WASHINGTON — Una congresista demócrata estadounidense de origen judío se encuentra en estado crítico el sábado tras recibir un disparo en la cabeza en un acto político en Tucson, Arizona, que dejó seis muertos, entre ellos el juez federal John Roll, Gabriel Zimmerman quien formaba parte de su equipo de trabajo y una niña de 9 años, además de 12 heridos.
El presidente Barack Obama calificó el ataque de “tragedia para todo nuestro país” mientras el senador republicano John McCain llamó al francotirador “una desgracia para Arizona”.
Obama confirmó en un mensaje consternado a la nación desde la Casa Blanca que una niña de nueve años y el juez federal John Roll murieron en este tiroteo.
Reportes en medios estadounidenses habían indicado que la legisladora, Gabrielle Gifford, de 40 años, había muerto tras los disparos. Obama precisó que la congresista, a quien calificó como su “amiga”, estaba “gravemente herida” y que al menos cinco víctimas murieron, pero el portavoz de la policía, Rick Kastigar, dijo que habían seis muertos y 12 heridos.
El último parte médico indicó que Giffords “está en estado crítico”.
“Terminaron de operarla y soy optimista respecto a su recuperación”, dijo el jefe de traumatología del University Medical Center en Tucson, Peter Rhee.
El principal sospechoso es Jared Lee Loughner, un joven blanco de 22 años, según lo describió la prensa citando fuentes policiales.
Hasta ahora se desconoce el motivo del crimen, pero testigos dijeron que la congresista fue disparada a quemarropa y que miembros de su equipo figuran entre las víctimas, entre ellos Gabe Zimmerman, también de origen judío y un niño de 9 años.
El incidente se produjo después de que unos paquetes explotaron en una oficina de correos en Washington DC el viernes, así como en dos edificios del gobierno en la ciudad vecina de Maryland, el jueves.
Giffords, casada con Mark Kelly, un astronauta de la NASA, fue la primera mujer judía elegida al Congreso por Arizona, en 2006, tras una campaña en la que utilizó como plataforma la seguridad en la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos, así como la responsabilidad fiscal.
El año pasado, la dirigente votó por la histórica reforma de salud promovida por el presidente Barack Obama pese a la fuerte oposición de los republicanos.
Altas figuras políticas de Arizona, como Janet Napolitano, ex gobernadora del estado y actual secretaria de Seguridad Interna, el senador republicano por Arizona y ex candidato a la presidencia John McCain, así como la actual gobernadora del estado, la republicana Jan Brewer, condenaron el ataque y se consideraron “horrorizados” por la balacera en el evento político.
“Quienes hayan hecho esto, cualquiera sea su razón, son una desgracia para Arizona, para este país y para la raza humana, y merecen y van a recibir el desprecio de toda la gente decente y el castigo más duro de la ley”, dijo McCain en un comunicado.
De su lado Brewer, lamentó “este día trágico para Arizona”. “Tengo el corazón roto, Gabbi era más que una colega, una amiga”, dijo la gobernadora republicana, exponente del ala más conservadora de la derecha estadounidense.
El nuevo presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, el republicano John Boehner, lamentó “este acto insensible contra la congresista Giffords y miembros de su equipo” y recalcó que “actos y amenazas contra funcionarios públicos no tienen cabida en nuestra sociedad”.
El incidente ocurrió cuando Giffords asistía a un acto político llamado “Congress on Your Corner” (“El Congreso en tu esquina”).
Algunos congresistas advirtieron a sus colegas de revisar su seguridad.
¿Servirá la masacre para detener el tono vitriólico y racista del discurso político americano? (en inglés)
The tragedy in Tucson has shaken us all to the core. Facts are still coming in, and we all must be careful not to jump to premature conclusions.
But in the wake of this disaster one thing is clear: We must put an end to the rhetoric of violence and hate that has exploded in America over the past two years.
That’s why we’re launching a petition calling on every member of Congress, as well as the major TV and cable news networks, to put an end to the hateful rhetoric and all overt or implied appeals to violence. Click here to sign the petition:
http://pol.moveon.org/debatenothate?id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=3
Here’s what the petition says: “I call for an end to all overt or implied appeals to violence in American politics. We must debate, not hate.”
After you sign, please forward this email to the people in your email address book and post on Facebook and Twitter to keep it going. With a large enough response, this petition can help focus the debate on the urgent need to end the rhetoric of violence and hate that has become so widespread over the past two years.
We don’t know what motivated the individual or individuals who committed this atrocity. And, if reports are true, it’s deeply troubling that the suspected shooter displayed so many signs of serious mental illness, and our public health institutions failed to respond.1
But the terrifying fact is that this act of violence falls into a pattern that has emerged over the past two years in America and in Gabrielle Giffords’ district in particular.
