CNN is live streaming here.
NPR’S News Line will host live coverage of the Memorial here.
Several memorials are planned Wednesday for the victims of the shooting rampage in Tucson that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
On Wednesday evening, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend a public memorial service in Tucson entitled “Together We Thrive: Tucson and America.” The president will address the gathering and the nation in the live televised event at the University of Arizona. Preliminary details on the event are available here.
The White House said President Obama would meet privately with the victims’ families before the service
The NewsHour will have live streaming online coverage of the service in a special report starting at 8 p.m ET.
Pictured on the left is Christina Taylor Green. She is the youngest victim of the shooter. We encourage donations to the memorial fund established in her name by her family.
Here are the ways to make a donation in memory of Christina:
- Online at www.cfsoaz.org – click on the link to the Christina Taylor Green Memorial Fund.
- E-mail christinataylorgreenmemorial@cfsoaz.org
- Call (520) 545-0313.
- Send a check to: The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, In Memory of Christina Taylor Green, 2250 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85719
In a moment of sanity, members of the hate group Westboro Baptist church agreed not to picket her funeral. They will be showing up at the funerals of the adult victims including Judge Roll. Here are some interesting details.
The Steve Sanchez Radio Show on KXXT AM in Phoenix offered the group 30 minutes on his show on Saturday in exchange for not protesting at Green’s funeral. The deal was established through an e-mail exchange, which was forwarded to CNN.
Other members of congress attending include House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The First Lady will be accompanying the president. There are representatives from the Judiciary. Senator John McCain is there. Former SCOTUS judge Sandra Day O’Connor is to the right of the President.
We will post updates and links here as they become available.
Comments
138 responses to “Live Blog: Tucson Memorial”
What a genuine and sweet smile in that picture! My heart goes out to her family. To see so much potential cut short is a true tragedy.
The head of Arizona University is talking right now.
Student University President talking. She’s accompanied by a fellow student–Daniel Hernandez–that was at the scene.
Daniel Hernadez is now speaking.
He’s started by saying E Pluribus Unum … trying to say we’re all Americans …
very rousing response he’s inspiring
He was great!
I’d say those two students have careers in politics in their plans.
Actually sort’ve sounding like a political rally at the moment.
He’s saying all public servants are the heroes.
Governor Brewer is up next.
Governor Brewer is speaking about the victims. She’s mentioned Gabe Zimmerman and Christina Taylor Green.
She’s saying the state won’t be shredded by one mad man’s act of darkness. She says the state was formed based on prayer and faith among other things.
She just said the state would go forward with prayer. She’s ending with a God bless list.
Where is the Speaker of the House John Boehner?
Speaker of the House Boehner Is Hosting an RNC Cocktail Party
The ‘Cocktail Party’ Speaker of The House??? Holy Smoke…not good…not good at all.
That is just plain tacky…a cocktail party…a cock for sure.
Janet Napaltano is up next.
She received more applause than Brewer. She’s reading from the old testament. It’s the Wait on the Lord Oh Israel admonition …
Attorney General Eric Holder is up. Mixed applause.
He’s reading from one of the Paul letters with Jesus references
President Obama is being introduced in glowing terms.
Okay, this is where the President gets to set the tone. I’m sure this will be seen as an important speech.
What’s with all the cheering and applause when he’s talking about mourning?
Is that the way memorial services are done now?
They’ve been applauding every one so far. I think I even heard a few hoots at Holder.
Sounds like a political rally.
It’s fine that there’s cheering for the survivors like Gabby or Hernandez at the scene, but the rest is really annoying.
Wow, saying he’ll stand by us with no expression in his face.
He said “I’ve come here tonight as an American, who kneels in prayer tonight and will stand with you tomorrow.”
It’s a speech that using a bunch a verbs that say not only you, but every one is joined …
Now he’s talking about an old testament reference to a river and a city on the hill …
guess he has been reading Reagan.
ugh! This is awful. Bring out Biden, Biden knows how to do memorials and eulogies.
He’s giving a tribute to Gabby Giffords and saying that the quintessential american scene of democracy shattered was by gunmen’s bullets … now he’s mentioning the judge
He’s now talking about the elderly couple and how George tried to shield his wife.
He’s talking about the seniors that died. Two husbands died shielding their wives. Also, a senior woman who was a snow bird from NJ.
Except for getting to say “be boyfriend and girlfriend again” he sounds bored.
Hmm, he’s doing a good (for him) job with the part of his speech about Christina Green… he’s perked up significantly.
nevermind. It lasted like 25 seconds.
He’s talking about Giffords’ communication director and next Christina.
He’s telling a story about Giffords and FLOTUS is hugging her husband in comfort.
He’s saying she opened her eyes today. GOOD NEWS!
They’re introducing all the people that tried to stop the gunman before he could do any more harm. There’s an abundance of applause and cheering.
He’s at the elderly lady who grabbed the gun while she was on the floor.
and now thanking the doctors and nurses.
He’s talking about Heroism being here and not only on the battlefield.
Did he just smirk while clapping for the responders? Oy.
Okay, what besides our prayers is required of us in the future and ‘be true’ to their memory?
Part of our nature to demand explanations and make sense out of that which is senseless … national conversation …
gun safety laws, adequacy of mental health system, what can be done to prevent such tragedies in the future?
essential ingredient in exercise of self governance
talking about laying the blame on sharp discourse and those we disagree with …
talk with a way that heals and not in a way that wounds
“Adequacy of our mental health system,” well it’s just a fleeting mention on his part but at least he mentioned it. Palin only talked about evil.
Talk is cheap … let’s see him fight for funding
I agree. I was just pointing out the rhetorical difference–the right operates in terms of black and white good and evil, whereas Dems will give lipservice to something more than that.
Sadly, the results aren’t much different either way.
Actually, following journalist’s tweets is a little more interesting than this for any of you that aren’t doing that …
we cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence
challenge old ways to lessen the chances of this happening in the future
do not use this as one more occasion to turn on each other …
that we cannot do and a lot of applause
don’t point fingers, assign blame, expand our moral imaginations? (wtf is that?)
“moral imaginations?” What does that mean?
you got me. Besides all the old testament river talk, that’s the first thing that made me stop listening until I forced myself back … wtf is that?
Our hopes and dreams are bound together
“None of us could have known” (referring to what caused this to happen)
Aye yi yi.
We don’t necessarily have to know what caused it! Grr. If Loughner had not had access to a gun, this wouldn’t have happened. Isn’t that enough to know?
Reflect present and future as well as look back at the past, nuture the relationships of those still with us
“Sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward,”
We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness …
(bad me … I’ve got Talking heads in my head now …)
I’m sorry, this we are an american family of 300 million strong is getting a bit maudlin to me. He’s trying to assign each of the victims to ‘family roles’.
I was just about to say pretty much the same. That “300 million strong” “American family” and the “look backward/forward” were cringeworthy.
Wow, you’re doing a wonderful job of reporting the speech. I’m so glad I didn’t watch/listen though.
It was kind’ve a national ‘don’t feed the trolls speech’
with a wouldn’t it be nice if we were all the Huxtables and the Nelsons thrown in
I’d describe it as a remix of his “let’s bring hope back” stump speeches spliced with eulogy soundbytes.
Yeah, me too.
Here’s Obama’s speech: http://slate.me/eSoBMI #tucson
in Christina we see all of our children …
I dunno … this part isn’t working for me
he was more animated during that part of the speech but see I didn’t even hear him say that part. I just heard him talking about how much potential she had, rattling off things, and then he trailed off into dullness again.
Wondering who wrote his speech.
Hillary? Bill?
Favreau? Hillary or Bill wouldn’t write this kind of a speech.
Okay, he’s really lost me now. He’s talking about the Ozzie and Harriet Type of family and not the kind of american family like the loughners and the mansons. You can’t wrap this up in a come together
I’m waiting for Tiny Tim to come out and say god bless us every one now …
he switched to an easy idea
“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.”
He’s back on Christina and her trek to go visit a Congresswoman and how she’s a tabula rosa.
“I want to live up to her expectations”
Well, he’s moved FLOTUS to tears.
She obviously sees her daughters in Christina.
Close your eyes.
He’s a fucking hypocrite!
Okay, you can open them now.
