Gibbs Spars With Russian Reporter Over Tucson Shooting and U.S. Freedoms

Part of living in a free society is that bad things happen, both to the average person, as well as to leaders.

Yes, Russia and the old Soviet Union don't have people killing government leaders, and crime has been low. But, people didn't have the abiliity to vote for their leaders during the Soviet era, and criticism of the government has never been well received by the Soviet Union or Russia.

If you asked the average American whehter he would rather be absolutely safe, but have no say in how his govenment is run, or have a small risk of being a victim or violent crime while being able to vote, complain to his elected officials, and post views on the internet, he will choose the latter.

It's because of our freedoms he is allowed to come here and question those freedoms. If America becomes progressively more dangerous, it is not because we have been granted our freedoms. That is absurd. With every mentally ill person, there are 20 sane persons who live healthy lives. Incidents like this Tucson tragedy brings out all sorts of wild ideas and I was happy to hear Gibbs answer in the way he did. When faced with the idea of maybe not having our freedoms, I think stunned Mr. Gibbs. Good job Gibbs.

At seventy years now, I can recall my past quite clearly as a Drug and Alcohol counselor in many settings. Usually I worked with "High Enders", Doctors, Lawyers, Priests, Upper crust ladies and gents and a few down enders.

My most rewarding experience (that tested me to the Max) was my volunteer work at a correctional institution working with Murderers. No pay, the State ran out of money for such a thing, not even gas money. I did however get cookies and milk in the basement of the Prison's church set out by a lady worker who made them at her home.

With the 25 or so, my success rate was around 10% over a 5 year period. A few went on to college, some got good jobs, some married and their wives took care of them.

The rest were recidivists.

A commonality amongst those most needful was their "private religion". Most had skulls or entire skeletons hidden away in their rooms or a closet. I noticed Jared worshiped and communed with a skull sitting atop of a perche surrounded by orange peelings. Quite unusual to say the least.

Another commonality was a "shattering of faith", like Jared, most had been kicked out of school, dumped by the girlfriends or boyfriends, told to leave home and had been fired numerous times and difficulty maintaining relationships.

Quite alot of this going on around from coast to coast and beyond. I see Iran and N Korea acting like potential murders, all it would take is one push in the wrong direction.

I always see the Macrocosm in the Microcosm.

Uncle Sam has been sticking his thumb in everyone's pie around the world, and lately he's been sticking his hands and feet in ours. Freedom is a two edged sword which is probably the point the Russian was making and why many resist our brand of "Freedom" around the world. "Violence is never acceptable" is almost laughable as we prosecute two wars and fund numerous other campaigns. And while we hope to kill those resposible for 911, we will: caudle, feed, care for, educate, provide free court representation, for the Tucson murderer. I guess it is a luxury to be killed by a fellow American.

Let Sitov talk all he wants because once he's on the plane back to his OWN country his mouth might as well be duct taped shut. OUR freedoms permit Russian "brides" to come here and live, Russian gangs to exist on our soil and also wallow in OUR comfy jails, and he can freely shoot his mouth off HERE without fear of reprisal. How dare he talk as if a killing spree by some nut case is a basic freedom. Starting to take a terroristic tone???? Maybe Sitov should experience another of our new freedom programs - HOMELAND SECURITY ! Go home and don't come back - you OUTSIDERS who are permitted in our country are a big part of our problem.

Freedom of a deranged mind in a free society can be dangerous. Happens quite frequently in America but the victims usually aren't as high profile as last Saturday. You usually do and should take certain precautions for future acts of violence. When President Kennedy was assassinated that was the last motorcade in which a president rode in a limo that was a convertable. I do believe that things are going to progressively get more violent in our country (not that they already haven't). Just watch out who's calling who crazy or who wants "Their" thoughts or belief's to be the right ones!!

Certainly we could go the other direction (a "bigger role for government") and establish a dictatorship ......... and allow a "deranged mind" (e.g. a Stalin or a Hitler or a Pol Pot Mao or an Idi Amin) to instead run the country. Then sit back and watch some serious slaughter.

This shooting is just another symtom of a rotting of moral values this country is self afflicted with. This is a country whos entire entertainment system is based on violence out of liberal hollywood. What ever made us think we could expose our youth to this vile form of entertainment and get any other result.We are living in a very sick country and our time is running out.This country will follow its moral values or lack of right down the drain.It will happen if change is not soon.

Come on, I'm surprised Gibbs didn't agree with the Russian. Freedom of speech is a very quintessential American value? Democrats have been calling for a return to the conveniently mis-named "fairness" doctrine for years, and especally this week.

I would also remind the Russian, that the reaction of a deranged mind to react in a violent way is not just American it happens everywhere, especially in Russia. He seems to assert that there are no deranged minds in Russia, he needs only to look at his own government to find deranged minds, and the first one would be Putin. In Russia the government controls the people; here we the people control the government. That is the essential difference between us and Russia. Read Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya life story, and her book "Putin's Russia" to understand the differences between our freedoms, especially freedom of speech, and the freedoms in Russia. On Oct., 7, 2006 she was killed (assassinated) where she lived because she dared to speak out against the government and criticize Putin. Her murder has yet to be solved. The Russian reporter has conveniently forgotten about the murder of his international respected colleague.