Get off your high horse

As pretty much everyone knows by now, there was a shooting at a Safeway store in Casas Adobes, Arizona. Six people, including a judge, congressional staffer, and a nine–year old girl were killed, and congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was seriously injured. I offer my condolences.

I must ask, is it really necessary to use every event or crime as a means to try scoring political points? People on both the left and right do this. Get off your high horses and do something more appropriate, classy, and tasteful. It is disrespectful for everyone affected. Trying to “take advantage”, so to speak, only works through appeals to emotion. Appeals to emotion may convince people, but are irrational because no decision has been made in a reasonable, thoughtful, or rigorous manner. And when people don’t make rational decisions, everyone suffers.

Roeder guilty

Good. Looks like the defence’s scheme didn’t work out. (via Feministing)

On the news…

As pretty much everyone is aware of by now, Dr. George Tiller was murdered yesterday while attending church in Wichita, Kansas.

His alleged murderer, Scott P. Roeder, was a Christianist terrorist.

My condolences go out to Dr. Tiller’s family. May he rest in peace.

Justice!

Great news! A verdict has been reached in the Angie Zapata murder trial. Allen Ray Andrade is guilty of first-degree murder after he brutally beat Angie Zapata to death using a fire extinguisher. His attempt to use the “trans panic defence” failed. He has been sentenced to the legally-required sentence of life imprisonment. The murder was a hate crime, as were several lesser charges (guilty in those too).

It’s a good thing that justice has been served.

Afghan feminist murdered in Kandahar

Earlier today, Sitara Achakzai, Afghan advocate for women’s rights, was shot and killed outside of her home in Kandahar. A spokesman for the Taliban claimed responsibility.

Achakazai’s mother and sister live in Ontario. My condolences go out to them.

This will make you sick

Pam’s House Blend reports that Jacobo Piñeiro Rial, who allegedly stabbed a Spanish same-sex couple from Vigo 57 times in January 2006 and who set the victims’ apartment ablaze, was acquitted using the gay panic defense.