Lee’s Summit, January 11, 2011 – On Saturday I sat down for a moment to watch TV, turned on the news and was stunned into sitting down and listening to the events that unfolded in Tucson Arizona. Immediately I prayed for those who were in harms way, who were wounded, and those who died; may God be with them and their families at this hour of their need.
I sat there, saddened by what I was hearing. I listened to the story of Representative Giffords tragic encounter with someone bent on making a point, any point, just to rise up above the crowd and be noticed: A person who, for their own motivation, decided to bring harm to others.
I find that person’s actions totally horrific, reprehensible, unwarranted, and outside of acceptable human behavior.
In the same moment, while one person was out for destruction, others ran to help. In the middle of the insanity, people ran to stop this gunman and stop the madness.
Daniel Hernandez (story by The Ticket) a 20 year old Junior at the University of Arizona immediately rushed to Giffords’ side, held her head in his lap and applied pressure to the wound. At one point telling her “Just grab my hand to let me know you’re okay.”
Another man ran out of a store and moved towards the shooting, participating in the tackling and subduing of the man with the gun. A woman, who by all rights should have run the other way, noticed he was trying to get a clip onto his gun, and took the clip away.
I’m sure they handled the individual with some force. I’m certain he was not easy to keep under control. But today, by the action of the members of the community, this man was brought to justice. No lynching took place. No immediate retribution took place. No, unnecessary roughness nor foul play took place: Simply, humans reacting to a situation, helping others regardless of age, sex, race, religion or political affiliation.
These Americans helped to stabilize a situation quickly enough that in the precious moments that followed, Representative Gabby Giffords could be rushed to University Medical Center where, according to doctors, she was in surgery within 38 minutes of the shooting.
There are so many people bad mouthing America and the tone of the discourse in our country; yet I can’t help by read the stories and realize that we have changed since September 11th, but in many ways for the better.
We as a country have taken severe blows to our collective psyche, yet we continue to prove the mettle of America. People rose up to the occasion. People in Tucson refused to be victimized on Saturday. They knew that there were victims of violence in the crowd that needed help, and they rose to the challenged. Ran towards – not away – from the danger, and gave help in every way they could.
And, it made a difference!
God Bless You All for what you risked, for what you did, and for what great losses you suffered on Saturday. My heart truly goes out to each and every one of you who were involved. There is great sadness in my heart for what you’ve gone through. And, there is great pride in seeing how you all showed America and the world, what it means to be Americans.
We don’t run from danger, we gather together and do what must be done, for the right reasons.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Lee’s Summit Conservative
