PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS:
Shot:
I have no words…
USA Today says the people mocking Charlie’s ass*ssination is actually good because they’re just using humor to deal with it emotionally
USA Today is covering up for the violent scum who want us dead and celebrate m*rder
I can’t believe this is real
They have… pic.twitter.com/qvpvxUKvH4
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 11, 2026
Chaser: Gabrielle Giffords shooting fuels debate over rhetoric.
Has the nation’s harsh political rhetoric become more than just talk — to the point of being dangerous?
The attempted assassination of Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords as she spoke with voters outside a grocery store in Tucson fueled a debate Sunday over whether the sharp partisanship and anti-government language that now mark American politics have created a climate that makes violence against public officials more likely.
As a moderate Democrat who barely won re-election in a state torn by disputes over immigration policy, economic angst and growing mistrust in the government, Giffords was familiar with today’s increasingly nasty political rhetoric. Her opponent last fall accused her of betraying her district. Meanwhile, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s website posted a map with cross hairs on 20 Democrat-held congressional districts Palin was targeting for takeover by Republicans in the November elections. Giffords’ was one of them.
“You can’t say they’re just words; they have consequences,” said South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, a member of the Democratic leadership. He said he worries about the effect of words on “people who may not be clicking on all cylinders.”
He cautioned, “We need to take a look at what we’re drifting into here.”
—USA Today, January 9th, 2011.