Monday, February 14, 2011
Gabrielle Giffords is now walking, talking, and even singing.
From ABC News:
Giffords, who was gunned down at a Tucson, Ariz., at a community event last month, has been mouthing the words to songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," and even talking on the telephone, according to the New York Times, which first reported the congresswoman's latest development in her road to recovery.
On Sunday, Giffords spoke to astronaut Scott Kelly, her husband's twin brother, aboard the international space station.
She told him "Hi…I'm good," by telephone.
She has also been working on singing "Happy Birthday to You" -- as a surprise to her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, who is celebrating a birthday this month. He will be flying the space shuttle Endeavor on its last mission in April.
Wow! You know I have often been accused of being somewhat difficult to impress, but I have to say that THIS woman impresses the hell out of me!
I have to keep reminding myself that she was shot in the head at point blank range just last month.
With all of the unfortunate stories coming out of Arizona lately, Gabby Giffords is one person that Arizonians should be able to speak of with a great sense of pride. I know I would if I were them.
Go Gabby!
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Tucson's other U.S. Rep Grijalva is one of my favorites.
ReplyDeletehttp://grijalva.house.gov/
This is really fantastic. It is truly a miracle that she is even still alive. I wonder if any of the right wingers consider it a miracle. If S Palin was shot, you know they would.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome!
ReplyDeleteYou know she was thinking about running for Senator next year.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Gabby, on your progress. A lot of people are rooting for you!
What an amazing woman.
ReplyDeletedoing a lil happy dance for her and her family hope good things continue in her recovery! thanks for the info grif
ReplyDeleteAs I read this, this morning I was so proud of the hard work she is doing. She is very impressive she is definitely someone to look up to.
ReplyDeleteWonderful news. Keep up the good work, Gabby.
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteI'd be willing to bet that Sarah Palin(TM) is crapping her pants worrying about what Gabby is going to say about Sp's "targeted districts."
ReplyDeleteWho do YOU think will garner more sympathy?
The lady that actually got shot in the head or the lady that encouraged crazy people to reload and "take aim" at their "targeted districts"?
Yes, they should be proud of her, but the Arizonans who are still pushing for completely unregulated gun sales or who rushed to buy the kind of gun the shooter used after he shot her should be ashamed of themselves. Unfortunately, such people don't have the inclination to do the kind of self-introspection this would require.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, her recovery should stay in the news, but what happened to her is still very fucked up. She will never fully be herself again.
I'm Anon 7:12 am and I just want to clarify why my last post may strike some as being a "downer" in response to good news about Giffords' recovery.
ReplyDeleteIt's because I think her recovery may be leaving out some very important facts - facts that if the media would cover would keep our focus on the monsters who are still advocating for completely unregulated gun sales, and would keep our focus on the increasingly disturbed fetish millions of people in this country have with guns that serve no other purpose except to kill human beings.
Those facts about her recovery are this: she is probably permanently physically disfigured and brain damaged. I mean, there's a reason there aren't any close up pictures of her in the hospital accompanying these happy articles about her recovery. She's struggling to sing a song six weeks after a gruesome injury - I guess it's hopeful she can even do this, but it's still a tragic image to my mind.
There are rightwing monsters out there who will only push for more frightening legislation, who will only continue to urge their followers to become more obsessed with violent weaponry. Events like Giffords getting shot point blank actually motivate these monsters! Putting what Giffords is really going through would actually be a highly effective counterpart to their insane messaging. But we're opting instead to portray her recovery in a sunshiny, happy light. It's not happy. It's beyond fucked up that this dynamic, highly successful woman was struck down in the prime of her life, and is lying in a hospital room struggling to mouth the words to the song "Happy Birthday."
Thank you for reporting this good news. She is an amazing woman, and I hope her strength allows her to return to politics and live up to her full potential.
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin needs to rein in her harsh feminist rhetoric
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/14/sarah-palin-needs-to-rein-in-her-harsh-feminist-rhetoric/#ixzz1DxDKXkKN
Palin Sends Nasty E-mail to Time
ReplyDeleteTime responded with an update:
“(CLARIFICATION: Palin did not, in fact, say this. It was a tongue-in-cheek link to an article that was intended as a joke.)”
