There is a very strong point of view that this attack was nothing more than baseless, anti-semitic hatred. I first spotted this item on Israel Matzav and followed the links to GretaWire Blog. Elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006, Gabrielle Giffords was the first Jewish woman from Arizona to serve in Congress. The JTA reports that Giffords made her Jewish background part of her House campaign, which saw her win in a traditionally Republican district:
“If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it,” said Giffords, a former state senator, said at the time. “Jewish women–by our tradition and by the way we were raised–have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn’t or can’t be done and pull people together to be successful.”
According to a 2007 story in the Arizona Daily Star, she was raised in a mixed-religion home, with a Jewish father and a Christian Scientist mother. While there have been those who question whether she is truly Jewish (according to Jewish law, she would not be), the anti-semites would not know the difference and would not care.
May God have mercy on the Giffords family and the families of all those who have died and are injured. This was an inexcusable attack. Sadly, the attacker will receive the best of care and legal assistance. At the most he will enjoy healthy meals, education and whatever else he desires at the taxpayer expense–that is if he is found guilty. The punishments in our society can never fit the crime that was committed against these innocent people!