This Jan. 15 photo shows the ever-growing memorial on the lawn outside the University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz., where many of the wounded from the Jan. 8 shooting were treated.
© JAMES F. PALKA/ZUMAPRESS.COM
On Jan. 8, Americans greeted the news of a mass shooting spree in Tucson, Ariz., with the usual sense of horror and shock that accompany these violent events that aren’t uncommon enough in this country. The casualty count this time was six dead, including a 9-year-old girl who aspired to enter politics one day and a widely respected federal judge, as well as 13 wounded, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the apparent target of accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner’s violent attack.
Many have said our very democracy was savagely assaulted outside that Tucson supermarket where a lawmaker was connecting with her constituents when Loughner opened fire.
Richard Kim, senior editor of The Nation, wrote a moving blog the day of the shooting, saying in part: “And for tonight at least, we don’t need to know anything more to cherish more dearly the practice of politics and citizenship and government as something noble in its intent, something to expand and celebrate—instead of something to denigrate as the enemy of the people.”
In an effort to invoke Korean Americans to be part of the national dialogue, charactermedia.com posed this question to our readers: “What lesson should we learn from the Tucson shooting tragedy?”
See a sample of how readers responded, after the jump.
“The biggest lesson from the Tucson tragedy is reflected in the life of the youngest victim,9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, who was killed as she waited in line for her turn to meet Congresswoman Giffords. At an age when she was just beginning to learn about ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ Christina’s third-grade view of democracy was untainted by the cynicism and bickering that often accompany adult politics. Instead, her pursuit of happiness stemmed from her desire to make a difference in the world. Through the eyes of this precious child, we should follow in the footsteps of her innocence and move forward in the ‘pursuit of happiness’—to leave this world better than we found it.”
—Clara Huh, Irvine, Calif.
“I hope that we can lessen the amount of animosity that is currently suffocating [our] political discourse. I also would like the opportunists from both major parties to stop using this sad day in our history as a means for political gain. Let’s stop trying to out-shout the other and try to get things done that will help our citizens.”
—Philip Cho, Raleigh, NC
“We need more gun control.”
—Emily Han Zimmerman
“Maybe the lesson is remembering we’re still a very violent country, that we can’t wait for extreme situations to react. We have to always do something, no matter how small, to help rectify this.”
—Jennifer Cendaña Armas, New York, NY
“Don’t rush to judgment without all the facts.”
—Gregory Shin, New York, NY
“The ultimate lesson from the Tucson shooting is that, even in a time of disagreement and tension, we are capable of setting all that aside to hold each other up when life has brought us to our knees. From members of the community who were willing to wear large, oversized wings at little Christina-Taylor Green’s memorial to shield the family from fringe protesters; to the neighbors of the shooter’s parents who provided a safe haven for them and did small, comforting acts like fetching the mail or delivering a statement to the waiting reporters outside; to a couple of alumni from [shooting victim] Gabe Zimmerman’s alma mater who set up a scholarship fund in his name to encourage students to pursue a life in public service—all of these acts remind us that even in the face of evil, we still possess our sense of humanity that empathizes with grief and with each other.”
—Yong Hee Eo, Sacramento, Calif.
“We mustn’t ignore the role mental illness could have played in this event. As with the Virginia Tech shooting, I think similarities can be drawn here in that both shooters didn’t see themselves as being counted or acknowledged or appreciated.”
—Sky Kauweloa, Yangju, South Korea
