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Gabrielle Giffords: "I will always be a strong supporter of Israel.”*Габриел Гифордс:"Аз винаги ще бъде силен поддръжник на Израел."
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If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it,” said Giffords.*Ако искаш нещо да бъде направено, най-добре е да попитате за еврейка да го направи", каза Giffords.
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Shooting of Gabrielle Giffords
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Jared L Loughner, whom police took into custody in connection with the shooting, in the 2006 Mountain View High School yearbook / Photograph: AP
US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot during a constituency event at a supermarket in Tuscon, Arizona Photograph: Reuters“Гардиън”:Ранен конгресмен и шестима убити при клане в Аризона
09 януари 2011
Финикс. Американски законодател бе простреляна в главата от упор, а шестима души бяха убити, сред които 9-годишно момиче и федерален съдия, по време на публична среща пред супермаркет в Аризона, пише вестник “Гардиън” .
Демократът Габриел Гифордс, 40-годишна, член на Камарата на представителите, е откарана в университетската болница в Тусон, където е оперирана.
Хирург от болницата съобщи, че тя е в критично състояние след претърпяната операция, но той е оптимист за възстановяването й.
Описвайки стрелбата като „неописуема трагедия”, президентът Барак Обама помоли хората да се молят за „неговата приятелка”, бореща се за живота си.
За нападател на Гифордс се посочва 22-годишният ветеран от Афганистан Джаред Лий Лоугнър.
Той е описван от очевидци като млад бял мъж, изглеждащ като „повърхностен характер”.
Лоугнър опитал да избяга едва когато свършил амунициите.
Един от помощниците на Гифордс го задържал докато дойде полицията.
иаф / BgTimes.Net
Още:
Габриела Гифърдс
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Jewish woman takes Arizona seat
PHOENIX, Nov. 8 (JTA) — For the first time in Arizona history, a Jewish woman will be part of the state’s congressional delegation. Democrat Gabrielle Giffords cruised to victory Tuesday over Republican Randy Graf in the state’s 8th Congressional District, capturing approximately 54 percent of the vote to Graf’s 42 percent. Giffords succeeds retiring Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe. Nationally known political observers like Larry Sabato and Charlie Cook had predicted a Giffords win for weeks, and throughout the election season Giffords was confident that the seat would see a switch in party representation. “If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it,” said Giffords, a former state senator. “Jewish women — by our tradition and by the way we were raised — have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn’t or can’t be done and pull people together to be successful.” She said one of her top priorities when she gets to Washington will be balancing the federal budget. “I also want to help fix the prescription drug bill, to allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of pharmaceuticals. And I want to focus on developing renewable energy sources. I believe that southern Arizona can be a haven for companies that want to invest in renewable energy technology.” Giffords was in a crowded primary election race. She ran against five other Democratic candidates, including Francine Shacter, who is Jewish, and former television news anchorwoman Patty Weiss, who raised her children Jewish. Giffords, who grew up in Tucson, is passionate about her responsibility to represent her district. “A ‘representative’ isn’t just a title, it’s a job description,” Giffords said. “Your job is to represent the people to the best of your ability, to listen and make yourself available and accessible. I can’t expect people to come to me. I have to go to them — on doorsteps, in their places of work and elsewhere to understand what they’re experiencing and whether government is helping or hurting them.” Giffords promised to be “an independent voice for my district, not beholden to my party leadership and corporate interests, but rather to what I believe is best for the people of southern Arizona.” Her Jewish identity will be key to her decision-making. “My Jewish heritage has really instilled in me the importance of education and caring for the community,” said Giffords, who has a Jewish father and a Protestant mother and said she grew up “with a mixture of my parents’ religions. After visiting Israel in 2001, I realized Judaism is a part of my life I hadn’t focused on before. I consider myself Jewish without any equivocation.”
http://www.jta.org / BgTimes.Net:::
Two very different politicians, two very similar shootingsBy Imran Khan in
* Americas
on January 9th, 2011.
picture from [EPA]
On the face of it there is nothing to link the death of the Pakistani governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, and the shooting of Democrat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. But there is.
In each case both politicians stood up for one thing: Debate. It’s too early to know the motivations of Giffords shooter, but Taseer's killer had already said he was defending Islam.
Both incidents have one thing in common. Taseer and Giffords put unpopular subjects on the table.
Taseer wanted a reasonable discourse on Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Giffords wanted immigration to be talked about in a reasoned manner.
Taseer faced incredible criticism for his words by Pakistan's religious right wing. He was rubbished by some TV anchors, one man offered a reward for his death, others demanded he be stripped of his post.
Giffords was also incredibly unpopular with the right wing in the United States. Sarah Palin, the most famous American republican on the planet drew up a map in 2010 with rifle targets on the States she wanted to change.
Arizona, which is represented by Giffords was one of them. Giffords was regularly rubbished by the right wing commentators for her views. Both Taseer and Giffords led some to believe they were legitimate targets.
Now, when the target is simple venom, not violence then you can quote the old nursery rhyme: sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
But in the United States and in Pakistan words are turning into action. Sarah Palin has expressed sorrow to Giffords' family.
Those who called for Taseer’s death in Pakistan were shocked when it came. But it’s that climate of hatred that led to both these shootings.
Taseer was not an elected politician, but the post of governor is a political appointee, and he used his position to campaign for causes he believed, so in that respect he was a politician.
Politicians are many things. But they are the voice of electorate, right or wrong. If you think it’s wrong...Well, that what elections are for.
But in both countries opinion is now presented as fact and it’s easy to create a climate of hostility and fear.
Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to… Well, tragically the events of the last few days have shown us where anger can lead to.
Both Taseer and Giffords’ shootings show that there are those for whom debate is pointless.
Like I said before, I don't know what was driving Giffords’ shooter, but I do know that the climate she was politicking in had stirred a lot of passion.
It was the same with Taseer. Two very different politicians, two very different countries, two very similar incidents.
When politicians stop speaking out for fear of death, then we all lose out.
Al Jazeera TV / BgTimes.Net / Bulgaria Today
More:
Gabrielle Giffords
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“If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it,” said Giffords, a former state senator, said at the time. “Jewish women — by our tradition and by the way we were raised — have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn’t or can’t be done and pull people together to be successful.”
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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 tradition 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 security 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 sponsored 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. I invite you to visit www.giffordsforcongress.com.
Gabrielle Giffords is the Democratic candidate for Congress in District 8.
http://www.jewishtucson.org / Orient news online
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