Living Up To Our Kids’ Expectations
Posted January 13th, 2011 by Kristin Rowe-FinkbeinerLast night was the memorial for nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green and the other victims of the January 8th tragedy, which killed six and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life. I’m still stunned with sadness by the horrible events of last Saturday.
As the mother of two children, one around the age of Christina who’s attended similar Congressional events with me, I ache for the families.
What President Obama said in the memorial service last night resonated deeply:
“I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.” [1]
We stand behind the President’s call last night of doing everything we can to make sure our country lives up to our children’s expectations.
As mothers, fathers, and grandparents we have a unique and powerful voice, and now is the time to make our voices heard in a united call for kindness, decency, and goodness in our democracy.
For one small, first step toward increased national civility and unity in our democracy, Sen. Mark Udall is proposing that members of both political parties sit next to each other at this year’s State of the Union address set for January 25th, instead of using the normal seating pattern which is divided by party. [2] It’s past time to remember that we’re more than just “elephants vs. donkeys.”
Join me in signing our open letter asking every member of Congress to honor Christina Taylor Green, along with the other victims of the January 8th tragedy, and all of our children by living up to their expectations for a kind, decent, and fair democracy. Urge Congress to start in this direction with the small, first step of Republicans and Democrats sitting together during the State of the Union.
http://action.momsrising.org/sign/01-13-11_State_Of_The_Union1/
(And when you sign on, feel free to also take a moment to share what more you think members of Congress can do to live up to a democracy as fair and just as our nation’s children imagine it. We’ll share your comments with top Republican and Democrat leaders in the House and Senate.)
“It’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds,” President Obama said during the memorial last night. In that pause, let’s urge Congress to take a small first step forward toward talking together across party lines.
Don’t forget to sign our open letter now urging members of Congress to live up to the expectations that our children have for a kind, decent democracy. Urge them to start in this direction by sitting with both parties mixed together during the State of the Union–and feel free to share your thoughts about what more Congress can do too if you have time:
http://action.momsrising.org/sign/01-13-11_State_Of_The_Union1/
*Please also click that red “Share this Post” link at the bottom of this post so friends and family can see this blogpost, sign the petition and share their ideas for what else members of Congress can do to live up to our children’s idea of a fair and just democracy.
President Obama closed his speech last night speaking again of Christina. He said, “…we place our hands over our hearts, and commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.”
Thank you for working with us to build a nation that’s worthy of all our children’s expectations.
- Kristin, Joan, Mary, Sarah, Donna, Ruth, Ashley, Julie, Anita, Julissa, Nanette, and the MomsRising Team
[1] New York Times, January 13, 2011
[2] CNN, Political Ticker blog, January 12, 2011, Washington Post, 1/12/2011
Cross posted at the Huffington Post.
8 Comments
January 17, 2011 at 8:37 pm by Mo JordanTo those who responded in a divided manner need to read Senator John McCains op ed on the said issue. Civil debate is a real and sound issue to discuss. I have attended alot of events over the past 2 years with my 8 year old daughter helping and listening and learning the process as well. She gets excited about what we are doing to help others in need. I cannot imagine the pain this family is feeling at this time. An effort to try and live/walk/talk more civil is not doing this family or any other decent American person harm. It is only a magnet to attract and bring out the best in our congress and who we are as USA citizens. We can discuss our issues with sound arguments(no matter who the party leader is). Mental illness is real and the dark evils of that were acted upon by this gunman.
As stated by MLK ” The time is always right to do what is right.
Prayer and Blessings
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Anita Reply:
January 18th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
@Mo – Thank you for your lovely comment. I especially like your idea that we the people can bring out the best in our leaders.
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I read in the Washington Post that this week in Congress was one of the most civil ever. As Members of Congress reel from last Saturday’s horrific events, they put aside the vitriol and agreed that they could disagree but that they shouldn’t let differences become demonizing. I was so moved by President Obama’s speech last night and agree that finger pointing has no place right now, but we can learn some lessons here and indeed try to live up to our children’s expectations of us. I second @Maryanne’s idea that divided seating be abolished for all meetings and like that the first such meeting would be the State of the Union.
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January 13, 2011 at 5:14 pm by Sarah@ Maryann- I like your idea of adopting mixed seating for every meeting. I think changing the political tone is going to take a lot of work on both sides. Democrats are just as guilty as some Republican in adding anger to the tone of our political discourse. But, I disagree with one of your points: I think the state of the step of sitting next to each other during the State of the Union is a great symbolic first step of working together.
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January 13, 2011 at 4:28 pm by MaryannIt is a shame that politicians and politically active groups should use this personal tragedy for political gain. It should come as no surprise that Senator Mark Udall is a Democrat. His call for “members of both political parties sit next to each other at this year’s State of the Union address” instead of in the normal segregated seating pattern shows how desperate liberals are. They do not want to look forlorn. They do not want America’s rejection of this administration’s policies to be so visually evident. If congress adopted a policy whereby EVERY meeting has no divided seating, that would be a true call to set aside partisanship. But in the spirit of “Rom-Emanuelism”, they do not want this crisis to go to waste. There aren’t enough Democrats to pair up with Republicans, anyway!
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Claire Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@Maryann, I think it’s unfortunate that a call for civility and kindness be met with further negativity. Liberals are forlorn. So are Republicans. So are parents, imagining the unthinkable loss Christina Taylor Green’s parents are experiencing. So are politicians and people of all political stripes who, only a week later, are still reeling from the events of last Saturday, still wondering how it could have been prevented, still hoping there’s a way we can make a change so something like this doesn’t happen again. And so am I. That’s why I’m signing this open letter asking Congress to take a first step towards changing the political dialogue and transforming our country into the kind and decent democracy our children deserve.
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Anita Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
@Claire- thanks for writing this. I agree- how could one continue to ratchet up the negativity when we remember Christina Taylor Green and her parents? Sitting next to each other would be taking the first step to show civility. The first step of hopefully many. This obviously doesn’t preclude vigorous honest debate, but sets the tone for a debate that moves us forward instead of wallowing in partisan bickering.
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Anonymous Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
@Claire, It is a shame that this tragedy continues to be used as a political soapbox. The call for civility and kindness in Congress has nothing to do with this senseless murder. I feel for the parents, who must now add the political posturing which surrounds them to their emotional turmoil.
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