Guns and Politics in Arizona

Arizonans are divided about the direction of their state. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the late federal Judge John Roll were both gun owners who opposed gun control. Giffords, who seems to have been the shooter's main target, warned during last year's campaign that "the rhetoric is incredibly heated," but she felt safe enough last Saturday to hold one of her "Congress on Your Corner" events in a Safeway parking lot. Are they now victims of Arizona laws allowing concealed weapons to be carried without permits, even in bars? Will Saturday's shooting lead to legislative change or will it be seen as evidence of why citizens need to be armed in case they need to defend themselves? Do permissive gun laws and Arizona's now infamous atmosphere of anger, especially about immigration, make for a dangerous combination?