Arizona Memorial Service

I found the setting inappropriate, considering this was a supposed memorial for those who were murdered. Also, a quick Google search would have saved Obama the embarrassment of having people question his "miracle moment". The T-shirts were simply over the top tacky; who does that? On the bright side, if it is true about Giffords (meaning Dr. Rhee wasn't telling the truth on Sunday), can we just scrap ObamaCare and set up healing centers, with the Healer visiting them every week or so? Imagine the billions we would save on healthcare costs!

 

There is no way they did that without getting it cleared by the WH.

 

Apparently Papa, you were the only one in the country not moved by the President's speech and compassion, by his call for putting aside petty political squabbles.

You are who he was talking to.

 

LOL

Apparently members of the President's own party missed the "civility" memo.

And you're right. I'm not 'moved' by the words of a man who talks of toning down political rhetoric that he played a large part in fostering in the first place. Even more when he tells an easily disproved lie to get an applause. I find that disgusting, not moving.

 

+ 1

 

Actually, the Doctor was misquoted in PapaG's post (shock!); this was indeed the first time Congresswoman Giffords opened her eyes.

But to the event. These are my thoughts for those interested in actually, you know, having a reasonable sharing of views. A couple of people have already made it clear they do not. In fact they seem to be more angry about what Obama said than they are about the actual shooting. I hope that is an incorrect impression, but it's definitely the one I'm getting.

OK. First, this was a memorial service, not a funeral. It's a distinction. A funeral is where the survivors gather to mourn. A memorial service, and I've been to some that made this explicit, is to celebrate the life of the person/persons. And in this case also to send well-wishes to the injured and salute the heroes. I think this is why President Obama spent so much time describing the six people who died. One was a Federal Judge, but the others were "ordinary Americans", all ages, men and women, different faiths, but all people who should be celebrated for their lives and for their love for others. I admit at first the cheering sounded "off" to me, but then I realized, no, it was appropriate. Because one crazy person with a gun can and does destroy individual lives, but this event showed that no such person can destroy America, as long as we don't allow him (or her) to do so. This was about reclaiming what is best in the country, correcting where we need to, honoring those who represent what is best.

Even at an actual funeral, levity is not always out of place. When my mother, may she rest in peace, died, my siblings and I all gave eulogies. My brother recalled that when he was a boy and had chores, our mother would always leave him a Hostess cupcake or Ring-Ding. This brought shouts of laughter, since, as we all know, as a man my brother is a total vegetarian, organic, whole grain, health nut who would not touch a Hostess cupcake with a 10 foot tofu pole.

I also think of the President's comment about words that heal and words that hurt. And that is why I thought Governor Brewer gave a good talk. I say that although I have loathed her for so many reasons. An unpopular appointed governor, she jumped on immigrant-bashing bandwagon to save her career, spread lies about beheaded bodies in Arizona desert, cut off the tiny amount of funds going to transplants so that, unlike imaginary "death panels" people have actually died while she falsely claimed transplants don't work, and promoted a state law allowing anyone to carry concealed weapons virtually anywhere. Despite my feelings about her and her policies, I still liked her speech. I most sincerely hope she takes her own words to heart and engages in a discussion on immigration that does not scapegoat and at least finds a way to restore transplant funds.

I also think of how President Obama told Daniel Hernandez sorry, no matter what you say, you are a hero. (Hernandez, from his body language, struck me as a rather shy person, then here he is between the President and a former Supreme Court justice on national TV, probably thinking the Spanish equivalent of oi vey!) Now, anyone who ran into bullets and saved a Congressperson's life deserves praise whoever he/she was. But think of it. Who have been the scapegoats in culture wars? Latinos and gays. (The odious Patrick Robertson just blamed the New York snowstorms on NY being too gay friendly and the odious Fred Phelps is picketing Christina Green's funeral, both claiming approval from god.) Hernandez, a gay Latino, could have said "screw it, I don't want to be part of a country where I'm second class citizen and blamed for everything". But no, he said this country can be better than its prejudices.

