A 22-year-old man charged with trying to assassinate a U.S. congresswoman in a shooting spree that left six people dead has remained silent and has not been cooperating with the investigation, according to a sheriff. Jared Loughner, described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in paranoia and deep distrust of government, was due to make his first court appearance Monday at 4 p.m. ET. At 11 a.m. ET, President Obama led the nation in a moment of silence to remember the victims. A federal judge, a congressional aide and a young girl were among the six killed Saturday, while Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 13 others were injured in the bursts of gunfire outside a Tucson supermarket/MSN.com. More here.

DFO: There were two impassioned threads over the weekend (here and here) re: this assault on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords that left six dead and a dozen others wounded in Arizona Saturday. I allowed the discussion to continue to provide an outlet for raw feelings as the nation tried to cope with the horror of this attack. Some went over the line. Others tried to use this murderous assault for a political statement. I'm amazed by those who lament the political vitrole in this country and yet add to the fire. With the hope that we've had time to process this mass murder, I'll post this new thread on the attack, with the question:

Question: How can we come back together as a country and turn the hateful political rhetoric down?