Congresswoman still in 'critical condition'
The US congresswoman is still in critical condition after a gunman shot her in the head and killed six other people in an Arizona shooting spree.
Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot at close range at a public meeting in a Tucson supermarket. Her doctors say she is under sedation, and in critical condition but are "very optimistic about her recovery". 
There is a lot of bigotry and political power in Arizona and the internet and media have been alive with anger over the shooting and dispute between the right and left of America.
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, said a consuming atmosphere of political vitriol centred on Arizona may have been a factor in the attack. "When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government,"
"The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry." He went on.
There have been other cases where this anger had turned to violence – Ms Giffords' office being vandalised last March after she upset Arizona conservatives by supporting Mr Obama's healthcare reform bill. Gifford is also a strong supporter of gay rights and equality, which has also drawn condemnation from political foes, including the crazed former Alaska governor and now leading light in the Tea Party Sarah Palin.
Pailin had placed Ms Giffords on a list of politicians she wanted to remove from office in mid-term elections last November. A lot of effort was put into a vicious fight by the local tea party.
Ms Giffords is a moderate Democrat, who narrowly beat the tea party candidate in the elections. At the time she mentioned the hatred in an interview on MSNBC.
"We're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," she said.
Mrs Palin has issued a statement offering her condolences to the families of Ms Giffords and the other victims of the attack.
For the latest please see - Giffords in 'critical condition'
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