Arizona GOP Plan To Raffle Off Same Type of Gun As Giffords Was Shot With

Is it a political tin ear, or a purposeful slight? Either way, most people can agree that the Pima County GOP’s plan to hold a fundraiser where they raffle off a Glock handgun similar to the type that was used in the assassination attempt on Arizona Democrat Gabrielle Giffords in January is just in bad taste.

Even Republicans.

“There’s a woman who has a bullet in the brain and who everybody is wishing a full recovery,” Brian Miller, the immediate past chair of the Pima County GOP told TPM. “I don’t think that raffling off a firearm right now is probably the right way to go.”

Chad Campbell, the leading Democrat in the state assembly, agrees.

“I am gun owner myself, a supporter of the Second Amendment and I also believe in common sense,” Mr. Campbell said. “Their raffle is not common sense; it is sick, and the Pima County G.O.P. should call off the raffle in respect for the Arizonans who died and were injured in the Tucson shooting.”

The Pima GOP interim chair, Mike Shaw, explains that the gun was actually purchased prior to the shooting and raffled off once already, but that winner never claimed the prize, so they’re just raffling it again for some extra fundraising. And, in a very “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” moment, Shaw stated that it was Jared Loughler, the would be assassin, who was to blame for the shooting, not the Glock itself.

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photo credit:United States Congress

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Jamie C.

1:45PM PDT on Sep 23, 2011

If Giffords and a few people in the audience were packing some heat maybe some nutjob wouldn't have gotten off a round before someone stopped him.

September 23
send a green star

Robby K.

7:47AM PDT on Sep 16, 2011

"My guess is that they got the gun as a donation to raffle and it is probably illegal to not raffle it so they had no choice."

Wow, a sensible post... Considering that the article does say "that the gun was actually purchased prior to the shooting and raffled off once already, but that winner never claimed the prize, so they’re just raffling it again for some extra fundraising."

September 16
send a green star

T.L. H.

6:05AM PDT on Sep 16, 2011

My guess is that they got the gun as a donation to raffle and it is probably illegal to not raffle it so they had no choice.

Winn A.

5:39PM PDT on Sep 7, 2011

Leave it to the AZ GOP to be that thoughtless.

September 7
send a green star

Grace A.

9:14AM PDT on Sep 6, 2011

Firearms are very dangerous. The more firearms are around, the more persons end up getting shot with firearms. I once was on the podium with several other students representing diversity at the school. I was representing non-traditional students because I was past forty already. Another student was in a wheelchair representing physically disabled students because she had accidentally been shot with her uncle's service revolver when she was a toddler.

September 6
send a green star

Christopher F.

4:24PM PDT on Sep 5, 2011

It sounds as if the Arizona GOP in Pima county is giving tactile approval for the gunman and his pathetic actions. Not only is it in bad taste, but it is also an indication of what the GOP philosophy is.

September 5
send a green star

Deborah V.

2:12PM PDT on Sep 5, 2011

It so amazing how slowly we evolve. As a child/young adult, I was sure that everyone would realize how stupid guns are......and still people own guns, shoot guns and think there is a reason to have one....guns are disgusting and I have never met someone who owned a gun that I liked. I might be biased, but so it goes.

Rosary G.

7:16AM PDT on Sep 5, 2011

Classless trash. No excuse is good enough to make this acceptable.

Carole C.

9:33PM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

The IQ of republicans continues to decline. This is so sick!