Platts concerned for colleagues, says he's been threatened in past
Main story: Ariz. congresswoman injured in shooting
York, PA -
U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-York County, said he's hoping and praying for the full recovery of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was listed in critical condition Saturday night after a gunman attacked her in her Arizona district.
Platts said she served with him on the House Armed Services Committee. He's also met her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly.
On Saturday night, he was still sorting through the breaking news about her alleged assailant, whom news outlets identified as Jared Loughner, and what might have motivated him. Platts was reluctant to read into the attack as symptomatic of the charged political rhetoric that's so common these days.
Though any such incident is too many, Platts said, they're still isolated and rare.
"We live in such a great nation where we all have the constitutional right to express our displeasure with government and government officials, and to express our disagreement on policy," Platts said. "But it's such a sad day and a tragic day when somebody takes policy disagreement and raises it to an act of violence against another person."
Platts said threats have been directed against him personally during his 18 years in public office. He couldn't recall the last time it happened. It's been several years at least, he said.
In each case, he notified police and the situations "were handled appropriately by law enforcement." He wasn't able to say whether anyone had been arrested.
He also couldn't remember the exact number of times it's happened, but said it was in the "single digits." In only two incidents did the people directly threaten violence. In the other cases, they hinted so strongly at the possibility of violence that he thought it advisable to contact police.
"Thankfully, they've been few in number and when they have occurred, they have been individuals who had mental illnesses," Platts said.
Platts said members of Congress must realize their visibility might make them a target for disturbed individuals -- as must anyone who works in a high-profile position. That awareness is simply part of the job.
"My focus now is just on the well-being of those who have been attacked today," Platts said. "It's violence that we'd like to think would never happen in our great nation, but unfortunately it does happen."
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