Thoughts on the memorial service in Tucson

My thoughts are still disjointed, so the writing of them probably will be too.  Thanks for your patience.  :)

- I wasn't able to journey to Tucson for the event :( , but was able to make it to the headquarters of the Arizona Democratic Party in Phoenix.  There, dozens of people from all over the Valley gathered together to view the service.

- The service was marked less by politics (there weren't any, and no one where I was complained about that fact, either) and more by *humanity*.  The opening blessing by Dr. Carlos Gonzalez was a personalized Native American one - after asking the Creator for blessings for all, he asked for a "little blessing" for his son in Afghanistan.

The blessing...













- Daniel Hernandez, the UA student and Giffords intern whose quick thinking and actions are credited with saving Congresswoman Giffords' life, received a standing ovation that reached all the way to Phoenix.

I don't want to use this pic (Jon Kyl is in the middle of it), but it's the best one...














He tried to humbly claim that he isn't a real hero, that people like Congresswoman Giffords, Dr. Rhee (Giffords' doctor), the first responders, and anyone else who has dedicated their lives to public service is a real hero.

The crowd in Tucson and in Phoenix, and later the Commander-in-Chief, disagreed.

I think it's safe to defer to the Commander-in-Chief's judgement on this one. :)

- Governor Jan Brewer spoke.  She needs to stop reading other people's words.  At Saturday's press conference held in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, her words were heartfelt and sincere.  Today, her words sounded stilted and calculated.  She sounded like she was reaching for emotional profundity.  She didn't succeed.

She could also learn a lesson from two of the other speakers, Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder.  While neither can be called a "gifted" public speaker, both are "skilled" public speakers.  They hit their marks and got off the stage.

- Based on the reaction of the crowd, Janet Napolitano is more popular today than even when she left Arizona for D.C. and the job of Secretary of Homeland Security.  The cheers for her were much longer for her than for Brewer, and if that didn't send the message, the shout of "We miss you Janet!" from the crowd did.

Napolitano speaking














- As for President Obama's remarks, there were too many high points to list them all here, but for me, the passage invoking the youngest victim, Christina Taylor Green, and her asprirations, so tragically cut off, was the most moving of all of his remarks -

I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.

The video of the President's speech, courtesy PBS Newshour -





In other news, at least tangentially-related to the events -

- Sarah Palin signalled the end to her presidential ambitions with a video response to recent calls to tone down her rhetoric, laden with militant and violent imagery.  She essentially said that her violent words don't contribute to violence, but others' criticism of her violent words does (huh?).  She also used a hateful anti-semitic slur, "blood libel," to portray herself as much a victim as the Jewish Congresswoman laying critically injured in a hospital.

On a day that was all about community, shared grief, and collective hope (Gabby opened her eyes!  YES!!), Palin tried to make it all about herself.

- LD20 GOP chairman Anthony Miller resigned from his position due to threats to himself and his family from tea party types.

- Conservative folks have, of course, criticized the way the event was conducted, possibly because they don't dare criticize the event itself.

Later...

The text of President Obama's speech at tonight's memorial service in Tucson

From The American Spectator (as prepared for delivery; there were some differences between what is here and what was actually said - Gabby opened her eyes!!  :))) ) (link courtesy Sonoran Alliance.  The comments at both The American Spectator and Sonoran Alliance, unfortunately, show that President Obama words didn't reach everybody.  :(  ) -

To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.


There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: the hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy pull through.

As Scripture tells us:

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff, and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech. They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders – representatives of the people answering to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” – just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.

That is the quintessentially American scene that was shattered by a gunman’s bullets. And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday – they too represented what is best in America.

Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. A graduate of this university and its law school, Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain twenty years ago, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and rose to become Arizona’s chief federal judge. His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his Representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons, and his five grandchildren.

George and Dorothy Morris – “Dot” to her friends – were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together, traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their Congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. Both were shot. Dot passed away.

