[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 19, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E70]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING ARIZONA SHOOTING

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                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 12, 2011

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I concur in the expressing the sense 
of the House of Representatives with respect to the tragic shooting in 
Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011.
  Like all Americans, on Saturday morning I was saddened and sick to my 
stomach when I watched the horrible attack against my colleague 
Congresswoman Giffords, known as Gabby to me, her staff, her 
constituents and to all Americans.
  We now know, on January 7, Congresswoman Giffords reached out and 
sought ``new ways to reduce the highly partisan divisive tone that all 
too often dominates our public discourse.'' Today I am going to do 
exactly that: not in words of criticism, but thoughts of observation 
and desire to help.
  For law makers whether federal, state or local . . . This tragic 
incident must make us re-evaluate our spending priorities and accept 
the fact that our continued failure to provide adequate funding for 
mental illnesses is a mistake.
  For the agencies, whether they be educational, military, or private 
vendors/businesses . . . we must be diligent in connecting the dots, 
doing the extra work, taking the time to think out of the box, stop 
working in silos and to insist on utilizing technology for good like 
the real time utilization of information.
  For the parents, whether your child, who will always be your child 
regardless of their age, should not be allowed under our own roofs to 
turn their rooms, garages or backyards to a private area one fails to 
tread.
  For protectors and preservers of the law, it is not okay to tell me 
there is nothing wrong with someone sending a hate e-mail saying, ``I'm 
concerned it's time for a good old fashioned lynching/tar and 
feather.''
  For those who debate and protest, it is not okay to spit, say racial 
slurs, to say reload or to arm in reference to a debate; neither is it 
okay to say a group other than yourself is a Neanderthal and they want 
people to die quickly.
  For our court, even in 1919 and 1931 in the cases of Schenk v. United 
States and Near v. Minnesota, had the wisdom to know ``the most 
stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely 
shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic.''
  Tell me how anyone, any court, or any legislative body could justify 
a man carrying a AR 15 rifle and a pistol, feet not miles from where 
our president was speaking that . . . That was not right in August 
2009, last Saturday, today, or tomorrow.
  And now for those of us, we turn to this resolution on the floor 
today, page 4, sections (7-8) the resolution references:
  Right of the people peaceably to assemble,
  All can participate without being silenced with intimidation,
  And threats of violence.
  I have watched right here in this room and on these grounds, leaders 
not fulfilling this words of ``peaceable assembly free of 
intimidation.''
  We too must not just react, but now is the time to act. Not just in 
legislation but in what Congresswoman Giffords asked us to do: ``reduce 
the divisive tone.'' Maybe if we start as leaders, others will follow.
  I express condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, 
I pray for strength for those who survived and have long roads to 
recovery, and I commit to do work on this issue and how I work with you 
my colleagues. As Representative Giffords' husband holds her hand as 
she heals, I am ready for her to return to hold her hand as we as a 
country heal as well.

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