Tag: Gabrielle Giffords

In 2013, philosopher Christopher F. Zurn explored the question of how seriously we should take civility in politics. Zurn was writing three years before Trump’s election, with a different set of uncivil behaviors in mind. In 2009, a member of Congress had shouted “you lie” at President Obama during a speech. Even more dramatically, in 2011, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot, not long after her name had appeared on a “target list” of politicians, with their districts marked by crosshairs. Drawing on the work of Cheshire Calhoun, a philosopher who has analyzed civility in the personal sphere, Zurn writes that civility is always tied to social convention—rules that are based in a particular time and place—but following those rules conveys “the equal respect owed universally to all persons as moral agents.” Another view on civility comes from John Rawls, who argued that—given the variety of moral doctrines we bring to politics—civil political discourse means grounding our political arguments in the areas where our beliefs overlap. Otherwise, Zurn writes, our arguments can only be convincing to people who share our particular religious or philosophical background. Others suggest that arguments about civility are a distraction from the real political issues. If politics is essentially a battleground for armies with opposing, non-negotiable fundamental principles, those calling for civility are either asking for “a mild consensus and a bland unanimity” or cynically using the idea of civil discourse as a bludgeon against their opponents. In some cases, according to Zurn, social pressure to behave civilly in politics may stifle dissent or “be strategically deployed to distract from deep racial injustice of chattel slavery or racial segregation.” Want more stories like this one? In the 1980s, rhetoric of “civilized discussion” helped exclude conversations about sexual orientation and the rights of LGBTQ people from the political stage.

How the Parkland students took over Guardian US Read more One campaigner for gun reform who was present at the “coffee with constituents” meeting called US representative Ralph Norman’s actions “a far cry from what responsible gun ownership looks like”. According to local news reports, Norman placed the .38-caliber gun on a table and said: “I’m not going to be a Gabby Giffords.” He was referring to a former Democratic Arizona congresswoman who was shot outside a grocery store during a constituent gathering in 2011. Giffords’ husband, retired Nasa astronaut Mark Kelly, said in a statement that Norman was “no Gabby Giffords” and noted that his wife has dedicated her life to ending gun violence. “Americans are increasingly faced with a stark choice: leaders like Gabby, who work hard together to find solutions to problems, or extremists like the [National Rifle Association] and Congressman Norman, who rely on intimidation tactics and perpetuating fear,” Kelly said. Jeff Flake, a Republican Arizona senator, addressed Norman on Twitter. “I sincerely hope you never have to experience what my friend [Giffords] experienced,” he wrote. “But to suggest that she might have avoided being shot had she carried a weapon as she spoke to constituents that morning is inappropriate and inconsiderate.” Norman said he would display his gun again. “I’m tired of these liberals jumping on the guns themselves as if they are the cause of the problem,” he told the Post and Courier. Guns are not the problem Ralph Norman Lori Carter, a schoolteacher from Charlotte, North Carolina, said she thought Norman’s actions were contradictory because Norman did not know if someone at the meeting had mental health issues. Instead, I felt unsafe when he insisted on showing us his loaded gun and keeping it out on the table for much of our conversation.” Three Republican South Carolina state lawmakers, meanwhile, introduced a bill on Thursday that would allow the state legislature to debate secession from the US if the federal government confiscated legally purchased firearms in the state.

The list of nominees is one to watch in the coming years. EMILY's List, the political group that supports pro-choice, Democratic women running for office — and one of the most powerful forces in the party, has nominated six women in state and local office for its annual Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award. The lawmakers hail from across the US — from Washington state to Boston, and they embody a diverse array of young, ambitious talent in a year when the Democratic Party has seen an unprecedented surge in women running for office. The nominees will benefit from the added national exposure and access to EMILY's List donors and consultants. Foxx "walks in a room and people take notice," Prado said. A strong advocate for mental health care and women's rights, Colorado state representative Faith Winter recently teamed up with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, to advocate for the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, a federal paid family leave proposal reintroduced by Gillibrand last year. Prado said. Reeves, who faced significant adversity as a child growing up in poverty, calls herself "a product of the American Dream." The daughter of immigrants herself, Romero was the first Latina elected to the council. State Rep. Cora Faith Walker is a former health care lawyer who has advocated for early childhood education and criminal-justice reform in Missouri.