It was a tragic Saturday morning here in my adopted city. A deranged gunman, shot our Congresswoman, then proceeded to shoot 19 other people. Six of them died…a federal judge, a nine-year-old girl, an aide to the Congresswoman, and three senior citizens.
No one knows the motive yet and maybe if we did, we wouldn’t understand it as it possibly comes from a mentally unbalanced mind. And according to witnesses, the killer was not done yet…he was changing magazines when he was knocked down and captured by a few people at the scene. The new magazine had 31 more bullets in it.
It was hard to watch the NFL playoffs that day as I kept switching channels looking for more information. I was shocked like most people and was looking for updates and answers as to why it happened. As more and more about the accused comes out, the answers may wind up being well beyond our logic.
The shooting took place just a few miles from where I live. I often shop in that area, so the killing ground is very familiar to me. I didn’t know about the “meet and greet” event scheduled there and would not have gone even if I did. Congresswoman Giffords represents the 8th District, and through a quirk of gerrymandering, I am just outside that district. But no matter. This was something that happened in my town and it makes me sad for my town, my state, and my country.
I find myself especially saddened at the death of the 9 year old girl, Christina Green. She went to learn more how government works as she was just elected to her grade school student council. So ironic and sad. Such a promising life, snuffed out by a deranged gunman.
On Sunday, I took my daily walk over by the University Medical Center, on the campus of the University of Arizona, where Congresswoman Giffords is recovering. I took these pictures at the scene with my small pocket camera. The photos are not my usual pictures of beautiful places, but have an emotional impact never-the-less.
Our local sheriff started the inevitable rhetoric about political hate and violence and how Arizona has become “the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.” I found his comment despicable and not helpful at all. Of course, the news media has carried that ball and made it worse. This was not a hate crime nor a politically motivated one. It was the product of a sick mind and should be isolated from any such conversation about politics.
It is true that our political debates have become quite polarized and filled with unbelievable rage on the left and right. The fact that Gabrielle Giffords was on Sarah Palin’s “Hit List” with a bull’s eye target next to her name has outraged Democrats. Trust me…the Dems have done things just as bad. You see, this is an era when using rage is how one gets elected. Both sides use this tactic, thereby promoting reactionary anger in electorate. And rage is what drives up TV ratings, so it is widely used in the dissemination of news and reaction.
Did all this anger and rage affect the accused killer? Perhaps some of it wound up in his sick mind being twisted all out of logical proportion…it would not be the first time. Nothing good ever comes out of hate and anger. Will this kind of tragedy happen again. No doubt it will. To paraphrase a quote from the Bible…”As you sow, so shall you reap.”
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