I’ve never met Gabrielle Giffords.
Actually, other than her name and the fact that she is a Congresswoman from my state I didn’t know much about her at all until a little over a week ago, when she was attacked in what the media has termed the, “Tragedy in Tucson” (because, you know, the media loves to slap catchy little titles on horrific events as if they were hot new television shows or movies.)
No need to rehash the ‘what’ here. Unless you live under a rock you already know. Nor the ‘why’ - mostly because, despite thousands of pointed fingers, I don’t think anybody really knows. Jon Stewart might have summed that up best. (forward to about 2 minutes in)
Like most, I was shocked, depressed, outraged and angry. The latter two not only because of the needless violence but because as a society we should be above this - advanced enough to not have this kind of thing happen again and again and again. Obviously we are not and I’m not sure we ever will be.
The list of victims is enough to make the harshest of cynics weep - men, women, young & old, a child - however it’s the attempt on Mrs. Giffords’ life that has affected me the most. And I’m not really sure why.
There’s the obvious - she was a defenseless woman attacked by a man. She's close to my age so we share a sort of generational connection I suppose. She was also initially reported to have died, then not expected to live. Then her doctor said she was doing, "better than she has a right to,” and finally now it looks like she'll be a verifiable medical miracle. All good reasons to cheer for her.
She’s considered by some to be a rising star in the Arizona Democratic Party. To hover close to the political middle ground, successfully no less, in Arizona these days is no small feat. Nor was it for a Democrat to win reelection in 2010, in a conservative district on the Mexican border no less. As a left-leaning Independent in a state that’s been sliding further and further into the almost-farcical, far-right red, pulling for her strictly for political reasons wouldn't be a stretch.
Then there’s the kind of person she is. The more you read about her the more you admire Gabrielle. Her colleagues on both sides of the political spectrum seem to have nothing but good things to say, and unlike so many elected officials she seems to remember why she is where she is. Earlier that morning she sent the following tweet to her followers: “My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind or tweet me later.” Reaching out to constituents, what a great idea.
Any of these would be reason enough, but I think a large part of it - why I’m pulling for her so strongly, why I watch for updates on her recovery closely, smile and rejoice a little with each and every bit of progress she makes - is simply this: her living through this nightmare will be a victory not only for her but for sane people everywhere. A symbolic middle finger to the killer and others out there like him; proof that you can’t just solve your problems by shooting those you don’t like or feel responsible.
I hope like hell Gabrielle Giffords has a full recovery. I hope the killer is at least sane enough to understand that while he wreaked havoc that morning and took the lives of six innocent people, in the end he still failed. I hope that little fact bothers him until his last breath.
And I hope to meet Mrs. Giffords one day.
Rep. Giffords' web site
Safeway's Victims Fund
