HARRISBURG, Jan. 12 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, said today that members of the caucus are deeply saddened by the Jan. 8 assassination attempt against U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, in Tucson, which left six dead, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge.
Giffords and 13 other people were wounded in the shooting.
"This was a senseless loss of innocent life that the country witnessed in Arizona this past weekend," Waters said. "We are deeply saddened by these events, and supportive of the victims and their families, who were both emotionally and physically harmed forever."
The shooting claimed the life of the Honorable John Roll, a seasoned and respected federal judge who was a Pennsylvania native and was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush. Also among the dead was nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was the granddaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green. She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, as the United States experienced one of the most tragic losses of innocent life in the country's history.
"This young life was snatched away from us, and we do not know what she would have become," Waters said. "When something like this happens, the families are directly affected, but in a way, all of us are also touched by such a tragedy."
State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., vice chairwoman of the PLBC, said she feels a personal connection to the congresswoman who was attacked.
"As a fellow National Foundation for Women Legislators member, Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s plight this past weekend really struck a chord with me. In fact, it only served to reinforce the fact that being a public official can be both a rewarding yet a potentially dangerous job. This senseless tragedy was reprehensible in every respect, and whether or not it was precipitated by the ever-heated political climate does not make this crime any more or less egregious," Brown said. "My deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy, and it is my hope that we all as legislators learn from this shooting and move swiftly in the direction of tightening current gun laws."
State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, D-Phila., another PLBC member, said the shooting should remind politicians of the reasons they chose to become an elected official.
"This tragedy is a wake-up call for all politicians," Kitchen said. "While we all share a passion for serving our constituents, we definitely need to tone down the divisive rhetoric. We can do that by sticking to the facts on issues and rejecting political extremism. We're here to serve the people, not a political agenda."
Waters compared the Tucson shooting to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,'s assassination.
"The fact that the Tucson tragedy took place a week before the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me that Dr. King, like some of the victims in Tucson, was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, and like Representative Giffords and Judge Roll, had received death threats," Waters said. "Dr. King stood for peace, and for settling differences through nonviolence rather than bloodshed. I think we can learn a great deal from this in 2011."
PLBC members said their deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment