I just got back from walking my dog, the one that survived the africanized bee attack a few weeks ago. I walk her after dark as in Tucson it takes a few hours to cool off enough in the evening for me to want to take a quick jog around the neighborhood. It is 9 pm and 91 degrees.
UMC is just down the street and a helicopter took off from the helipad on the roof while we were walking. I cannot see that sight, even a year and a half later, without thinking of that January day when Tucson changed forever. Tonight that memory was very close to the surface with today’s special election to fill Gabby Giffords’ seat for the rest of her term until this fall and the regular Congressional election.
The two major party contenders and a green party candidate vied for her old seat.
Ron Barber, the Democratic candidate, who was also shot twice on January 8,2011, is ahead as I write this, 53 to 45 percent with half of the votes in. This percentage has held fairly steady for the last hour. I’m breathing a bit easier. Jesse Kelly, the Republican candidate, is to the right of even most Tea Bag Types. He ran against Gabby in 2010 in what was a very, very close election. He hosted the target practice with automatic weaponry that “targeted” Gabby in what I still believe was one of the ugly acts that tainted the atmosphere and energy in Tucson that a very disturbed young man picked up on and interpreted as encouragement to act that horrible Winter day. I attended debates where there were Kelly supporters in Nazi attire.
The white supremacist in Arizona politics is, unfortunately, common enough to bring many individuals and groups to mind at its mention. J. T. Reading, an avowed Neo-Nazi, was running for Pinal County Sheriff when he killed his family and himself earlier this year. Reading was Russell Pearce’s buddy, before Pearce was recalled as Arizona Senate member and president. The border militias that have much in common with the Tea Party, have Nazi and Aryan connections as the trials for murders of a family in Arivaca showed. And of course there is the northern Arizona connection with Tim McVeigh. This shit is real. In this state the border militias, neo-nazis, ultra-conservatives, mingle with the conservatives in what I find to be a very disturbing manner. RNC money was backing Jesse Kelly like he was a good Republican.
Ron Barber has been declared the winner, Kelly has conceded, and Barber has given his acceptance speech. Gabby is right on stage with Ron. There is chanting of “Gabby” from the audience. It signals a bit of closure for us here.
I have made no bones about not being aligned with the Blue Dog Democrat that Gabby was in Congress. But she was my representative. There was an assassination attempt on her life. I was at the UMC vigil the day of the shooting. Tucson came together in a way that was amazing, for her and all the injured, and for those we lost. The event changed us all and political nuances became completely unimportant. Citizens came together to support a public servant who had nearly given her life.
For me, this election has been an extension of the journey we Tucsonans and Southern Arizonans all began 18 months ago. Gabby next to Ron on that stage tonight was the best closing of this particular circle within Arizona history that could have happened.
I’m breathing so much easier tonight than I have since it became obvious that national money, Rove and the RNC, was coming in early on to support the extremist right wing candidate Kelly, complete with his High School diploma and construction experience in his father’s company.
But the November elections are fast approaching and Kelly will probably run again. The redistricting changes the districts for this fall’s elections a bit.
Gonna March, Gonna Dance!
The think I like about women’s activism is that it is like a bouncy session on a trampoline. I visualize it as women standing on a web or net that overlays a map of the country or globe. As a woman here or there becomes less active and sinks to a less active level, other raise up, and some are just bouncing like mad up to sky in near manic activity.
Women’s networks are amazing!
I’m going back to D.C. for a few days, the first time in almost three years, to catch up with all things PINK at the national level and to represent my family and friends in the OneNation March in D.C. on October 2nd.
We all do what we can, and I have to tell the current admin that we are demanding the change for which we voted and worked. Drones are criminal. War is not the answer to anything. Education and jobs and taking care of people are what we need — NOT corporate and mega-wealthy tax breaks and propping up the military industrial complex. Jobs from war funding are tainted jobs.
In a way it is sort of sad as I will be missing a great Pink & Green event here in Tucson, more on that later, but I will be reporting back often from D.C. with tweets, posts, pics and more.
I will also be dancing the night away at Poets & Busboys with Alice Walker and CODEPINK supporters.
I’m staying in a hotel and if there are any snorers who don’t mind bunking in a double with another snorer (major!) then contact me about rooming. I get dibs on soaking my feet after a day of marching and dancing though!
Woot! Woot!
Couldn’t get into my dashboard for the longest time! I’m finally back on Blogger and will be posting up a storm! Why? Because I’m headed to D.C. — again — for a month of civic participation as a CODEPINK Activist. Just got a $200 roundtrip fair via Priceline. Will be staying at a CODEPINK house currently being set up. I’m gonna MARCH, I’m gonna LOBBY, and I’m going to be the pink thorn that irritates the status quo on Capitol Hill for the next month. Woo Hoo!
And you know what? I’m not the only Arizonan going. You could be there too. Join us! Heck-a-roonie…. even MoveOn.org sent out an email encouraging members to come to D.C. and march or join a local protest. This isn’t the “official” graphic for the march…. but who cares? This one is too good not to use!