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Obama in Tucson

I felt immeasurably sad tonight thinking of the people in Tucson who died or who were shot or who have been left without loved ones. I felt sad for our country.

I felt amazed — really just struck — to hear stories of how two husbands put themselves in front of their wives to take the bullets themselves. That kind of heroism, selflessness, thinking of their wives — not thinking really, just acting — in the quickest most honest way to protect someone they love. That’s astonishing, but when I think about it — it seems like most men would probably do that. That’s just amazing. And the other people, too, the ones who tackled or kicked away ammunition or helped those who’d been hit.

I was moved and strengthened by President Obama’s speech tonight and hope I will take his admonishments to heart. If you didn’t hear his speech you can hear it or read it by clicking here: Obama in Tucson.

I really appreciated his portraits of the people who were killed and these words are what have stayed with me and what I hope will continue to stay with me as an American, as a woman:

“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.”

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Posted on January 12th, 2011Comments RSS Feed
4 Responses to Obama in Tucson
  1. It was his best speech since being in office.Daniel Hernandez,Gifford’s aide and hero, expressing similar sentiments as the President, hit me in the gut with his remarks.

  2. Me too, Robert — thanks for reading and for commenting.

  3. Sad to say I always think that Obama has a hidden agenda despite the postive feedback from the speech.He is just unbelievable to me but again the majority of people thought he hit a homerun with the Tucson speech.I think he hit a double at best and was thrown out out third trying to stretch it into a triple.Sorry

  4. To anybody who is arguing for more invasive handgun bills following the attrocity in Tucson, might I grant this teeny kindle of sanity: If guns kill human beings, then pencils misspell correspondence, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people pudgy ! Remember: Hold the individual answerable for their behavior, not the meansthey chose to implement.

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