I've been very affected by the senseless shooting of Gabby Giffords and others yesterday in Tucson, my home town. My brother has known Gabby since she was in high school and was friends with one of his students. She has been a guest in my brother and sister-in-law's home and they've hosted fundraisers for her. The grocery store where the shootings took place is near where my parents lived and close to where my brother lives, and I often shop there when I visit Tucson. One of my college friends is Giffords' rabbi. So this event feels very close to home. There was a short period yesterday when I could not get in contact with my brother or his wife, and wondered if they had attended the event. I realize I should be this shaken by any shooting of any person anywhere, so I am ruminating on how often I separate myself from acts of violence to which I don't have a personal connection. If this had been a male Republican politician from Mississippi, would I be outraged? Demanding change?
I am praying that this will be an event that causes national rumination and policy-changing. Did we need this attack on democracy from within our own society to wake us up? Will the image of Christina Taylor Greene, a nine-year-old girl who was born on 9/11 and died in another senseless attack become a beacon for change?
I feel angry, sad, vulnerable, and chastened. I am ready to dare to be hopeful.
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