My heart is broken, but I don't understand why.

[Mike 03]

We all knew this was coming, but for some reason this hurts so much, especially the little girl and Congresswoman.

Even though the writing was on the wall, and there was no doubt this would happen, it still hurts so bad. Why?

[Catherina]

1. The helplessness, all the pain behind and as a result of this tragedy & how so totally wrong it is.

:hug:

[Botany]

2. "it still hurts so bad. Why?"

because you are a human being.

[WillyT]

5. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!!

Exactly

:kick:

[Celeborn Skywalker]

3. I've actually been here at UMC this past 2 weeks as a patient.

It's been an incredibly sad and shocked mood, to say the least. From my room at this very moment I can see the memorial site with the candles and personalised letters. It makes my heart ache.

I feel like I personally knew these people and Gabby Giffords, from all accounts I've heard here from people who know her, is a very nice, sweet, kind-hearted person. I hope and pray she makes a full recovery.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. I can't imagine how heavy the mood must be there in the hospital.

If you have a chance to watch the celebration of life/memorial from last night, please do. Those in the Tucson area who posted about it described it as exhaling after holding their breath for 5 days.

Please get well soon. :hug:

[Celeborn Skywalker]

9. Thank you.

And that memorial was much needed and very cathartic. :hug:

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. I am so glad you got to see it

and to see your neighbors release the tension. Hopefully all of you at UMC were able to breathe that deep breath out as well.

I am far from you here on the east coast, and never even heard of Rep. Gabby Giffords before this episode, but know that ALL of you have been in our hearts and prayers this past week and remain so.

:hug:

[Celeborn Skywalker]

12. I'm not actually from Tucson.

I have cystic fibrosis and UMC is the closest CF center but I'm actually from neighboring NM. But I love and know Tucson like the back of my hand and I can say one thing. I've been coming here for care for the last 25 years, since I was 2 years old, and this hospital has some of the best doctors and nurses in the country. Gabby is definitely in good hands. :)

I'm still having trouble getting over the death of that poor little girl though :-(

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Get better

[Motown_Johnny]

4. I didn't expect the little girl being murdered

I will admit I expected some violent acts from the right and even now I expect more of the same. Expectations and realizations are not the same thing. The realization of those violent actions taken place are very different.

If you were not heart broken over this tragedy something would be wrong with you.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. Please don't take this wrong

My glass is half-full, so understand where I am coming from.

I have been holding my breath for over 2 years waiting on this. Not to diminish the horrific loss and tragic injuries, but to be honest, I am glad it wasn't worse. Much, much worse.

When I saw those people lined up outside political events with guns GUNS GUNS in 2008, my blood ran cold. Literally. Add to the comments from St Palin being followed by yells of "traitor" and "kill him" and "muslim"? To the point that John McCain had to tell her to knock it off? To the point that Secret Service was overwhelmed by the threats in October 2008?

I have never seen such a display of anger in the political scene in my 40+ years and it blew my mind.

Yes, the 1960s were a turbulent time, and yes, we lost many good men (JFK, Edgars, MalcolmX, MLK, RKF), but THOSE were the days of 'lone gunmen' who were 'insane/nuts'.

Today's scene, thanks to Palin, Beckkk, Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter and their ilk isn't about crazed lone gunmen. It is about lynch mobs just waiting on the latest dog whistle.

Call me out on defying the President's wishes on moderation all you like, but I am not a political figure nor do I have a national audience. I am merely a person posting on a message board as to what I see and I do not apologize for calling it out how I see it. /badgrammar

Peace.

[Tsiyu]

8. It's been a long road

with decent people sitting on edge wondering if and when the nuts would make good their word to "kill liberals." It has been surreal, watching the media enable the most base people and seeming to have no conscience about their condoning this violence. After all, they're making money and that's all that matters,

For me, it was greed that killed those six people. Whether Loughner was crazy or not, whether he planned this or not, greed means we would rather spend our nation's fortune invading other nations for their oil rather than using some of the same money for adequate mental health for Americans.

Greed means networks like Fox and Clear Channel, etc. would rather spend fortunes providing a safe place for hate to spew relentlessly, rather than spending money trying to have adult discussions about American life and politics.

Greed means that, even after this tragedy, people so enamored of right wing politics cannot even for a day suspend their hate, but must publish statements such as "it's good the little girl died; she was probably going to be a liberal anyway." They want their tax breaks so they have to pitch hate for their "No Taxes" team even to the point of being ghoulish.

And greed cannot be understood by those with working consciences.

That's my sorrow; that because of greed good people will always be at the mercy of those who can never have enough.



:hug:

[Odin2005]

11. The little girl.

:cry:

[jotsy]

13. Because you feel the hopes that they'd come to their senses first

dashed, and that's pain.

That moment for me came with the arterial bleed of the gulf coast, maybe primed by the 15 year old girl assaulted by an entire group of men, one of which was in his latter 40's. Or built on by the widow in her eighties who killed herself when the sheriffs enforced a foreclosure at the outset of this fraudulent debacle.

Hugs 2 U if you need 'em.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Because you are human and have not been exposed

to enough crap in life to be able to just close it down and be clinical about it. Celebrate that.