PEOPLE OF ARIZONA - IT'S TIME TO COME TO OUR SENSES

PEOPLE OF ARIZONA - IT'S TIME TO COME TO OUR SENSES - THE IMAGE ILLUSTRATING THIS ARTICLE IS ONE OF MANY I HAVE TAKEN OF U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE (GABBY) GIFFORDS. AS VIRTUALLY EVERYONE IN THE U. S. AND A GREAT MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE AWARE, GABBY AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE ATTENDING A 'MEET & GREET' OUTSIDE A SAFEWAY SUPER MARKET IN TUCSON ARIZONA YESTERDAY WERE SAVAGELY GUNNED DOWN BY A DERANGED KILLER. WHY WOULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN IN ARIZONA? WE NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE IGNORANT AND HATEFUL PEOPLE THAT POPULATE OUR STATE. AND NO, I DO NOT MEAN TO IMPLY THAT ALL, OR EVEN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN ARIZONA FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. BUT WAY TOO MANY DO. I ATTENDED A MEETING THAT GABBY HELD IN SIERRA VISTA PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION. I WAS APPALLED BY THE HATEFUL AND IGNORANT PEOPLE WHO FILLED THE AUDITORIUM. THERE ARE CERTAINLY TWO SIDES TO AN ISSUE. AND THESE PEOPLE HAD A RIGHT TO THEIR OPINIONS. HOWEVER, THE IDEA THAT THE WAY TO CONDUCT YOURSELF AT SUCH A MEETING WAS SIMPLY TO TRY TO YELL, BOO, HISS AND MAKE OBSCENE NOISES IN SUCH A LOUD MANNER AS TO DROWN OUT ANY INTELLIGENT VERBAL INTERCOURSE ONLY SHOWS THAT YOU ARE AN IGNORANT BUFFOON. IT DOESN'T WIN AN ARGUMENT. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THESE PEOPLE DID NOT COME TO EXPRESS AN HONEST OPINION. THEY SIMPLY CAME TO SPEW HATE AND VITRIOL. AND THE SADDEST THING OF ALL IS THAT SOME OF THE WORST OF THE LOONIE TUNES AND SPEWERS OF HATE AND IGNORANCE ARE SITTING IN THE ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE. AGAIN, MANY OF THESE LAWMAKERS, LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE AND IN BETWEEN ARE FINE PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION. BUT FAR TOO MANY ARE SIMPLY EVIL OR MISGUIDED PURVEYORS OF HATRED , PREJUDICE AND IGNORANCE. IT IS PAST TIME THAT WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND OF OURSELVES AND OUR LEADERS THAT WE COMPORT OURSELVES AS GOOD UPSTANDING CITIZENS. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH EACH OTHER, BUT CAN'T WE AT LEAST STOP CALLING EACH OTHER VILE NAMES? AND PLEASE, CAN'T OUR LEGISLATORS LEGISLATE LAWS THAT ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF ARIZONA AND CEASE TRYING TO PASS UNCONSTITUTIONAL NIT WIT 'LAWS' LIKE THE ONE THAT WOULD OUTLAW THE USE OF THE WORD SOLSTICE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPEAR IN THE HOLY BIBLE OR BOOK OF MORMON? THESE PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM IN LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, ARE NOT RATIONAL LAWMAKERS. THEY'RE MENTALLY DERANGED INCOMPETENTS. DOES THAT SEEM A BIT HARSH? WELL, BEAR IN MIND THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO INSIST THAT INCONTROVERTIBLE SCIENTIFIC FACT (THE EXISTENCE OF WINTER & SUMMER SOLSTICES) IS A PAGAN MYTH AND HOMOSEXUAL PLOT. LET'S GET REAL FOLKS. LET'S LABEL THESE PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY ARE, MINDLESS BIGOTS. THEN, NEXT ELECTION, LET'S VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE. THAT WAY YOU AND I CAN STOP WORRYING THAT OUR STATE IS GOING TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET AND GET BACK TO TAKING PICTURES. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS PHOTOGRAPHY