Let's make Christina Smile from Heaven
The other day, my brother asked me why I was so bothered by the death rampage that took six American lives on Saturday in Tucson, Ariz. He said that these type of unexplained and unfathomable tragic events happen all the time.
He has a point - Fort Benning, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma City, 9/11.
So to answer my brother, I dug into my soul to find the answer. It occurred to me that while I did not know any of the victims, they could have been my friends, family or neighbors. I thought about a man protecting this wife from the death fire of Jared Loughner's gun. There was the aide to Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, Gabe Zimmerman who was doing his job, reaching out to people. He did not know it but he was in a battle zone. He gave his life for his country.
Then, there was the death of nine-year Christina Taylor Green.
Media reports depict Christina as a young girl with a big smile and a bigger heart. At a time when many walk away from the idea of public service, Christina had an interest in politics and helping people. She wanted to meet the Congresswoman who represented her district. With a neighbor, she went to the event at the Safeway, only to become victim of the violent hate spewed by a young man seemingly lost. And, the neighbor woman, who took her to the Congressional event and now will survive, will be forever tormented by that day and the actions of a madman.
For her, there will be no rational answer to why all this happened. To the parents of the young girl, they too, will feel lost for awhile. Yet, despite the loss of their daughter, they are reaching out to their friends offering comfort and letting them know their daughter's death wasn't their fault.
These families are showing the rest of America how they should act - with civility and an open heart.
I think America needs to come together and stop falling farther and farther into an abyss of hate and blame. The responsibility of this death rampage lies with Loughner.
Out of this loss of human life, we should get a cue of trying deal with mental illness as well as the importance of civility in public discourse. I am not talking about limiting any of our freedoms but showing to the young people of this country and world that our leaders can show that hate-spewed talk in a 24-hour information cycle is the wrong course. It is time to treat people with respect. It is time to recognize the positive things that we can contribute if we are willing to listen to each other.
I think that a foundation or governmental agency should name a public service award or scholarship in the name of Christina Green Taylor. I think it is fitting that we either reward a young person interested in public service with a scholarship or that we create a Congressional Award honoring outstanding public service by a young professional. Either way, it will honor Green's energy and passion. It will let us honor Christina, who had hoped to one day help people, perhaps through a job in public service or government. Most of all, this type of award/scholarship will serve to remind us that public service work is important. It will remind us that a young girl with high ambitions can be a role model for others.
Like Christina Green Taylor, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is the type of person that all of us should strive to be. Every day, I wake up hoping that Rep. Giffords will sit up and smile. I have only watched her in interviews on news shows but Rep. Giffords, a Blue Dog moderate Democrat, is a person with whom I identify.
She is passionate about her work and helping the people of her district. She reaches across the isle to show bipartisan spirit. She represents the ideal that different people can disagree over matters but can do so in a rational, civil approach.
When she was shot, Giffords was concerned about the over-the-top vitriol in politics. She wrote an email to a friend asking him, a Republican, if they could get together to discuss ideas about working to tone down the harsh and hate-filled rhetoric. She was shot before she had a chance to have that discussion.
Since she was felled by a bullet, Giffords has fought for her life while so many others in this country have increased the hate-filled rhetoric. It is a slap in her face and of the other victims that those on the left and right have to continue spit more venom and hate.
After hearing Rush Limbaugh suggest Democrats wanted something like this massacre to happen to take advantage of it politically, I wanted to say some nasty things. But it has to stop. While I am just one writer, I feel like I need to honor Gabby Giffords and her dream of respecting others.
It is time to end this hate. It is time to respect each other. Honestly, we can discuss issues with a differences in opinion. And yes, we can still find solutions to our problems, despite our take on a matter.
My final hope is that we can honor Christina and Gabby by taking a more civil tone in political discourse both in the political arena, on the internet, with the media and in our everyday lives. Then someday as our country heals, we can see Rep. Giffords walk out of the hospital and later she and perhaps Gabby's neighbor can go to the White House to present the first ever Christina Green Award for public service.
