy or saying things like "they're not even people" or that "All of them are Nazi's and Nazi's deserve to be punched/killed." Thankfully no one was hurt but the nutbar that went to investigate the 'Pizzagate' thing armed had the potential to end very badly as well.

CharminTide said:

In addition to Giffords' shooting, some posters seem to forget effigies being burned for Obama, that GOP reps published portraits of Democrats with targets painted on their heads, and perhaps are unaware of the significant increase in far right violence since Trump's campaign.

I thought about pointing that out in more detail. But honestly, now probably isn't the proper time for that kind of finger pointing. I agree that this isn't an escalation; it's a continuation. Though perhaps it feels like an escalation to Republicans, since they largely been on the opposite side of this over the past decade.

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So your rebuttal to Krazy is that it is a continuation but not an escalation. What exactly would count as an escalation, then, If not targeting Congressmen en masse?

It honestly feels like you tried to disagree and point out your side to say how terrible Republicans are, to blame someone else for the escalation, but ended up reinforcing Krazy's point.

My experience is just that, the experience of a single person, but i agree with Krazy that the vitriol from the mainstream opposition party and from the so-called mainstream media is far beyond anything else in my lifetime. I have no idea what the world was like in the 60s, but in my memory the present day mainstream left has gone bonkers.

Sadly, it's doesn't surprise me when stuff like this happens. We have countless people who don't understand much of anything about the political process and yet they seemingly spend hours each day watching/reading the political hacks, getting more and more angry until they decide to take action against one side or the other. I'd much rather spend my free time planning the next vacation or the next investment.

LA4Bama said:

I have no idea what the world was like in the 60s, but in my memory the present day mainstream left and right has gone bonkers.

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FIFY.