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Giffords, Debate, and the First Amendment

Last updated on 2011.01.09

I got home a little while ago from the wonderful safe sanctuary of a high school debate tournament, where arguments are all civil, waged with nothing more than evidence, big words causing brain-growing pains, and occasional flashes of youthful passion and epiphanal brilliance, where every extended argument ends with handshakes and mutual compliments.

I learned Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and eighteen people who gathered to speak with her were shot by some sociopath outside a Tucson grocery store.

Get well, Congresswoman Giffords. I hope you will recover and once again enact America's promise as I saw debaters do today, by speaking freely, fairly, and fearlessly.

On the second day of the 112th Congress (January 6, 2011), Congresswoman Giffords read aloud on the House floor the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Update from NYT:

Six of the victims died, among them John M. Roll, the chief judge for the United States District Court for Arizona, and a 9-year-old girl, the Pima County sheriff, Clarence W. Dupnik, said.

...Several aides to Ms. Giffords were wounded, and her director of community outreach, Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, was among those killed. The girl who died was identified as Christina Green, a third grader. The others killed were Dorothy Morris, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Schneck, 79 [Mark Lacey and David M. Herszenhorn, "In Attack's Wake, Political Repercussions," New York Times, 2011.01.08].

5 Comments

  1. BSchwartz 2011.01.08

    I guess it was a good thing that she wasn't chosen to read the 2nd Amendment, the irony would have been too much to bear.

  2. Bob Ellis 2011.01.08

    Freedom doesn't murder, BSchwartz. Evil people murder. It's pretty pathetic that you don't understand the difference.

  3. Kelsey 2011.01.08

    All the same, Bob, if I'm ever facing down an evil person, I'd rather they were armed with freedom of speech.

  4. BSchwartz 2011.01.08

    Actually Bob evil people with guns murder. Also interestingly, Arizona has a no permit concealed carry law but somehow the shooter still managed to kill 6 and wound 12 others without so much as a shot being fired from someone other than the shooter.

    I doubt that the 18 lives changed forever today would have been affected similarly if the killer had tried the same thing using a knife...

  5. Todd Gray 2011.01.09

    Yup that's pretty sad, in state where it is legal to carry a gun non of the good guys were. I would much rather have gun fight break out, then see a massacre.

Comments are closed.