Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th Congress, as well as your new Speaker, John Boehner. And as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this Chamber, and pray for the health of our colleague --- and our friend –-- Gabby Giffords.
Cartoon: R.J. Matson (St Louis Post-Dispatch)In this important dialogue about the decency of our politics, an important point may be missed. The heated rhetoric, the hate speech, the shock-jocks, and the vitriolic politicians, have already claimed a prominent victim.
The truth.
The Greek dramatist Aeschylus wrote that the first casualty of war is truth, and if politics is war "by other means", in the last decade it has moved from a chivalric duel to a scorched-earth campaign.
I did a series of interviews for BBC radio and television about this weekend's shootings of 20 people, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, in Arizona. Discussion focused on the context for the violence and what this means for US politics and society.
One of the interviews was with Radio 5 Live. The item begins about the 2:05:00 mark.
All those who have come out so far to blame "violent rhetoric" for the slaughter in Tucson have only added to the problem of divided and confrontational politics in the United States. The accusation will fuel resentment within the Tea Party against the liberal left –-- who enjoys being smeared as an accomplice to murder? –--- and only strengthen their resolve to vigorously promote the virtues of overthrowing the establishment in Washington.
More than 36 hours since the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizon, killing six people and wounding 14, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, many facts and claims have surfaced: some of them have been proven wrong, notably the report on Saturday that Giffords had died, and some have held up affirmed. But beyond that, many questions remain unanswered.
Giffords, a Democratic Party house member from Arizona’s 8th congressional district, was holding an open meeting with her constituents just after 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Safeway supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobe, near Tucson. The Congresswoman held such meetings, called "Congress on Your Corner", regularly. As the meeting started with the Congresswoman, her aides, and several dozen of her constituents, a 22 year-old white male named Jared Lee Loughner arrived at the scene.
Photo: Matt York (Associated Press)US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona is in critical condition after surgery for a single "through-and-through" gunshot wound to the head.
Giffords, a Democrat, was the first victim in a mass shooting as she held a "Congress on Your Corner" event outside a Safeway supermarket in Tucson. The gunman, alleged to be 22-year-old Jared Loughner, then fired into the crowd, killing six people, including Federal Judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl. Thirteen other people, including Giffords, were wounded.
The shooting took place about 10 a.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Saturday. The gunman used a semi-automatic Glock pistol, firing about 20 shots, before he was overpowered as he tried to reload.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 6:24