UPDATE II:
Here is a touching, personal update on the youngest and most innocent victim of the Tucson massacre, 9-year old Christina-Taylor Green, “a baseball-loving Mini-Me of her granddad, Dallas Green,” a former Phillies pitcher and manager , former Yankees manager and Mets manager.
UPDATE I:
A few minutes ago, President Obama led millions of Americans in a moment of silence to honor the innocent victims of the senseless tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, including those still fighting for their lives.
Previously, the President said, “It will be a time for us to come together as a nation in prayer or reflection, keeping the victims and their families closely at heart.”
While the President did not say anything immediately after the moment of silence, and while all of the victims were in the minds of all Americans, foremost in my mind—a father and a grandfather—was the tragic and unconscionable death of the most innocent victim of them all: beautiful, precious Christina Taylor Green.
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Late last night, in my last update to the horrific events in Tucson I briefly mentioned the 9-year-old girl who was fatally shot during the tragedy:
A neighbor was going to the Giffords event and invited Christina along because she thought she would enjoy it, said her uncle, Greg Segalini. Christina had just been elected to the student council at her school.
Today, I ended my “updates” to the tragedy with comments on “the knee-jerk, finger pointing and ‘blame-the-other-side’ rhetoric,” by both sides, and said:
True, there is still “prejudice and bigotry” in our country—even a “little bit” is too much.
True, there is too much vitriol, hate and divisiveness. However, instantaneously and automatically condemning the other side for every tragedy that is possibly the result of such, in my opinion, will not solve such problems. On the contrary—and as we are seeing in the microcosm of these threads here at TMV—it just inflames passions and increases mutual resentments.
I will not be a party to it—not today.
Perhaps when it is known what drove this criminal to commit this heinous crime—his “motives”—I may join in the debate if “we can learn something from this tragedy to prevent—or at least minimize—similar tragedies in the future.”
But one thing is already certain today: No “motives,” no politics, nothing on this earth, will ever diminish the dastardliness of killing an innocent child—nothing will ever lessen the pain and the shame.
I know that we’ll learn a lot more about this young child, Christina Green, in the upcoming days and weeks.
This morning, the New York Times gives us a glimpse into her young, much too young, life.
It tells us that:
— Christina was special from birth because she was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and she was proud of it, her mother said, because it lent a grace note of hope to that terrible day.
— Indeed, Christina…was one of the 50 “Faces of Hope” representing babies from 50 states who were born on 9/11.
— Christina was an A student and was interested in politics, so her mother accepted the offer by her friend Susan Hileman to take Christina to the congresswoman’s town hall meeting. John Green told the Arizona Star that Christina was such a good speaker, “I could have easily seen her as a politician.”
— She was on the Little League baseball team, its only girl…
— She was an athlete, a good dancer, a good gymnast, a good swimmer…She belonged to Kids Helping Kids charity and tried to help children less fortunate.
— A slender girl with brownish blonde hair, brown eyes and a gentle smile, she also sang in the choir at St. Odilia Roman Catholic Church. At home she took care of pet geckos, but loved frolicking with the dogs and cats of neighbors and friends. In the big-dreams way of children, she told her mother she wanted to be a veterinarian and study at an eastern school like New York University.
That was Christina. “Cute as a button,” her mother said. “I could never imagine this was going to happen.”
According to the Times, Mrs. Green said she hoped that Christina’s death would bring not only justice in the jailing of her attacker but also a national awareness of the cost of a venomous political dialogue.
A very noble thought of a grieving mother.
Photo: Courtesy Fox News
