Shooting at Congressional Baseball Practice

[JazzGal]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cn...itics/alexandria-virginia-shooting/index.html

Rep. Steve Scalise was shot Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Virginia, a House colleague told CNN, in what sources are calling an apparent "deliberate attack." A congressional staffer was also shot.

Scalise, a member of the House Republican leadership as the majority whip, appeared to have been shot in the hip and it appeared two Capitol Hill police agents were shot, according to Rep. Mo Brooks, who told CNN he was on deck when the shooting occurred.

The shooting took place at a practice for the GOP congressional baseball team.

In a statement, Texas Rep. Roger Williams, one of the team's coaches, said one of his staff members was shot during the incident and is receiving medical attention. There was no information on the staffer's injuries.

According to both congressional and law enforcement sources, the shooting appears to be a "deliberate attack."

Two law enforcement sources told CNN the shooter, who is in police custody, has been taken to a hospital.

Members of Congress were practicing for a game that was scheduled for Thursday night at Nationals Park. It was not immediately clear whether it would go on as scheduled. The annual game has been played since 1909.



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[moevillini]

I heard they had someone in custody, haven't read any verification though


it's just a ten-minute walk from where my daughter's childhood BFF lives with her husband and two little children and they usually have playdates in that park @ 9 AM on Wednesdays with a couple other families

not this morning...


what can we say?

more guns, is that the best answer we can come up with?

 

[Stoked]

I heard they had someone in custody, haven't read any verification though


it's just a ten-minute walk from where my daughter's childhood BFF lives with her husband and two little children and they usually have playdates in that park @ 9 AM on Wednesdays with a couple other families

not this morning...


what can we say?

more guns, is that the best answer we can come up with?

I do not blame the gun debate for this at all. I blame the overall political climate. The shooter intentionally targeted the Rs. At that point he would have driven car through the practice, used home explosives, stabbings...

To me the answer to this one is put an end to the demonization of anyone that opposes our political leanings.

 

[The Thriller]

I do not blame the gun debate for this at all. I blame the overall political climate. The shooter intentionally targeted the Rs. At that point he would have driven car through the practice, used home explosives, stabbings...

To me the answer to this one is put an end to the demonization of anyone that opposes our political leanings.

So fire Rush Limbaugh, Bill Maher, get rid of Brietbart, and reinstate the fairness doctrine? But what about the first amendment? How does citizens United figure into this? You can't blast a politician through the airwaves but can through pamphlets and "think tanks?"

I think this is less a symptom of a populace brainwashed by media demonization and more of a mentally sick person angry at life. Perhaps he's taking his frustration out on those who just voted to take away his health insurance?

I'd even venture a theory that this less to do with media demonization and more to do with the ease of obtaining weapons and the frustration built up by a congress that doesn't even seem to care that its approval rating has been in the toilet for years.

Simple solution to all of this might be for politicians to start actually listening to constituents and actually place basic gun regulations that most other countries have been using for decades?

We might be reaching a tipping point. Desperate Americans have been told to "eat cake" while wealth inequality has skyrocketed. Even though most are frustrated with washington's indifference but don't resort to violence, Perhaps this individual felt it was time for a republican to eat lead?

Btw, it should be noted that Scalise received an A+ rating by the NRA. And was one of the most ardent supporters of the house bill to repeal Obamacare, cut Medicaid, and cut insurance for 25 million.

How ironic

 

[moevillini]

I do not blame the gun debate for this at all. I blame the overall political climate. The shooter intentionally targeted the Rs. At that point he would have driven car through the practice, used home explosives, stabbings...

To me the answer to this one is put an end to the demonization of anyone that opposes our political leanings.

I'm not blaming the gun debate, sorry if it sounded that way.

But I do not feel that having more people out on our streets carrying weapons will solve the problem either - yet so often, that seems to be the answer from the pro-gun people. It seems to me that increases the acceptability of violence as a solution to our problems.

And you're right, our current society has been far too polarized for a long time, and it's only getting worse.

 

[moevillini]

just heard that the shooter is a 66-year old from Belleville, Illinois who had a home inspection business. I think Belleville is somewhere near St. Louis, though too far to be considered a suburb.

 

[Cappy_Smurf]

To me the answer to this one is put an end to the demonization of anyone that opposes our political leanings.

Yeah, good luck with that.

I blame political corruption. As corrupt as our system has become, it's only natural that people will push back at some point.

 

[Archie Moses]

Another crazy Bernie supporter. First the Portland incident, now this.