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/palin-sends-nasty-e-mail-to-time_b31067
Every time I hear of her progress, I think of Palin. And I think that it must make her cringe every time she's told of a new step Gabby has made towards recovery; she knows the rest of the country cannot help but make a compare/contrast between the optimistic, beyond the odds recovery of this remarkable woman and the petty vindictiveness of whiner Palin.
ReplyDeleteOFF TOPIC but:
ReplyDeleteWonkette just ran with your Shailey Tripp interview.
http://wonkette.com/438054/woman-who-says-todd-palin-sexed-her-also-says-trig-was-faked
It seems the stronger Gabrielle gets, the weaker sarah gets.
ReplyDeleteThere is a God.
OT - Wonkette linked to your Shaily Tripp post.
ReplyDeletehttp://wonkette.com/438054/woman-who-says-todd-palin-sexed-her-also-says-trig-was-faked#more-438054
She's so fortunate to have excellent health care and a very strong constitution. Not a lot of people would have survived this let alone be able to respond to therapy.
ReplyDeleteBWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I love this:
Time responded with an update:
“(CLARIFICATION: Palin did not, in fact, say this. It was a tongue-in-cheek link to an article that was intended as a joke.)”
I knew she got punked by Time. She's a stupid idiot for responding at all. She's made herself even more of a laughing stock than ever.
Truly a miracle.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure by now you know Wonkette has written up the Shailey Tripp/faked pregnancy story, Gryphen, and included a link back to here at Immoral Minority...
ReplyDeletehttp://wonkette.com/438054/woman-who-says-todd-palin-sexed-her-also-says-trig-was-faked
CONGRATS..
ReplyDeleteYour interview with Shailey was picked up on Wonkette
Hope it gets LEGS in MSM
O/T. Todd is racing this year with Eric Quam, 2008 Iron Dog winner. Scott Davis is racing with Cory Davis. (Brother? Son?)
ReplyDeletewww.irondograce.org/
race-tracking/2011-pro-class/teams/
Please read the whole article.
ReplyDeleteNomadic Joe also made some connections between Haiti and Sarah Palin's new chief-of-staff in an article on Politicalgates.
I find it scandalous that some people have no qualms in exploiting one of the poorest countries in the world in such cynical fashion. Sarah Palin appears to be very comfortable in the company of these despicable opportunists. Birds of a feather...
http://palingates.blogspot.com/2011/02/recent-bits-and-pieces-about-sarah.html
I, too, am impressed by her recovery, but in reality I think Anon, 7:12/8:00 has a point.
ReplyDeleteThis tragic shooting has changed Gabby's life forever, and not for the better.
We should celebrate her victories but not lose sight of the horrendous impact this shooting has had, not only for Gabby, but all those affected by the shooter.
We must embrace what happiness we can find, but never forget why even the smallest ray of hope makes us feel jubilant. The right-wing, as led by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Hannity and Palin and all the others, is responsible for the hate rhetoric that stirs up the mentally unstable, the fearful, and the ignorant.
Many of our states are on the verge of enacting statutes or state constitutional amendments to ignore federal law whenever they want. Our federal republic is endangered thanks to the likes of Palin.
More guns are now available with more deadly ammunition than any time in our history. The Wild West was never this wild, never this crazed.
Rational gun laws are needed everywhere. Penalties for violations should be serious and swiftly applied.
I know I am tired of seeing No Gun signs on libraries, hospitals and places of worship.
You'd think Gabby's situation would awaken the country for the need for reasonable gun control laws. But, no, the NRA is pushing for no laws and seems to getting its way with brainless, amoral twits such as Gov. Brewer and Sarah Palin.
Some days I simply despair for our country.
Got a great title for a book Gabby could write: Profile in Courage!
ReplyDeleteOh. Haz been used?
gaahhh. Just occurred to me - is what's-her-name moving to AZ to get in line for a Senate seat run? 2014? (after she milks the 2012 Presidential campaign for as much $$ as she can.)
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to read and hear about this progress.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I noted the report said that she isn't talking as she used to. That's to be expected, but if her progress were truly as stunning as we all hope, don't you think they would have realized the sound bite of her saying "Hi, I'm good?"
If people get their hopes up too much too soon, when she plateaus (as most do) before making more strides, morale will hit rock bottom.