A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she’d often work under her favorite tree, or sometimes sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better.

Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together – about seventy years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families, but after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy’s daughters put it, “be boyfriend and girlfriend again.” When they weren’t out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with their dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers.

Everything Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion – but his true passion was people. As Gabby’s outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits they had earned, that veterans got the medals and care they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved – talking with people and seeing how he could help. Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year.

And then there is nine year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student, a dancer, a gymnast, and a swimmer. She often proclaimed that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age, and would remind her mother, “We are so blessed. We have the best life.” And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate.

Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken – and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.

Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. And I can tell you this – she knows we’re here and she knows we love her and she knows that we will be rooting for her throughout what will be a difficult journey.

And our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others. We are grateful for Daniel Hernandez, a volunteer in Gabby’s office who ran through the chaos to minister to his boss, tending to her wounds to keep her alive. We are grateful for the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. We are grateful for a petite 61 year-old, Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer’s ammunition, undoubtedly saving some lives. And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and emergency medics who worked wonders to heal those who’d been hurt.

These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, all around us, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, just waiting to be summoned – as it was on Saturday morning.

Their actions, their selflessness, also pose a challenge to each of us. It raises the question of what, beyond the prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. How can we honor the fallen? How can we be true to their memory?

You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations – to try to impose some order on the chaos, and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health systems. Much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.

But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.

Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “when I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.

For the truth is that none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped those shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind.

So yes, we must examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.

But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.

After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose someone in our family – especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken from our routines, and forced to look inward. We reflect on the past. Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in awhile but every single day?

So sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.

That process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions – that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. For those who were harmed, those who were killed – they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. We may not have known them personally, but we surely see ourselves in them. In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners. Phyllis – she’s our mom or grandma; Gabe our brother or son. In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America’s fidelity to the law. In Gabby, we see a reflection of our public spiritedness, that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union.

And in Christina…in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic and full of magic.

So deserving of our love.

And so deserving of our good example. If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.

The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better in our private lives – to be better friends and neighbors, co-workers and parents. And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud. It should be because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country, and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American dream to future generations.

I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.

That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.

I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.

Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all of the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.”

If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. And here on Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.

May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America.

More on tonight's service later...

Well, that didn't take long: Republican legislators propose a bill that would effectively impair the investigation into the Tucson massacre

On Saturday, January 8, six people were murdered and 14 more, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, were injured in a mass shooting at a Tucson Safeway.

On Monday, January 10, obscured by all of the nationwide uproar, with freshman Republican Representative Chester Crandell as the primary sponsor and fellow R frosh Brenda Barton, Kate Brophy McGee, Jeff Dial, John Fillmore and Peggy Judd as cosponsors, HB2077 was "prefiled" for the legislative session starting later that day.

The text of this gem of a proposal -

11-453. Federal registration with county sheriff

A. ANY FEDERAL AGENCY THAT COMES INTO A COUNTY TO CONDUCT AUTHORIZED BUSINESS SHALL REGISTER ITS PRESENCE WITH THE COUNTY SHERIFF. THE SHERIFF MAY IMPOSE A REASONABLE FEE ON THE FEDERAL AGENCY FOR COMPLETING THE REGISTRATION APPLICATION.

B. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, A FEDERAL AGENCY THAT REGISTERS WITH THE COUNTY SHERIFF PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION A SHALL FORWARD ALL MONIES COLLECTED AS A RESULT OF FINES, FEES OR PENALTIES IMPOSED BY THE AGENCY ON A PERSON, BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY WITHIN THE COUNTY TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF. THE SHERIFF SHALL IMMEDIATELY FORWARD THE MONIES TO THE STATE TREASURER FOR DEPOSIT IN THE STATE GENERAL FUND.

So, if this law went into effect (and with 2/3 majorities in each chamber and Jan Brewer residing on the 9th floor of the Executive Tower, passage is a distinct likelihood), the FBI, DOJ, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Marshal's Service, and every other federal agency involved in the investigation of the attack on a federal elected official that also left a federal judge dead, would have to pay for the privilege if the county sheriff demanded a tribute "fee" payment.

