Congresswoman Laura Richardson Expresses Sense of House Regarding Arizona Shooting

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.