Windows were smashed at Representative Giffords’ district office last March just a few hours after the House vote on health care reform.2 At one of the infamous town hall events in August 2009, a man attending the event accidentally dropped a handgun on the floor that he had been hiding under his arm.3
And violent tendencies have been inflamed by the careless and irresponsible rhetoric of certain political leaders. Sarah Palin’s infamous “target list” displayed Democratic districts, including Rep. Giffords’, in crosshairs, as if viewed through a gunsight.4
In addition, violent imagery was prominently featured during the last election. For instance, a rally for Rep. Giffords’ Republican opponent, Jesse Kelly, was promoted with the following notice: “Get on Target for Victory in November. Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly.”5
As Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, speaking from the heart at an emotional news conference last night, said:
There’s reason to believe that this individual may have a mental issue. And I think people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol… When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous.6
Please take a moment to add your voice to this call to end the rhetoric of violence and hate, and then share it with all your friends. Click here to sign:
http://pol.moveon.org/debatenothate?id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=4
And thanks for all you do.
–Justin, Adam, Amy, Anna, Annie, Carrie, Christopher, Daniel, David, Duncan, Eli, Emily, Gail, Ian, Ilya, Ilyse, Joan, Kat, Laura, Lenore, Mariana, Marika, Matthew, Melanie, Michael, Milan, Nita, Peter, Robin, Ryan, Susannah, Stephen, Steven, Tim, and Wes
P.S. You might also want to check out a video we posted on the petition page of Rep. Giffords herself talking about this issue last year. It’s a powerful reminder not only of how important this issue is, but also what an amazing leader Gabby Giffords has been for America and, we deeply hope, will continue to be.
P.P.S. President Obama has declared a national moment of silence tomorrow at 11 a.m. Eastern Time to honor the victims of this tragedy. We encourage everyone to participate.
Sources:
1. “Exclusive: Jared Loughner Radically Changed Before Alleged Shooting, Friend Says,” ABC News, January 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205717&id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=5
2. “Rep. Giffords’ Tucson office vandalized after health care vote,” Arizona Daily Star, March 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205718&id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=6
3. “Gabrielle Giffords Town Hall: Gun Left Behind,” The Huffington Post, August 11, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205721&id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=7
4. “Tucson rampage casts light on toxic political tone,” Arizona Daily Star, January 8, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205719&id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=8
5. “Sarah Palin Criticized Over Gabrielle Giffords Presence on ‘Target List,'” CBS News, January 8, 2011
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20027918-503544.html
6. “News Conference with Pima County Sheriff & Others (Courtesy of KVOA TV, Tucson, Arizona),” C-SPAN, January 8, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205720&id=25761-3852210-3YZjFix&t=9
Antecedentes judíos de Gabrielle Giffords cuyo apellido original era “Hornstein”.
Congress woman who was shot today and Jewish congresswoman.
She wrote this in 2006: Home Arizona Jewish Post
GABRIELLE GIFFORDS 10.27.06
Israel needs U.S. to push the peace process
My grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, was the son of a Lithuanian rabbi. My grandfather changed his name to Giff Giffords for reasons of anti-Semitism and moved to Southern Arizona from New York more than a half century ago. In the 1940s, he founded my family’s tire and automotive business, El Campo Tire, which grew into a successful and thriving business for 50 years, which I ran for several years before serving in the Arizona Legislature.
Growing up, my family’s Jewish roots and traditio n played an important role in shaping my values. The women in my family served as strong role models for me as a girl. In my family, if you want to get something done, you take it to the women relatives! Like my grandmother, I am a lifetime member of Hadassah and now a member of Congregation Chaverim.
When I served in the State Senate in Arizona, I had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to meet with the then-mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, and I got to see firsthand the sacrifices that Israelis make in the name of security because of the dangerous state of affairs there.
I will always be a strong supporter of Israel. As the only functioning democracy in the Middle East, Israel is a vital strategic ally of the United States. I believe the United States must do everything possible to secure Israel’s long-term sec urity and achieve a lasting peace in the region. The failure of the current administration to continue the peace process has been a loss to America and Israel. That is why we need a new direction in Washington.
Peace between Israel and her neighbors can only be achieved by direct talks between the parties. Until the Palestinian leadership and other hostile regimes are willing to accept Israel’s right to exist, it will be impossible to achieve peace. I believe that the United States can help by providing a mediator who can be trusted by both sides, like former President Bill Clinton. It’s an approach that worked in achieving a peaceful settlement to the violence in Northern Ireland. People in the Middle East need to know that the U.S. is serious about the peace process.
We cannot forget our past. I have worked to protect the rights of Holocaust survivors in our state. In 2002, I s ponsored legislation that was signed into law by Governor Jane Hull, and unanimously approved by the Senate, to allow victims of the Holocaust, or their heirs, to collect insurance claims (HB 2541). It re-opened the statute of limitations for these claims. My opponent, Randy Graf, was one of only 13 legislators to oppose this bill.
As a woman and as a Jew, I will always work to insure that the United States stands with Israel to jointly ensure our mutual safety, security, and prosperity.