While I am confident that Sheriff Dupnik of Pima County would *not* impose a fee, the second clause, confiscating any "fines, fees, or penalties" into the state's general fund isn't optional.

And if that agency was investigating a crime in the Fiefdom of Maricopa?

The federal budget would double.

Text of Senate Democratic Leader David Schapira's remarks at the opening of the 50th Arizona Legislature

Courtesy the website of the Arizona State Senate Democratic Caucus -

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is a friend and colleague to many of us in this room. She sat there, where Michelle Reagan sits today when she served in the Arizona Senate. She held the seat that Paula Aboud now holds. As I said, many of us count Gabby as a friend, but my heart especially goes out to those who have been with her in Tucson in recent days, Paula Aboud and Linda Lopez. Know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers as you were there to console the close friends and family of the Congresswoman and the others injured on Saturday.


In addition to a friendship, Congresswoman Giffords and I share a religious tradition. Part of the tradition is the principle of “Tikkun Olam” or “repairing the world.” As Jews, we are commanded by God to exercise our compassion, our strength and our skills to make the world a better place. This has been my mission as an elected leader, and I know it’s Gabby’s as well.

I want to send thoughts and prayers on behalf of myself, my family and all of us here today to the families of Judge John Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, Dorwin Stoddard, Christina Greene, Dorthy Murray and Phyllis Scheck and to those who are still fighting for their lives in Tucson. Although, we will spend lots of time talking about our friend Gabby today, it is important to recognize that she was not the only victim of this senseless act.

I know that over the last two days and in the coming weeks and months, all of us try to make sense of this tragedy, but it makes no sense. This was an act of a deranged young man. Those of us in this room know how to have political discourse without resorting to violence, but there are those out there who don’t. That’s why it’s incumbent on us as elected leaders in the public eye to maintain civility, to avoid hate-filled labels and to treat each other with respect both away from and in front of TV cameras. If this horrendous act is to teach us anything, it should be that we are all human and all of us are granted certain inalienable rights by our creator.We must treat all people regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, party or immigration status as such.

This morning, I contemplated where I would like to be for the moment of silence asked for by President Obama. I thought about coming here or going to the Democratic Party, but I finally decided that the most important place for me to be was at home with my infant daughter. I held her and hugged her, and thought of the nine year-old girl who tragically lost her life Saturday.

We need to be better, all of us, so this doesn’t happen again.

I ask that as we each deal with this tragedy in our own ways, we all remember the principle of “Tikkun Olam.” The world needs healing, our nation needs healing, our state needs healing. As our friends begin their process of physical healing at hospitals in Tucson, let’s honor them and honor those who lost their lives on Saturday by starting Arizona’s healing today.

Like the remarks of Speaker Kirk Adams, given across the quad in the AZ House, Schapira's words were heartfelt and moving.

Let us all hope that they reach the ears of the people who need to hear them.

Text of Speaker Kirk Adams' remarks at the opening of the 50th Arizona Legislature

Never let it be said that I don't give credit where credit is due. 

In terms of emotional oomph, the only thing that topped Kirk Adams' opening speech was Rep. Steve Farley's recounting of Saturday's events (especially moving was his telling of how his daughter spent an hour in the ER holding the hand of Gabrielle Giffords' mom).  I don't have Farley's comments (I hope one of the MSM outlets present today posts a recording of them), but I do have a copy of Adams' speech.

From an email, the text of the speech -

As I assume this office of Speaker, a little more than 48 hours separate us from that horrific act of violence in Tucson. The very hand of evil has touched our state, taking innocent life, and causing injury to both body and soul.


