On the recordJanuary 12, 2011
This weekend, a horrible tragedy befell the city of Tucson, the State of Arizona and the Nation. One of our own, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, was doing her duty as a Member of Congress. She was out in the neighborhood, talking face to face with her constituents about their concerns and their problems. "Congress on Your Corner" was an event she had done before with success and she wanted to start the New Year with an open door to her constituents. When she arrived at the local Safeway, dressed in a red blazer, black slacks and black pumps, she greeted those in attendance, hugged each of her staff and gave a short speech. Then, constituents began asking questions, getting their photo taken, and asking for help. It was then, only minutes after the event began, that a young man, armed with a semiautomatic handgun with 33 deadly rounds, directly faced Gabby and shot her point blank in the head. But he didn't pause; he kept shooting. With such rapid fire, those waiting in line to speak to Gabby had no chance to escape his wrath. What happened in Tucson was not just about unspeakable tragedy. It was about heroic actions.