 

[The Thriller]

It's a shame that some people are trying to make this a political issue. Yes, the political rhetoric needs to be chilled. why doesn't the Twitter in Chief set the example?

Let's focus on the facts. The research shows:

• 1. Wealth inequality leads to civic and social destabilization.

• 2. Moderate gun regulation leads to lower gun violence rates.

• 3. Universal health care leads to better health outcomes. Perhaps if this individual had received the health care that they desperately needed he wouldn't have committed such a thoughtless act?

 

[Harambe]

Another crazy Bernie supporter. First the Portland incident, now this.

I think we've done this dance enough times for this to be bad form.

Consistent partisanship and piss poor leadership, from every sector of the political spectrum, have a part in the blame. But largely the perpetrator is responsible.

 

[moevillini]

It's a shame that some people are trying to make this a political issue. Yes, the political rhetoric needs to be chilled. why doesn't the Twitter in Chief set the example?

Let's focus on the facts. The research shows:

• 1. Wealth inequality leads to civic and social destabilization.

• 2. Moderate gun regulation leads to lower gun violence rates.

• 3. Universal health care leads to better health outcomes. Perhaps if this individual had received the health care that they desperately needed he wouldn't have committed such a thoughtless act?

well as a 66-year old, he would have been enrolled in Medicare. So that arguments has less applicability to this situation

 

[Rubashov]

Without making this a crazy gun thing, the simple fact is that an awful lot of Americans have guns and a lot of Americans get shot. It is rather difficult to get guns here, (I'm considering getting a licence myself) Not many people get shot here and most of those that do are proper members of the criminal underworld, it is a professional hazard for them. We don't have school shootings, the last mass shooting i can think of was 20 years ago, yes we have had some low level terrorist nonsense recently but the country is incredibly safe compared to the US.

Not having guns freely available to people is a big part of that. I've just started having to wear body armor to work, (mostly due to an increase in the use of knives and dealing with an increased number of prisoners) if guns were freely available in Australia like they are in the US i wouldn't be in my line of work. I've had two guns pulled on in the last 10 years, its no fun.

 

[The Thriller]

well as a 66-year old, he would have been enrolled in Medicare. So that arguments has less applicability to this situation

I was unaware of the shooter's age. So yes, this does weaken this argument only slightly. However, there are cases where doctors drop Medicare patients and perscriptions so expensive that they leave seniors in bind. He still could've benefitted from a single payer system.

 

[The Thriller]

Why weren't any of those GOP lawmakers packing? With an A+ rating from the NRA you'd think that Salise would've been better prepared. GOP lawmakers are quoted as saying that they were "sitting ducks" and this would've been a "bloodbath" had law enforcement not come to the rescue. I have no doubt it was terrifying... But You'd think that some of those NRA endorsed lawmakers would've been packing heat, right?

In all seriousness, wouldn't you think that attacking NRA endorsed lawmakers would be a death wish? I'm not trying to make light of this. I've heard in Utah's legislature that there are several legislators packing heat. I guess the shooter did die, killed by law enforcement...

Anyway, thoughts and prayers!

 

[Harambe]

Politicking

Also in poor taste.

 

[Archie Moses]

It's a shame that some people are trying to make this a political issue. Yes, the political rhetoric needs to be chilled. why doesn't the Twitter in Chief set the example?

Let's focus on the facts. The research shows:

• 1. Wealth inequality leads to civic and social destabilization.

• 2. Moderate gun regulation leads to lower gun violence rates.

• 3. Universal health care leads to better health outcomes. Perhaps if this individual had received the health care that they desperately needed he wouldn't have committed such a thoughtless act?

It was a political motivated act of terrorism. I think it's fair to make it about politics.

 

[JazzGal]

Who would be carrying a gun while at baseball practice? That sounds pretty dangerous. If Steve Scalise had not been there with his security detail (as he is the majority whip), these guys would have been sitting ducks. I doubt this guy realized that there was armed security personnel as they were not dressed in a uniform and he likely thought he would have free rein and possibly even get away.

 

[Stoked]

I'm not blaming the gun debate, sorry if it sounded that way.

But I do not feel that having more people out on our streets carrying weapons will solve the problem either - yet so often, that seems to be the answer from the pro-gun people. It seems to me that increases the acceptability of violence as a solution to our problems.

And you're right, our current society has been far too polarized for a long time, and it's only getting worse.

Oh ok, then we agree.

I fully agree on the growing divide. It's getting bad.

 

[Stoked]

Also in poor taste.

Are you surprised? One of the two worst posters on this site.

 

[The Thriller]

Listening to NPR. Sounds like the shooter had a fairly extensive history with the law.