This was an act meant not only to kill, but also to incite terror in the hearts of Arizonans and all Americans. I am certain that parents all across Arizona found themselves trying to answer unanswerable questions from children seeking comprehension of the incomprehensible. I am also certain, that many parents found themselves in the same situation as I found myself Saturday night, soothing my own child’s fears and offering assurances of safety.

Like you, my heart aches for those whose lives have been directly and forever changed. Rep. Gabby Giffords served in this very body, then in the Senate across the mall, and finally the United States Congress. She stood on this floor and took the same oath of office that we just took; offering up herself, like you, to service for Arizona and our Nation, following in the great American tradition of citizen legislators.

Many of us in this body know Gabby personally. It may be as an acquaintance, a colleague, a friend, or a mentor. Gabby and I both share the honor of being Rodel Fellows. I last spoke with Gabby at a small dinner of Arizona Rodel Fellows at a private home here in Phoenix last April. There are many attributes of Gabby Giffords, but that night I was struck by her grace and kindness. May God grant us the miracle of her recovery.

Equal in tragedy is the injury to 13 others. We join our pleas to the pleas of their friends and family. May God guide their caretakers, comfort their families, and restore their health.

We are horrified at the loss of six innocent lives: Judge John Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, Dorothy Murray, Dorwin Stoddard, Phyllis Scheck, and Christina Taylor Green, age 9. Having experienced myself the unrelenting sorrow of the loss of a child, my heart joins with the Green family in the grief they now feel.

In great contrast to how we feel now, today was a day designated for celebration. The opening of the 50th Legislature, the Centennial Legislature. Plans were carefully made, special programs printed, and speeches written. We even returned to the House some of the portraits and artifacts of our own history, to give us a sense of place and to inspire us as we plan for Arizona’s second century.

Instead of remembering our history, we now find ourselves living history. And like all history, there are good times and bad, lightness and darkness. This is a dark day indeed.

So close to the horrible day, our emotions feel like a scorching fire. Anger, grief, fear. Our thoughts swirl with the question…why? We may never really know the inner workings of a mad mind and a numb soul. But in the end the why question does not matter nearly as much as the “what now” question. What now can we do to treasure life and each other a little more? What does this bitter experience teach us?

For me, it is a cold reminder that life is precious and faint. That no one can be assured what the future will hold. That second chances to seek forgiveness and repair relationships sometimes never come. That the defining difference between civil society and anarchy is the ability to respect and value those with whom we disagree.

It is my prayer that this lesson re-learned will be evident in the communications of this body and in our society.

Finally, to the assembled media and the ubiquitous pundits listening, I would like to add this: Arizona is a beautiful state, with great people. Our state was built from dusty deserts and rough terrain. We are a hearty people, a determined people. We will grieve for our dead, pray for our injured, and hope in our future. And through this tragedy we will become stronger and build a better Arizona for our second century.

Per House Rules I request that these remarks, written by my own hand, be included in the Journal of January 10, 2011.

I may never say anything positive about Adams again, and almost certainly will never agree with him politically, but on Monday, January 10, 2011, let the record show that I said this -

Kirk Adams changed job titles today, shedding the mantle of "politician," ascending to "statesman."

What does Jon Kyl know of "inappropriate"?

From Talking Points Memo, quoting Kyl from an appearance on this morning's Face The Nation on CBS -

Kyl: Arizona Sheriff's Remarks Inappropriate

In a Sunday morning appearance on Face the Nation, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) took issue with Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who criticized Arizona hours after the Giffords shooting.


"I didn't really think that that had any part in a law enforcement briefing," Kyl said.

Reminder: Kyl is the Republican Senator that argued that having the U.S. Senate work during the week between Christmas and New Year's would be "disrespecting" Christmas and Christians.

Nice lack of credibility there, Senator Kyl.

It's too bad that one of the few times in recent memory that Kyl has noticed events in Arizona (you know, the state that he is elected to represent), it took a massacre to gain his attention.

Or that his "attention" consisted of criticizing one of the people who has been dealing with the fallout from his (and the legislature's) less-than-benign neglect of the state.