That's never been my experience.

In middle and high school, they were coaches first and ____ second. I had one class with a coach and he was EXTREMELY bored and didn't bother teaching that much. I heard similar stories from classmates who had coaches for other subjects.

It breaks my heart that government & civics courses are (apparently) not being taught. I also feel really naive because I had no idea that these weren't completely standard, basic courses.

Illinois requires/required a constitution test in Jr. High and in High School. Passing was required to graduate each. In high school we took up some of our American History class with it. I believe we had to be able to write the preamble.

That's not how causality works. Disregarding the concept that if the law had been in place so many things about reality would have been changed that this guy could have been dead, living elsewhere, or not had the experiences that exacerbated his mental illness... It's still silly. What ifs don't serve anyone here. In reality if he wanted to do damage he would have found a way. But what if he had been prohibited from carrying a gun? Well then he might have made pipe bombs. It doesn't help anything at all.

We had to take a government class and an econ class to graduate. The district I'm student teaching in requires that as well. Don't know if that's a state thing though. I hated government, don't remember anything about it to be honest but remember hating it. I loved economics. My econ teacher was the best!

I can't believe you said that....wait...from talking to you thru this board...yes I can.

Thanks.

The guy's an ass.

He got shot and he's made lemonade out of lemons. Gotta hand it to him.

You know Mr. Brady personally? I haven't had the pleasure, fill me in.

And I hope Kevin knows him intimately enough to call him an ass.

Article about Pam Gifford, AOII, shot in Tucson This Weekend...
 

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...-shooting.html

Thanks. It sounds like she was incredibly lucky that the bullet hit no vital organ despite going from her clavicle to her pelvis. Amazing!

He's a public figure whose claim to fame is being in the wrong place when someone wanted to kill Reagan. Every time there's an opportunity to introduce gun control, he places himself in the limelight as if 20 something years later, his wheelchair gives him some kind of magical moral authority.

People who make hay out of children being shot are prone to be called an ass by me. Such is life.

I wasn't aware the basics weren't taught either. IIRC we had civics of some sort twice before senior year in separate units, when Government/Economics were required classes. I've always assumed it was a state requirement, but it's never occurred to me to ask any of my friends who attended other state schools if they had the same requirement or not. I loathed Econ, but my Gov teacher was at least enthusiastic and pushed those of us that were 18 by the 2004 election to educate ourselves, then vote. Which I appreciate, since so many people don't actually know who or what they're voting for IMO.

Re: coaches as teachers...I've had few coach-teachers, but out of the three I had only one appeared to care more about coaching than teaching. The other two weren't amazing teachers, but they were perfectly adequate. They aren't all bad.

I am not so sure that James Brady has the thought capacity to make some of the decisions that are made in his name when things such as this happen. I believe his wife and others are advising him and imay be taking advantage of his unfortunate situation. Maybe he is calling all the shots but I don't think so.

This is also interesting.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/...he-news_b48040#

Some Arizona Republican party officials resign after Tucson shooting


By Emi Kolawole

While federal lawmakers debate how best to increase safety for themselves and their staff, some Arizona Republican party officials are choosing to leave office in the face of threats.

A conflict that has been going on between local Arizona Republicans came to an end in the wake of the shooting in Tucson on Saturday when Arizona's Republican District 20 Chairman Anthony Miller and several others chose to resign.

The Arizona Republic reports that Miller, 43, a former campaign worker for Sen.John McCain who was re-elected to a second one-year term last month, has been concerned for his family's safety by constant verbal attacks and blog posts from some local committee members with tea party movement ties.

Miller told the state Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen via e-mail that he was quitting. "Today my wife of 20 yrs ask [sic] me do I think that my PCs (Precinct Committee members) will shoot at our home? So with this being said I am stepping down from LD20GOP Chairman...I will make a full statement on Monday."

