SwiftVets.com

[TEWSPilot]

Navy names ship after Gabrielle Giffords
By Kristina Wong, Washington Times, Friday, February 10, 2012

The Navy Friday announced it would name a combat ship after former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who resigned from Congress last month to recover from a grievous gunshot wound she suffered in January 2011.

“The name this ship bears … will inspire all those who come in contact with her,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said during a brief 2 p.m. ceremony in the Pentagon’s central courtyard. The ship that will bear Mrs. Giffords‘ name is the fifth Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship — a very fast surface vessel intended for close-to-shore operations. It is 419 feet long and can reach speeds in excess of 40 knots.

...

“Wow! Awesome!” exclaimed Mrs. Giffords, 41, who attended the event.

However, critics of the ship’s new name have left a barrage of disapproving comments on Mr. Mabus‘ Facebook page.

“Although I admire Giffords‘ courage, I don’t feel that the naming of LCS 10 after her is appropriate by any means. How about a ship named after Marcus Lutrell? Is he not a sailor who possess more unwavering courage than Giffords? How about the countless other service members who embody the Navy Core Values? What about them and their honor of service and sacrifice to America?” read one.

“Booooooo, I can name lots of deceased soldiers killed in the line of duty … was Giffords even a veteran?” read another.

“It isn’t just that they threw out the naming conventions for LCS-10 — but they did it for a person who is still alive and the only real connection she had to the Navy was that her husband was an astronaut and she was shot in the head by an insane person. Nothing against Rep. Giffords, she is/was a good Congresswoman,” a retired Navy commander who runs the blog “Cdr. Salamander,” told The Washington Times.

“That being said — if we are going to break naming conventions to name LCS after people — there are legion of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps holders of the Medal of Honor and Navy Cross who gave their lives in combat serving their nation. There are hundreds to thousands of people who have more of a reason to have a warship named after them than Rep. Giffords. Ditto for Rep. Murtha,” he said, referring to the late Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat.

Navy spokeswoman Capt. Pamela Kunze said that the Secretary of the Navy receives input on ship-naming from “many, many sources” — from inside the department and from people simply calling on the phone.

She said typically ships are named after people, locations and battlefields.

(read the whole story at the link above.)
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[LewWaters]

While what Ms Giffords survived was no doubt horrific and her recovery is encouraging, I fail to see how it qualifies for naming a new ship after her.

There have been other ships named for living people in the past, but they were named after Presidents, Navy Secretaries or High Ranking officers who made a major contribution.

I have to wonder if the Navy is pandering or responding to pressure from above.
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Clark County Conservative

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Just one more stupid little thing to add to the bucket full of stupid things that make me fear for the future of our country.

Lord save us! We are clearly incapable of muddling our way through the next decade on our own, much less another millenium.

I don't have anything against Giffords. But sheesh, if we're going to name a ship after someone who is fighting their way back from a gunshot wound, how about choosing a service member wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan?
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[zinfella]

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

I admire anyone's courage for fighting their way back from a head trauma or injury.

But, there are men and women who VOLUNTARILY put themselves into the position where that was a real likelihood - they laid down their lives when we asked them to go and do so.

This woman was enjoying a nice dinner out and got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Lord, do we have to lionize even those who aren't true lions?

It's just what you said - politics run amok.

And don't ever think "Well, here we are - we've gotten just about as nutty as we can get, so things have GOT to get better now." Because right about that time is when you're going to get acquainted with a whole new brand of nutty like nutty only dreamed of, before!
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother