Gabrielle Giffords - motorcyclist

[mrlmd]

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/20...-motorcyclist/

[Cab305]

Nice bike. Hope she gets to ride it again.

[scotty]

It's a shame what has happened to her. Hopfully she recovers soon!

[KURT]

Yes, it was a real shock to hear about that, the other day. And very sad, that no one took the warning signs seriously.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Hopefully she recovers, gets to take that ride, and leads a long procession of fellow riders out to support her.

[Sailariel]

Very very sad. You just never know. I hope she makes a speedy recovery.

[addy126]

Regardless of political affiliations Would be great to see a ride put together for her illustrating biker support for her.

[KURT]

Originally Posted by addy126

Regardless of political affiliations Would be great to see a ride put together for her illustrating biker support for her.

Giffords, of course, wasn't the only one who suffered.

Some local groups are involved in the policing of the nine-year-old's funeral.

http://www.meetup.com/PhxMRG/calenda...=list&offset=0

[Sailariel]

Those Kansas clowns won't come near Maine. We blocked them at military funerals---and lately--a High School student decided to, as his class project, to write a piece of legislation making it illegal to demonstrate at a military funeral. That made national news.

The Kansas clowns said that they would demonstrate in Searsport ME at the student's presentation. Sure, it is winter here--but motorcyclists have cars. They chickened out. We are such an accomodating group.

[KURT]

I guess at one of their previous demonstrations, they got their tires slashed. Nobody in town, would sell them a replacement.

As for a tribute to Giffords, I'm sure the locals will plan a ride, as soon as she is able to attend it.

[Sailariel]

I heard that some of the local motorcyclists rode by the hospital so that she can hear the bikes which would presumably help her feel better. I sure hope she pulls through.

I would bet anything that the lawyer representing the shooter will cop an insanity plea. Quite honestly, from what I have seen in the media, he does seem to have all the traits of a Paranoid Schizophrenic. I would suspect that he will spend the rest of his life in a hospital for the criminally insane--trust me, that's a hell of a lot worse than a conventional prison. (I worked in a State Psychiatric Hospital for 25 years as a Clinical Social Worker) I doubt if he will ever see daylight.

[JeffM]

Rider

And racer


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_wmsaXJKp0

[Samer]

I was not aware that she was a rider. I'm glad I saw this. I just saw that her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.

I hope she rides again soon. All the best.

[KURT]

Originally Posted by Samer

I was not aware that she was a rider. I'm glad I saw this. I just saw that her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.

I hope she rides again soon. All the best.

Yup.. Rider, racer and motorcycle advocate.

[Sailariel]

She is in my prayers for sure. What a tragedy! It was all there, but nobody connected the dots. The shooter should have gotten help long ago but nobody wanted to go out on a limb and say, "This chap has some serious psychiatric issues". We live and learn. Hopefully, Gabrielle will pull through this.

I really hate guns--sounds funny from a former Army Ranger. I am not one of those "ban guns" type. I just know what it feels like to get shot--been there.

[FrugalNinja250]

Latest report is that she's going to be moved to a rehab facility in Houston which has doctors and staff with specific experience with bullet injuries to the brain, probably this Friday. She's responding to higher function commands such as being asked to hold up two fingers, so there's hope for decent cognitive recovery.

She's also an avid bicyclist, and had ridden 10 miles on a trail the night before.

I truly hope she is able to return to her job in Congress, that place will be a lesser place without her presence.

[Sailariel]

Maybe she will be in the same facility as our Jon Broom. It is really a devastating situation. Here we have this beautiful full of life competent woman--and this happens. It's just not right.

[FrugalNinja250]

NPR reported this morning that she (with some assistance) was able to stand and gaze out her window.

Amazing. 12 days after a bullet ripped through her brain lengthwise she can do that. Neurologists seem to say that the quicker the short term improvements the better the prognosis is for long term recovery.

[Sailariel]

It is a bad situation, indeed. On the other hand, it also could have been much worse. A .22, a Magnum, or a 45 would have killed her instantly. Getting shot is bad news any way you look at it. I have certainly treated a lot of gunshots as a medic. If that 9mm had hit her anywhere else, she would have been home by now.

[KURT]

I have a cousin, who was shot 10 times (including his face), at point blank. Tucson Med Ctr had him back on his feet in a few weeks.
Apparently, they do good work there.

We all just hope she makes a full recovery. And I'd like to think, that maybe the political rhetoric will calm down some... But I doubt it.