Miller, the first and only African-American to hold the party's precinct chairmanship, said he had been called "McCain's boy," and that, during a speech, a member of the audience made the symbol of a gun with his hand and pointed it at him. "I wasn't going to resign but decided to quit after what happened Saturday," Miller said. "I love the Republican Party but I don't want to take a bullet for anyone."

Miller is not alone. The newly-elected Dist. 20 Republican secretary, Sophia Johnson, first vice chairman Roger Dickinson, and former district spokesman Jeff Kolb, also quit.

No Dee, I didn't have any sort of government class in HS.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mo...tings-reaction

I highly recommend watching this. It's about 9 minutes and it is mostly serious, but Jon Stewart does his usual excellent job of expressing the conflicting feelings and thoughts that we have following a tragedy.

AOII Pam Simon makes it to the Memorial Service
 

Pam was in the audience at the Memorial Service!

Watching Nightline, apparently Pam Simon snook out, unbeknown-st to her doctors, to see the memorial at UMC with all of the flowers.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20066075.shtml

(CBS/AP) PHOENIX (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the suspect in the Tucson shooting rampage that wounded U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is mentally incompetent to stand trial, putting the criminal case against him on hold indefinitely.

I'm not the least bit surprised.

Dude purposely tried to assassinate a public official in broad daylight in front of hundreds of witnesses. Nothing about that scenario says "sane" to me.

http://offendedblogger.com/wp-conten...psychopath.jpg

He believes that he killed her from what I heard.

On the positive side, all that means is they medicate him until he is sane and then they try him.

Unless he has a fixed delusion. When I did a fieldwork in a state mental health hospital there were a lot of Incompetent to Stand Trial patients who were NEVER going to stand trial. Although, they were also never going to leave the hospital.

True, but the latter point there is also key. If he's really that effing crazy, he's never going to go free anyway. From what I've heard about the case, I suspect he was, although mentally ill, perfectly aware of the consequences of his actions while planning/carrying out the murders. As such, I suspect he'll eventually, with medication, stand trial. It's possible he had a 'psychotic break' and will never return to 'reality' but that's less likely in general.

From what's being reported here in AZ and specifically, Tucson: two independent diagnoses (psychiatrist and psychologist) of schizophrenia.

Loughner had to be removed from the courtroom during the competency hearing.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crim...cc4c03286.html

Pima Community College released hundreds of emails that documented Loughner's bizarre behavior while enrolled as a student there.

Rep. Giffords continues to undergo intensive inpatient rehab in Houston. She has had the open head wound surgically closed with plastic (the preserved skull was contaminated with gunshot residue) and a shunt placed to relieve the fluid buildup in the ventricles. If you know neuroanatomy, you can read between the lines. She has switched to using her left hand for writing; she continues to receive speech, physical and occupational therapies as well as other rehabilitation services.

First photos of Giffords released since shooting

link

Gabrielle Giffords just arrived on the House floor to vote on the debt bill. Welcome back Gabby.

So glad she was able to recover enough to make it back for a vote!

Extremely moving just to see her on the floor of the House. That was a complete wowza as far as I'm concerned.

So glad she is back to vote, but wish I could hear about how the other victims are recovering. Their lives are worth just as much.

Pam Simon, who was shot and is an AOII, spoke at our convention in Tucson. She is doing well and said that she was very lucky that despite having been shot in very important areas, the bullets missed all important organs. She is back to work at Congresswoman Giffords' office doing the work she is passionate about.

Good News! Thank you for sharing.

The story in our paper this morning, probably AP, talked about just that. It was put in the context of the other victims watching Giffords's return on TV.

Wishing your sister continued good health and success. Great to hear.

Gabrielle Giffords announced today that she will resign from Congress.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/giff...871e3ce6c.html

I expected as much. Unfortunately, the shooting has robbed our state and country of a wonderful congresswoman.

*bump*

Here's an update and a very recent photo:http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt...a6d9-ed30c175c

That link came up broken, AzTheta.

try this one

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt...0c175c100.html