Honestly, would those slamming Obama prefer that he went to a party fundraiser instead, as the Speaker did? Or that he issue a scripted video proclaiming himself the true victim and reviving anti-Semitic slurs as a former governor did? Or say that Giffords was to blame, as the chair of the state Tea Party did? Or say that the true lesson of the attempted assassination of a Jewish Congresswoman is the need to convert to Christianity, as Erick Erickson did? Words that heal and words that hurt.

And finally, are those who are as SLyPokerDog said, crapping all over this, actually listen to the event? Did you learn anything from the event, and this past week?

 

Um, no, and this tripe coming from you is rich. You may be the most divisive poster, in terms of separating people into various stereotypical groups, on this board. Gender, politics, sexuality, etc. etc.

Thanks for the laugh, crandc. Let's see if you learned a lesson, because from the unproductive incivility that I read in the bolded paragraph, you're the same partisan hack you've always been.

You just took a big smelly shit on this thread as well. Congrats.

 

I did. I learned that you are ironic, based on what I posted right above this sentence.

I did. I learned that the intial thread on this was full of hateful rhetoric, based solely in ignorance, yet guided by political bias, by MARIS, Sug, and Mr. Jayremmie, among others.

I did. I learned that the Pima County sheriff was more interested in blaming Rush Limbaugh than he was in sending security to a public event involving a sitting US Rep.

I did. I learned that Obama was crushed by this tragedy, as this photo so vividly illustrates as he arrived in Tucson.



I did. I learned that "Hope and Change" has been replaced by "Together We Thrive".



I did. I learned that the major media, the Democrat Party, and people like you will say anything to try and tie the so-called "right-wing" or "Tea Party" to the actions of a very disturbed individual.

I did. I learned that they do this to try and advance their own political agendas.

I did. I learned the names of all who died in the massacre. Have you, crandc? Or were you too busy keeping track of John Boehner, Sarah Palin, and the other political bogeymen you've created in your self-righteous mind?

I did. I learned that there is always an agenda.

I did. I learned that the USA is irreversibly damaged because of divisions that people like you create, crandc, and that people like Sarah Palin create.

 

That's not what I said. Did you learn anything this week, crandc? If so, what was it, because that paragraph I bolded just seems like the same old bullshit that you always have posted.

 

PapaG is disgusting, I remember when this forum was borderline intelligent discussion. Now it's just spam from obnoxious "angry as hell" asshole conservatives.

 

What have you learned from this week, boatsandstars? You've always been a prime example of civility and "intelligent discussion".

I find exploiting the death of 6 people by turning it into a political rally disgusting, and I find the President grinning from ear to ear while arriving at such a scene disgusting. If you don't, no biggie, I'm not surprised at all. If I want to vent about it, I'm fine with others taking issue to it.

 

I learned how to make a kicky chicken and vegetable stir fry.

If anyone was interested in what I learned this week.

 

Now that the country is having a long-overdue discussion about toning down the anger and treating each other with more respect and civility, despite political differences, I suggest that you look at your words and in the mirror Papa.

You are the person to whom we are referring.

 

Oh please. crandc couldn't even get through one post without throwing mud at her political enemies, John Boehner was being smeared by Democrats immediately after the speech, and Sheriff Dupnik blamed everybody on the right he could think of for inspiring this kook. Hell, read the entire thread on this board the pertains to the actual shooting and show me the "civility" in it.

But today, this must all be forgotten, because a smiling man who claims to heal people gave a campaign speech?

Puh-leeze. This "change in rhetoric" won't last through the weekend, if it has even changed in the first place. Obama is as much to blame for the divisiveness in this country as anyone, yet he now wants it to stop?

Whatever.

 

Just more mean spirited bullshit from the same type of person who did this shooting. Anybody who denies that the fiery political rhetoric, especially in Arizona with folks showing up to meetings with representatives with guns didn't spur this bullshit on is short a few brain cells. If you disagree with somebody over a political issue the answer isn't violence. It is dialogue. That was his message. End this insantiy bullshit that has started recently with people all "up in arms". You aren't going to change peoples minds with a gun, and you can't kill an idea.