After attack, Dutch seeks local threat assessment
Following the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger has asked the Capitol Police to "conduct a thorough threat assessment" of his Maryland office, and advise him on how to improve security at public events, his staff said Monday.
Giffords was meeting with constituents at a public event on Saturday when a single gunman allegedly launched his attack, shooting 19, including the Arizona Democrat. Six have died.
“I know as a Congressman I am a potential target, but I want to make sure people who come to talk to me at public meeting are safe as well," Ruppersberger said in a statement. "No one should have to think twice about their safety when they go to speak to their Congressman or attend a town hall meeting. That's the real tragedy here. It’s an attack on the democratic process."
The Baltimore County Democrat met with the staff of his Maryland and D.C. offices to discuss ways to beef up security to keep his staff and his constituents safe, according to a spokeswoman.
Spokeswoman Heather Molino said Ruppersberger's staff occasionally receives threatening letters, phone calls, and emails. While Molino said Ruppersberger and his staff have always taken such threats seriously, they are now in the process of creating a better system to track these calls and enhance communication with law enforcement agencies.
Comments
I have a suggestion. Put the focus and funding into helping kids with mental illness. Frustrating and makes me so angry! Mental illness is becoming one of the number one problem, for high school and college students, yet, because it's of the mind it is considered not only shameful, but also not covered by insurance, nor is there a system in place to catch these kids early and involve them in treatment "before" something horrible takes place. Even then, they just get put away until they're not a danger and then released, over and over never having a process in which to be cured.
Start building campus settings for healing and do it fast before we lose this battle.
NAMI is good for families, but we need more than support groups. We want facilities that provide our young, confused kids locations close to home that care to work with us when it gets captured early. Stabilize in a respectful manner; "include" not "exclude" family, teach them not to be scared of what is happening to them, teach them the importance of medication, teach them how to incorporate back into the world. NO emergency rooms, NO strangers, NO lock up as if they are criminals.
Build campus settings that are NICE, CARING, TEACHING... WITH family AND doctors in a comfy environment and not being told you're a freak. Teach, teach. You have a disease and your head happens to be part of your body, so should be considered covered as any other disease is.
This kid is NOT a monster. He IS mentally ill. And last I checked our brains are part of our bodies, not separate.
Posted by: Eileen M. Pugh | January 10, 2011 7:25 PM
Why would someone want to shoot Dutch? I doubt if anyone knows what he stands for.
Sad to say the same can not be said for Congresswoman Giffords.
This tragedy will now move our politicians more toward the middle and we can forget having anyone in office (right or left) with a cogent, specific, personal view.
Posted by: bigeddie | January 10, 2011 8:20 PM
Not only does no one know what Dutch stands for but no one would be able to find him!
Wasn't there a "Dutch-watch" during the town hall meetings while he hid in shame? He's just like Babs; he only comes out around election time.
Hey Dutch, stop wasting taxpayer money on your crap ideas. The guy was a nut! No one would even consider you worth the trouble!
Posted by: Kurt | January 10, 2011 10:56 PM
what a wus!
Posted by: gabes | January 10, 2011 11:18 PM
All the little kings of little kingdoms think only of themselves when someone else gets hurt. Hey Dutch how about thinking about someone else for a change?
Posted by: JijiN | January 11, 2011 5:29 AM
I have a great idea! Why dont we disarm the populace? Make it impossible for a good guy to protect himself from a nut. Why dont we forbid our citizens to legally carry a gun? This should keep everyone safe. What? We are already doing this? Oh, then Dutch should be fine. I am sure he has a boatload of armed guards.
Posted by: Jeff Adamson | January 11, 2011 11:30 AM
The only thing worse than a coward is a coward who lies. Protecting staff and constituents....his recent 2:1 margin of victory indicates voters are so dumb they might actually believe such a line.
Posted by: M. Yass | January 11, 2011 5:45 PM