Thank you for being inspirational Congresswoman Giffords

A little over a year ago I suspect like most other people in the UK I couldn't tell you the name of the Representative for the Arizona 8th District in Congress.

But when she was holding a Congress on Your Corner event in the Safeway store in Casas Adobes, to the NW of Tuscon her name became etched on many people's memory. Not because she was going out to meet the people but because of the actions of a gunman who shot her and , killed a staffer, a Federal Judge, 3 pensioners and a girl born on 11 September 2001 (yes that 9-11). Eleven others were injured in the shooting.

That congresswoman was Gabriele Giffords. Her recovery since then has been long and arduous, but none the less a little miraculous. She survived a head injury and has spent the past year getting back her motions, her speech, her cognitive functions, if not her memories of the day those shots rang out.

When she appeared in the House of Representatives on 1 August 2001, her first appearance there since the shooting, to vote in support of raising the debt limit ceiling, she received a standing ovation from her colleagues. She had previously been seen in public on 16 May at Kennedy Space Centre to see the launch of the last USS Endeavour Space Shuttle mission under the command of her husband Captain Mark E. Kelly. On that mission her wedding ring went into space with her husband while she kept his on earth awaiting his return.

On Sunday she announced that she would be stepping down from Congress this week, as she still had recovery ahead. However, she also promised that we hadn't seen the last of her and that she will be back. I certainly hope so.

So Gabby I wish you well as you continue to recover and I hope that the world has not seen the last of you as an active politician. You thank the people of the Arizona 8th for their patience, of the world for their prayers, but I'm sure we all want to thank you for the inspiration you have been over the last year.

Here is her announcement video.

Christina Taylor Green Born 9/11/01

If you were a mother who went into labour, or a father who was pacing the corridors and by your wife's side on the day that the World will  remember you would no doubt what a brighter future for your daughter or son.

 For John Green a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and his wife Roxana that is that they thought lay ahead for their daughter Christina. She loved her ballet and had recently shown an interest in politics being elected unto her school council. It was that interest in politics that prompted a neighbour to take her along to a "Congress on Your Corner" meeting being held by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords yesterday.

Sadly that nine year old who had featured in the book "Faces of Hope, Babies Born on 9/11" took a bullet in the chest and was later pronounced dead at Arizona University Medical Centre. She was born on a day of immense tragedy for her country, for the world, she has sadly died on another as a victim of violence. Irrespective on what led the gunman to doing what he did, the lose of life so full of early promise is a travesty.

Updated: Gabrielle Giffords shot, child amongst six dead; staffers and others injured

Rep. Giffords with her husband Capt. Mark E Kelly NASA Astronaut

Originally posted at 21:06:

The news this evening that Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been shot  point blank shot to her head while out campaigning is harrowing news. The fact that some of her staffers and others in the grocery store when she was holding her first Congress on Your Corner were hurt or killed sadly highlights that in some cultures where guns are readily available, reaching out into the community isn't always safe. The fact is that a nine year old child, Christina Taylor Green, has died in hospital as a result and eight others are being treated, four others along with the congresswoman in a critical state. Update: It has now been confirmed that at least five other people were killed. As they were not taken the the hospital as reported earlier they may have been pronounced dead at the scene.

Update: The other dead have been named John Roll, chief judge on the U.S. Distroct Court of Arizona and Gabe Zimmerman the congresswoman's director ofcommunity outreach. Along with three elderly consitituents Dorwin Stoddard, 76, Dorthy Murray, 76, and Phyllis Scheck, 79.

The 3rd term representative for the Arizona 8th Congressional District was Arizona's first Jewish congresswoman. Her election in 2006 was against the former Republican Senator Randy Graf who was famous for his enforcement only position on immigration and illegal immigrants. Her debut congressional race was therefore often mentioned in the run up to polling day as a test bed for Arizona's tough immigration stance. Last year she retained her seat for a second time after defeating on the 'top ten' Tea Party Republicans Jesse Kelly. She is a pro-choice, pro-stem cell research, has spoken up for the immigrants which in a state like Arizona are all controversial subjects.

The events surrounding her shooting still remain a mystery. There have been numerous time in campaigns that I have been on walkabouts or events with the candidate, if indeed I am not the candidate myself. In fact I think in all four of the hustings I have even done as a parliamentary candidate on each occasion I was sat next to the person who was defending his seat. We're fortunate that the number of political assassinations or attempted assassinations in the UK have been few and far between. But would an increasedrisk make me any less likely to go a walk behindmy party leader, a candidate or go myself as the candidate out in public? No, my love for politics and helping others is what is and always will drive me on. Therefore those staffers and the congresswomen have been injured doing something they love, indeed have a passion for.

But while we of course all express our concern for her husband, who was to be the commander of the last Space Shuttle on Endeavour, scheduled for April, and family and sympathy for the family of the child who has died, there is also needs for the families of the other eight who are affected by this incident. Many of them were just going about their work helping their congresswoman, some appear to have been attending a public gathering that she had arranged. They were going about their democratic right to gather to talk about their future, making things better.

"For those that are fighting for their lives, it is time to pray" Mayor of Tuscon live at 21:05 GMT speaking at press conference at Arizona University Medical Centre

Update Somebody has recently unearthed this rather harrowing, in light of today's events, news piece from 25 March last year about threats of violence against some Democratic Representatives including Rep. Giffords

Update 2  While I am not putting a blame on any source, some of the imagery that did exist on Sarah Palin's website for those of her opponents that needed to be removed from office looks a bit sick in light of today's events. The Website is currently down and many are speculating that this list of Democratic congressional districts will either be removed or severely modified in the mean time.