“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”
I didn’t want to write this article. The issues that it addresses sound a dissonant chord amongst the holiday music still echoing in my head. For many Americans, the shootings in Tucson, Arizona which occurred on January 8th banished all memories of holiday cheer. Almost two weeks later the tragedy still dominates the headlines as the media does what it does best, which is to embrace the negative, dissect it and display it from every possible angle. On the information superhighway as well as on the Interstate, the only time we slow down and look is when an accident occurs.
Monsters have always lived among us and for their victims it does not matter whether we find our explanations in the psychology of a diseased mind or in the spiritual realm of a lost soul. History is full of events which equal and exceed the horrors of Tucson. Events like this have occurred for as long as humans have occupied this planet and no amount of knee-jerk legislating or pulpit pounding will prevent them from happening again.
Today we will leave the re-telling of the tragedy with its accompaniment of theories and explanations to others and focus instead on one positive development which has grown up out of the event. It has been easy for us to criticize President Obama. His healthcare plans and his relationships with the financial industry invite criticism and for me personally, if the election were held today, the emergence of a qualified candidate from any political party would make it unlikely that Mr. Obama would get my vote. Nevertheless, credit must be given where credit is due. When disaster occurs the nation needs leadership. In his speech for the victims of the Tucson shooting, President Obama provided that leadership.
On the other hand, the pundits who make their living fanning the fires of hatred continued their efforts. Sarah Palin, whom some consider as the standard bearer of the Republican Party, made a pathetic attempt to inject herself into the discussion. Her comments about the tragedy in Tucson were, characteristically, all about her. If her irrational behavior and celebrity seeking have not yet served to divest any disenchanted voter of any illusions as to her qualifications for leadership, her response to the killings should do so.
We have not, in my opinion, always (or often) elected the best candidate to the office of President of the United States. Fortunately for our nation, if the man was not ready for the job, the job has many times made the man. Witness the accelerated graying and wizening of everyone who has occupied the Oval Office. President Obama is no exception. And while his policies may prevent me from giving him my vote in 2012, it is a comfort to know that the country does, indeed, have a leader in the Whitehouse.
In closing, consider these words from President Obama’s speech in Tucson: “So sudden loss causes us to look backward - but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame - but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.”
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