The day before U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords officially resigned from Congress to focus on her recovery, five state senators in Missouri reported finding large orange stickers with crosshairs on the nameplates of their doors. Giffords was one of 19 shot one year ago in Arizona. Six people, including a federal judge, died in that tragic shooting. Giffords had been one of the targets placed in a Sarah Palin crosshairs map. Today, the targets were four women Democrats, including the Democratic minority leader, and one Republican.
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“If anyone thinks this was a prank, it is not a prank,†[Senator Jolie] Justus said after discussing the discovery of the stickers on the Senate floor, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported. “You don’t joke about someone’s personal safety.â€
There was no explanation of the significance of the stickers, and as of this morning, no leads had been reported to Senate leaders. Lawmakers yesterday were debating a Republican-sponsored bill to block implementation of the federal health care overhaul. Democrats were leading the opposition.
“It is unsettling, especially since we have no protection, no metal detectors in this building,†[Senator Kiki] Curls said. Her staff found a small sticker, removed it and later found a much larger one in its place, she said.
“We don’t have any explanation,†Justus said on the Senate floor. “Many of us when we came back to our office this afternoon had gun targets on our nameplates. A few of the senators removed them, only to have them replaced by larger stickers later.â€
…
“I don’t think it is funny,†Justus said of yesterday’s incident.
Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, said he thought the stickers were “disgusting. It is unacceptable in this body and this building. I hope whoever did this is caught so we can properly attribute this to him.â€
Image:Â Missouri Senate-provided image of sticker on door of Democratic Senator Maria Chappelle
Hat-tip: Think Progress