Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, attend a ceremony at the Pentagon, Feb. 10, 2012. Mabus announced the naming of the U.S. Navy's newest next variant littoral combat ship, USS Gabrielle Giffords, at the ceremony. Giffords was critically wounded in 2011 by a gunman in Tucson, Ariz. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

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While I'm glad that Congresswoman Giffords is doing better than expected, I'm not sure why the Navy would name a ship after her.  She seems like a great lady, but she's not connected to the Navy.  A lunatic gunman shot her. 

Why not name a ship after one of the soldiers that were MURDERED at Fort Hood?

And, as Jonn Lilyea points out, it's not like there isn't any Fallen Navy personnel to name the ship after... 

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It's just wrong to name a ship for a living person, even Arleigh Burke. The honor should be a posthumous legacy, if their lives merited it.

I'm firmly with Blackfive on this one. If you absolutely have to name a ship after someone alive, and I agree with wombat that it is a poor practice, at least choose someone with a personal Navy connection. How about all of those who have died in service of the Navy?

 

Sad, so sad.

Its one of those that makes the navy look like they want media attention or something, or better yet some love from congress. You name it for some unknown sailor that's lost his life or some dead admiral and its page 5 in the norfolk news you name it after ms. Gifford within a few years after the attempt on her life and its publicized all over the place.