Tea Party Congressman Links Colorado Shooting To Attacks On Christianity (updated)

[ProSense]

Last edited Fri Jul 20, 2012, 11:52 AM - Edit history (1)

Tea Party Congressman Links Colorado Shooting To Attacks On Christianity

By Igor Volsky

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed their sympathies for the victims in Friday morning’s shooting in Aurora, Colorado, but at least one Republican lawmaker is using the tragedy to discuss the alleged war on Christianity.

During an appearance on The Heritage Foundation’s Istook Live, Tea Party Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), a former judge, began talking about “ongoing attacks on Christian-Judeo beliefs” when asked about Aurora shootings. Later, in the program he seemed to blame atheists for violence:

ERNEST ISTOOK (HOST): What was your experience as a judge, when you’re on the bench, this is Congressman Luie Gohmert, when you’re on the bench, what was your experience with people who had mental health issues that were involved in crimes of violence?

GOHMERT: Well, it’s always a problem and there are some people who require medication … But you know, I might mention something else that hadn’t been public yet. Most of us that follow the military, love the military know that we have had an extraordinary increase in suicide rates in the military and it’s just heartbreaking … There was a study commissioned, 6,000 personal of index profiles and what they found, and I don’t ‘know if they’ll make it public…but all of the people who have committed suicide within their two percent studied, were part of their 2 percent most atheistic members of the military. We’ve lost our faith.

Listen:

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http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/07/20/554761/tea-party-congressman-links-colorado-shooting-to-attacks-on-christianity/

Updated to add this from Steve Benen:

<...>

I see. So, in the mind of this strange Republican congressman, a madman killed 12 people because of ... the separation of church and State? The First Amendment is to blame for a shooting spree in a movie theater?

If decency had any place in American politics, this would be an immediate career-ender for the ridiculous congressman from Texas. Some political missteps are simply unforgivable.

Update: Gohmert also wondered aloud why no one else in the theater was armed, complaining that the victims should have shot back.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/20/12856827-how-not-to-respond-to-a-tragedy

[gopiscrap]

1. This guy is such a fucking asswipe

the tragedy is that the idiots in his distrcit will probably reelect him

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. McVey Was A Christian - What A Bunch Of Bullshit.

[lpbk2713]

3. Cue the spin makers.

I knew it wouldn't take long.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Bulls**t!! Total and complete bulls**t. Where does it say that?

The reasons for the increase are not fully understood. Among explanations, studies have pointed to combat exposure, post-traumatic stress, misuse of prescription medications and personal financial problems. Army data suggest soldiers with multiple combat tours are at greater risk of committing suicide, although a substantial proportion of Army suicides are committed by soldiers who never deployed.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77188.html#ixzz21Apk73Td

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Another addition to my list of crazy/stupid people

who shouldn't be allowed out in public without supervision, let alone become members of Congress. Michele Bachmann, move over.

[maddezmom]

6. He is so disgusting

He's part of the Bachmann loonies.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

7. Louie Gomer needs to be removed from office

Fuck him.

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. I didn't have to open this to know it was Gohmert.

Yes, Louie - because the rash of atheists gunning down Christians is getting out of control and *just* like what happened this morning in Colorado.



As a Christian, may I ask you to kindly STFU?

[BumRushDaShow]

9. But if what some have researched

is not someone with the same name, the shooter may have actually been a member of the Aurora teabaggers.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. whenever something stupid needs to be said Gohmert seems to show up....

[Drale]

11. We may of lost one faith but apparently we gained another

the faith that stupid people can run the government.

[randome]

12. If that is an accurate quote, it sounds like he's almost incoherent.

[Progressive dog]

13. "Don't know if they'll make it public"

Since they don't exist (except maybe in your fantasies) hell is going to freeze over before they make it public.

[flamingdem]

14. Well a "John Holmes" is being tied to the Colorado Tea Party, so there

ABC had a report but there are multiple people with the same name

[siligut]

21. The news reports the shooter's name as James Holmes

Are the two interchangeable?

[hifiguy]

15. The bag of hammers called - it's insulted by being

compared to Gomer (sic).

[dmallind]

16. No anti-atheist bigotry in the US eh?

If he'd said "black" or "Jewish" instead he'd be in front of the Ethics Committee already.

[Enrique]

17. when America wants to make sense out of senseless events

we turn to Louie Gohmert

[pinboy3niner]

18. Gohmert would have been my #1 suspect

It must thave been a hugh relief to him when he was cleared.

[kestrel91316]

19. So is he calling it a "Second Amendment solution"?

Last edited Fri Jul 20, 2012, 01:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Effing teabaggers. They call for violence and then gloat when it happens.

[ProSense]

20. And then

"Effing teabaggers. They call for violence and then gloat when it happens."

...advocate violence as the solution.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. So, is he saying that all the people shot committed suicide?

But, he was right about some people needing medication. Perhaps he should explore that idea with his shrink.

[malaise]

23. Louie Gohmert is batshit crazy

I hope for his sake that the killer isn't the teabagger James Holmes who was also a fundie Xtian.

[RKP5637]

24. What pure BS. I consider people like this to be teabagger terrorists, spewing

crap like this.