Amid all the sorrow in Tucson, where a nine-year-old child was buried today, miracles are happening. Gabrielle Giffords is opening her eyes of her own accord, apparently recognizing those around her, responding to directions by moving her arms and legs, and even sitting up and dangling her feet off the side of her hospital bed. Her doctors, who profess their astonishment, are being greeted like conquering heroes.
So, it looks like what began as a submicroscopic hope that the wounded Congresswoman might recover is growing into a credible possibility, maybe even a probability.
Sadly, the demented wretch who wrought all this misery will never recover, nor presumably will his parents, whose lives have been destroyed by their only child’s mental illness as surely as his has.
Meanwhile, lunatics are climbing out of the woodwork and cockroaches crawling from beneath refrigerators all across the land. Three local Republican stalwarts resigned their elected posts, alarmed by the irrational violence and fed up with the nastiness that pervades Arizona politics, even within the party. You don’t have to be a Democrat here to become a target of flying vitriol.
Sarah Palin, she of the infamous crosshairs, has found herself the target of threats from dangerous-sounding fruitcakes—how many and of what nature, we don’t know, but we’re willing to believe her alarm. The poor ill-educated soul created another flap in trying to defend herself, in her ignorance choosing an amazingly inappropriate term to describe the criticism aimed at her over the misbegotten crosshair map publicity tool. It’s a terrifying situation. Much as some of us wish she would feel inspired to run for the Anchorage City Dogcatcher’s office, no sane person wants any harm to come to her. Let’s all hope and pray she stays safe.
Hope and pray we all stay safe: these are the times that bring the crazies into the daylight. Whenever some madman or child lets loose with a fusillade, he seems to be followed by a host of imitators. You can hardly blame Legislative District 20 Chairman Anthony Miller for knowing when to fold ’em, as his wife worries that the local right-wing activists will take pot-shots at their home. But as immediate threats, the vocal extremists can’t hold a candle to the silent sickos, known only to a few around them and isolated from psychiatric care by a dysfunctional healthcare system.
All things pass, they say. Let’s hope the present disaster passes soon, and without further incident.