GOP leader praises Obama’s response to tragedy

We should all give thanks today for the words of President Barack Obama. Amid the pain, the heartbreak and the anger that has followed the horrific events here in Tucson, President Obama reminded us that above all else this is a personal tragedy.

We cannot point fingers and spread blame. We cannot assume that any of us know the motives of an obviously disturbed young man, and I am tremendously heartened that the President said we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath of these events. As I have said all along, we must allow time for our families and our community to heal, and victims of this heinous act to mourn.

Now is not the time for accusations and angry rhetoric. It is not the time for hasty and ill-considered reactions. In the wake of 9/11, our Congress and indeed our nation rushed to counter a threat we knew little about. And many of the actions we took at that time have had far-reaching and widely unintended consequences.

When we have all had time to strengthen ourselves once again, then it will be time, as the President said, to examine and challenge our assumptions—to have a rational discussion in the light of day. Our response must be thoughtful and measured, not pressured and reactive.

Yet if there is one lesson from this event, it is that we cannot disregard the impact of our words and actions. At the same time, we should not be any less strong in our convictions.  Our beliefs and principles can and should continue to guide us in everything we do.

America was founded on strong and principled disagreement. Our differences can divide us, but they also unite us. We should never forget those who were affected by this tragedy, but we also cannot forget the principles of liberty, democracy and civilized debate upon which our nation was founded.

Brian Miller is chairman of the Pima County Republican Party.

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