President Obama gave a healing speech at the memorial service in Tucson, and near the end set the bar high for all of us to aspire to and work toward. Speaking of the nine-year old victim, Christina Taylor Green, he appealed to the better angels of our nature:
“Imagine — imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council. She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
“I want to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.”
Tags: Christina Taylor Green, democracy; obligations of citizenship, ethics, memorial service, nine-year old victim, Obama, public service, Tucson
Ethics Bob 
January 13, 2011 at 12:07 am |
Great post, Bob. As a Republican, I couldn’t be more proud of what our president projected tonight. This is what it’s all about. The 2 parties are a gift to one another, even in the midst of disagreements. Tonight….He shined for our country.
January 13, 2011 at 7:56 am |
I was proud as well. Our President gave a very moving speech. Even FOX News liked it and gave him high marks. Olbermann isn’t doing Worst Persons any more (he’s calling it something else). So let’s try to keep civility going for the sake of us and all our children.