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by KURT

I have a cousin, who was shot 10 times (including his face), at point blank. Tucson Med Ctr had him back on his feet in a few weeks.
Apparently, they do good work there.

We all just hope she makes a full recovery. And I'd like to think, that maybe the political rhetoric will calm down some... But I doubt it.

"Appearantly do good work" Kurt, you are a master at understatement. Sounds like your cousin got on the wrong side of an assault rifle. He is a lucky man.

I took 5 AK-47 rounds working on a casualty in Nam--we all know where medics get hit. I count myself as extremely lucky--also had some great doctors. Yes, that political stuff and "blame game" is so juvenile.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

I took 5 AK-47 rounds working on a casualty in Nam--we all know where medics get hit. I count myself as extremely lucky--also had some great doctors. Yes, that political stuff and "blame game" is so juvenile.

You are a lucky! We are lucky to have a person like you around!

[Sailariel]

Thanks, Scotty. I never thought that I did anything exceptional. I did my job and was proud about being a good medic. I knew the risks, but someone had to be there. My guys were kids--18 and 19--not old enough to vote, not old enough to have a drink--but old enough to risk their lives for their country. I was 26. I did everything to make sure they came home--lost very few thanks to training and the incredible MEDEVAC system we had. The helicopter was the deciding factor along with the incredibly ballsey people who flew them. Most of the people in my platoon were kids from South Boston. They were brave, tough, loyal, and the very best soldiers around. You couldn't find a better group of people anywhere. With those guys watching my back, I couldn't have been in better hands. South Boston Irish Catholic--They don't come much better.

Let's all send good toughts and prayers to Gabrielle. She is an advocate for all us motorcyclists.

[CThunder-blue]

http://news.yahoo.com/victim-scolds-...174104768.html

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The man who pleaded guilty to a deadly Arizona shooting rampage that also wounded then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords came face to face with his victims Thursday, with one scolding him and saying his parents and community had failed him.
"We've been told about your demons, about the illness that skewed your thinking," said Susan Hileman, at times visibly shaking, to Jared Lee Loughner at his sentencing hearing. "Your parents, your schools, your community, they all failed you.
"It's all true," Hileman said. "It's not enough."
"You pointed a weapon and shot me three times," she said, staring directly at Loughner. He looked back at her. "And now I walked out of this courtroom and into the rest of my life and I won't think of you again."
Loughner's mother Amy could be seen wiping her eyes.
Earlier, Loughner told U.S. District Judge Larry Burns that he will not be speaking at the hearing Thursday where the 24-year-old is expected to be sentenced to life in prison. Loughner wore dress pants and a dark brown shirt with a tie, and drank from a foam cup.
Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, were in court. Kelly was expected to make a statement.
Loughner pleaded guilty three months ago to 19 federal charges under an agreement that guarantees he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The deal calls for the dismissal of 30 other charges and a sentence of seven consecutive life terms, followed by 140 years in prison.
Both sides reached the deal after a judge declared that Loughner was able to understand the charges against him. After the shooting, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent forcible psychotropic drug treatments.
Some victims, including Giffords, welcomed the deal as a way to move on. It spared victims and their families from having to go through a potentially lengthy and traumatic trial and locks up the defendant for life.
Ron Barber, a former Giffords staffer who was shot in the cheek and thigh during the attack and later won election to her seat when Giffords stepped down, plans to make a statement, said his spokesman, Mark Kimble.
Hileman, who was shot three times while trying to save her 9-year-old neighbor, and Mavy Stoddard, whose husband died shielding her from bullets, plan to address the court.
"He has to pay the consequences for what he did, and justice will be served," Hileman said.
Judy Clarke, Loughner's lead attorney, didn't return messages seeking comment.
Christina Pietz, the court-appointed psychologist who treated Loughner, had warned that although Loughner was competent to plead guilty, he remained severely mentally ill and his condition could deteriorate under the stress of a trial.
When Loughner first arrived at a Missouri prison facility for treatment, he was convinced Giffords was dead, even though he was shown a video of the shooting. He eventually realized she was alive after he was forcibly medicated.
It's unknown whether Pima County prosecutors, who have discretion on whether to seek the death penalty against Loughner, will file state charges against him. Stephanie Coronado, a spokeswoman for Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall, said Wednesday that no decision had been made.
It's unclear where Loughner will be sent to serve his federal sentence. He could return to a prison medical facility like the one in Springfield, Mo., where he's been treated for more than a year. Or he could end up in a prison such as the federal lockup in Florence, Colo., that houses some of the country's most notorious criminals, including Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.