When that happens, I think we will see, in some spiritual way, a smile emitting from the heavens from an approving Christina Taylor Green.
And my brother, I hope you will be watching.
He has a point - Fort Benning, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma City, 9/11.
So to answer my brother, I dug into my soul to find the answer. It occurred to me that while I did not know any of the victims, they could have been my friends, family or neighbors. I thought about a man protecting this wife from the death fire of Jared Loughner's gun. There was the aide to Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, Gabe Zimmerman who was doing his job, reaching out to people. He did not know it but he was in a battle zone. He gave his life for his country.
Then, there was the death of nine-year Christina Taylor Green.
Media reports depict Christina as a young girl with a big smile and a bigger heart. At a time when many walk away from the idea of public service, Christina had an interest in politics and helping people. She wanted to meet the Congresswoman who represented her district. With a neighbor, she went to the event at the Safeway, only to become victim of the violent hate spewed by a young man seemingly lost. And, the neighbor woman, who took her to the Congressional event and now will survive, will be forever tormented by that day and the actions of a madman.
For her, there will be no rational answer to why all this happened. To the parents of the young girl, they too, will feel lost for awhile. Yet, despite the loss of their daughter, they are reaching out to their friends offering comfort and letting them know their daughter's death wasn't their fault.
These families are showing the rest of America how they should act - with civility and an open heart.
I think America needs to come together and stop falling farther and farther into an abyss of hate and blame. The responsibility of this death rampage lies with Loughner.
Out of this loss of human life, we should get a cue of trying deal with mental illness as well as the importance of civility in public discourse. I am not talking about limiting any of our freedoms but showing to the young people of this country and world that our leaders can show that hate-spewed talk in a 24-hour information cycle is the wrong course. It is time to treat people with respect. It is time to recognize the positive things that we can contribute if we are willing to listen to each other.
I think that a foundation or governmental agency should name a public service award or scholarship in the name of Christina Green Taylor. I think it is fitting that we either reward a young person interested in public service with a scholarship or that we create a Congressional Award honoring outstanding public service by a young professional. Either way, it will honor Green's energy and passion. It will let us honor Christina, who had hoped to one day help people, perhaps through a job in public service or government. Most of all, this type of award/scholarship will serve to remind us that public service work is important. It will remind us that a young girl with high ambitions can be a role model for others.
Like Christina Green Taylor, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is the type of person that all of us should strive to be. Every day, I wake up hoping that Rep. Giffords will sit up and smile. I have only watched her in interviews on news shows but Rep. Giffords, a Blue Dog moderate Democrat, is a person with whom I identify.
She is passionate about her work and helping the people of her district. She reaches across the isle to show bipartisan spirit. She represents the ideal that different people can disagree over matters but can do so in a rational, civil approach.
When she was shot, Giffords was concerned about the over-the-top vitriol in politics. She wrote an email to a friend asking him, a Republican, if they could get together to discuss ideas about working to tone down the harsh and hate-filled rhetoric. She was shot before she had a chance to have that discussion.
Since she was felled by a bullet, Giffords has fought for her life while so many others in this country have increased the hate-filled rhetoric. It is a slap in her face and of the other victims that those on the left and right have to continue spit more venom and hate.
After hearing Rush Limbaugh suggest Democrats wanted something like this massacre to happen to take advantage of it politically, I wanted to say some nasty things. But it has to stop. While I am just one writer, I feel like I need to honor Gabby Giffords and her dream of respecting others.
It is time to end this hate. It is time to respect each other. Honestly, we can discuss issues with a differences in opinion. And yes, we can still find solutions to our problems, despite our take on a matter.
My final hope is that we can honor Christina and Gabby by taking a more civil tone in political discourse both in the political arena, on the internet, with the media and in our everyday lives. Then someday as our country heals, we can see Rep. Giffords walk out of the hospital and later she and perhaps Gabby's neighbor can go to the White House to present the first ever Christina Green Award for public service.
When that happens, I think we will see, in some spiritual way, a smile emitting from the heavens from an approving Christina Taylor Green.
And my brother, I hope you will be watching.
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