However, good news keeps her and the Tucson shooting in the news. If she were not making progress, I doubt we would still be remembering Tucson as vividly.
Rep. Giffords is an amazing person and one who will obviously keep on keeping on for all of us. I am so thrilled to hear of her incredible progress!!
ReplyDeleteI know we are all THRILLED that GG is alive, is recovering, is recovering so fast (such a good sign for her future, continuing recovery).
ReplyDeleteStill, I am shattered and shocked each time I read about her, because the road to full recovery is so hard. And the endpoint unknown until it reveals itself.
So much suffering, to say nothing about the other victims who were injured or died. All so unnecessary.
Anon 9:33 says: "We must embrace what happiness we can find, but never forget why even the smallest ray of hope makes us feel jubilant. The right-wing, as led by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Hannity and Palin and all the others, is responsible for the hate rhetoric that stirs up the mentally unstable, the fearful, and the ignorant."
ReplyDeleteIt's me, Anon 7:12 and 8 am again...and I just want to add I hold them responsible for glorifying guns and violence just as much as I do their hateful rhetoric. I can't really connect any dots yet to their hateful attacks on Giffords and Loughner's shooting her...but I damn sure can connect the dots with how they and most of the rightwing, including Giffords' recent campaign opponent, glorify guns.
There were pictures, supposedly, of Loughner posing with guns, right? That is an offshoot of an increasingly mainstream acceptance of people collecting objects that kill other people.
Anon @ 7:12 and 8 thinks as I do. While I am heartened by any degree of progress she makes, Gabby will never be the same. Nor will her family. Same is true of military and civilian victims of violence. Maybe if they got the coverage SP gets, some people would wake up.
ReplyDeleteGood news is Wonkette picked up story. Bad news is commenters are insulting Shailey's appearance.
ReplyDeleteGabby is such a sweet woman! I think I'm a little bit in love with her.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Giffords seems to be lifting our nations heart with her every step during recovery. Singing twinkle twinkle little star and practicing Happy B-Day for her husband must a big 'ole goofy grin on my face.
What a sweetheart!
@anonymous 10:11
ReplyDeleteBristol the Abstinent Chin? :)
I'll tell you what, if GAbby recovers and is able to resume serving Az, she is a shoe in for retiring jerk off Senator John Kyl.
ReplyDeleteAnd you can bet your booty she's going to work for change we can believe in.
GO Gabby!
OT, Congrats Gryphen on the wonkette shout-out!
ReplyDeleteNext we need The Atlantic, Gawker, Crooks and Liars, The Daily Mail, Wikileaks...heeheehee, to pick up the Shailey Tripp story.
For some strange reason an image of the Titantic keeps popping into my head. Wonder what that's all about. Hmmm...
"However, I noted the report said that she isn't talking as she used to. That's to be expected, but if her progress were truly as stunning as we all hope, don't you think they would have realized [sic] the sound bite of her saying 'Hi, I'm good?'"
ReplyDelete10:13 AM
____________________________________
The conversation would have been over ISS IP Phone not air-to-ground which is recorded. The conversation would not have been recorded unless there were a recording device in the hospital room.
You know Scarah Paylin has not worked one fraction as hard her whole life as Gabby Gifford has to work every second.
ReplyDeleteIt's such great news! Especially after being shot through the areas of the brain that store language, specifically one's mother tongue.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, 2nd, 3rd etc languages are stored elsewhere. Chances are she'll have lingering aspects of aphasia--inability to name certain nouns, use grammar segments properly. Each brain injury to the language centers is unique and highly specific. Lets hope she can rewire to the point where it's no big deal!
And to think Palin used the term "Blood libel"...knowing Giffords is Jewish.
SP's ignorance boggles the mind.
Hope Gabby continues to get better daily and things work out really well for them.
ReplyDeleteGuns don't kill people. People holding guns kill people.
ReplyDeleteDuh!
How can God allow a true servant leader such as Giffords to endure such suffering, while the arrogant, ignorant, lazy hate-mongering Palin is free to move about the country, spreading ugliness?
Then again, the Bible is full of stories of such individuals: good, loyal servants who are tested. If Sarah is reading her Bible, how can she imagine God is opening a door for her? More like God is giving her enough rope to hang herself.