The Blame Game and Hope

A week ago today as many of us anticipated NFL playoff games, one young distressed man who by all accounts may be suffering from serious mental illness headed for a shopping center in Tucson, Arizona and set in motion another tragedy which will go down in history as senseless murder and mayhem. Regrettably, because it involved a United States Congresswoman, the left wing pundits and even a United States Senator from Vermont found it expedient to blame conservatives, talk radio, former Vice Presidential Candidate, Sarah Palin and a sitting Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann (R-MN).

I for one welcomed the Memorial Service at the University of Arizona because it would serve in many ways to help the injured victims, the families of the deceased, the citizens of Arizona and the nation to begin to put the tragedy behind. We all hoped that the President of the United States at this service would offer the right kind of leadership and words of condolence as we have needed in the past history of our Republic.

I believe in many ways President Obama helped us and my purpose is to recognize that effort and pray that our nation can heal. I offer these words from the President:

"Imagine..imagine for a moment: here was a young
girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy;
just beginning to understand the obligations of her
citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some
day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation's
future. She had been elected to her student council;
she saw public service as something exciting, something
hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman,
someone she was sure was good and important and
might be a role model. She saw all this through the
eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol
that we adults all too often just take for granted."

"I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our
democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it.
All of us...we should do everything we can to make
sure this country lives up to our children's expectations."

I agree with you Mr. President. I want us to live up to her expectations also. This beautiful child deserved better than what her country gave her. I have been angry with this vitriol from the media and even members of Congress but I too wish for it to stop and I will speak no further in the blame game. But I also ask that you step up also. Action does speak louder than words and you must set an example. If you continue your bitter words towards supporters and members of the "other party" then you can also expect your staff, supporters and certain members of the media to follow your example. I would like to see you address this issue in your State of the Union Address because right now, the Union is in a terrible state.

I sincerely pray that we can all learn from this and really work together to accomplish great things on behalf of the country we love. Christina and the other victims cannot have died for nothing.