Saturday, January 8, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords: In Which The News Cycle Takes Its Toll

Once we might not have known for days or weeks,
Once it might at least have been hours -- when
That was the case, we rarely heard such shreiks
Of ire at garbled facts. There might have been
Just one guy with a gun, or many; we
Don't know yet, but so many think we do.
How many wounded? Dead? When will there be
A true accounting of how, why and who
Must bear the blame? The narrative's compressed:
Schroedinger's Congresswoman's story shows
How truly things have changed; we're still distressed
From purest shock, yet many think they know
The truth already. Finger-pointing, blame --
Yet who among us knew, ere now, her name?

3 comments:

  1. Thus is the capriciousness of anecdotal reportage. It's all unfolding now, though. A very, very sad story. Arizona gun laws are frightful.

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  2. Gun laws are only part of the problem (they're probably "worse" where I live). Mental health care (this individual clearly needed some), heated and violent rhetoric on both sides of the political aisle spring to mind as well. I just hope this incident doesn't give everybody an excuse to cut off our access to our elected officials for good. It would be the last step in turning the Beltway into a 21st Century Forbidden City.

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  3. Well said and I share your concern about extreme responses. I've been watching twitter with fascination and sometimes disgust. Public officials becoming even more 'out of touch' can only hurt everyone.

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Again, sorry about the Captcha, but the spam comments are getting out of hand.

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