He’s reading from the book about the babies born on 9/11/01 and their hopes and dreams
He says he wants us to live up to our children’s expectations. That’s a good, unifying thought.
The one part that really left me feeling weird was the big American family of 300 million (plus what 233 million guns?)
it sounds like he’s looking for Ozzie and Harriet and the Huxtables but forgetting the Loughners and the Manson family
Horrified at the whoops, hollers and cheers at what is supposed to be a memorial service. Hopefully the University will teach manners next semester.
Yeah, that was a bit off putting to me for awhile. I expected a more somber mood.
University Pres asks for a moment of silence followed by a musical selection
It’s over.
I think it was a very superficial speech, especially with all the political rally applause, but I’m sure it will be hailed as brilliant.
yeah, that’s what’s going on with the tweets I’m seeing ….
35 minute speech.
standing ovation
Thanks for live blogging.
See you on campus!
Now we get a poem. To the New Year.
I thought it was nicely done and everyone seemed very touched and the words were heartfelt. Any hoo, that is what we felt here and were over the top with the blessing. 🙂
You liked O’s speech? or the poem?
I’m reading the tweets. So far the progressive village is best speech eveh! But the opposite from the right. Guess we’re not the Nelsons and the Huxtables after all
One good piece of news … Gabriel Gifford opened her eyes for the first time per Obama.
Maybe I’ve become too cynical for prime time but I find it hard to believe she happened to open her eyes for the first time when The One visited.
Somehow reminds me of all those people fainting during his rallies.
Evidently, Pelosi, Gillibrand, Wasserman Schultz and her husband, Mark … were there with doctors. Gillibrand says Giffords squeezed her hand and stroked her hand. It’s a real story. Guess they were all there talking about taking her out for beers and stuff …
Husband mark told her to give him the thumbs up sign and she lifted her hand …
Gillibrand is being interviewed by AC right now on it.
I don’t doubt she opened her eyes yesterday.
What I thought was disingenuous and typical Obama was framing it as he did: “right after we went to visit …”; seemed to me like another framing of the myth of The One We’ve Been Waiting For.
Ah… The narcissistic language
The thing that worries me is how everyone is talking about this as if Giffords is going to recover fully. She might, but the bullet went through the left side of her brain. There is likely damage to language areas. She might not be able to speak or may have other kinds of language deficits.
If the bullet damaged her frontal lobes there could be personality changes and other problems. She will be like someone recovering from a stroke. The brain is very plastic, but she may not fully recover and it will take time to know for sure.
Except that wasn’t true. From what I read (politico) she was brought out of her medication-induced coma and then put back into it..like they did a couple of days ago.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0111/Reports_Giffords_recognizes_husband.html?showall
But that doesn’t fit the narrative.
So change the story to one that’ll get applause. And further the subliminal notion that Obama is fixing things.
Pretending it’s true is the same as truth, right? If we say it forcefully enough, cheer loudly enough, repeat it often enough then the pretended version becomes a fact.
Everybody says so.
Right?
And *now* I’m reading that yes indeed she *did* wake up on her own. It’s confusing as hell.
Wouldn’t it be nice if people just told the truth?
We really have to dig these days to get to the simplest facts.
Hence the web. At least we’re doing it here as a group and have a better chance of some of us coming up with it.
Here’s a nice point:
Didn’t he launch into that 300 strong BS right around that time? That wasn’t worthy of those we lost.
phielps abd westboro whackos will be in san diego this weekend to picket a high school production of the laramie project (mathew shepherd). SD residents are looking at it as a ‘teachable moment”.
Apparently phelps agreed not to picket Christina’s funeral in exchange for media air time, but he will picket the judge’s funeral.
yes … see above. A radio station offered them 1/2 hour if they’d not do that. It was your basic business deal.
Even Paul Begala says this isn’t a ‘transformative’ speech. Some one said the Republican media was being polite and nice on it.
All the TV talking heads last night claimed the speech was “transformative.” I’m starting to hate that word….
Long and preachy.
yep, and short on depth
They’re also talking about the Palin video. Dubya’s speech right Michael Gerson just called her Spiro Agnew.
PERSPECTIVE:
Obama spoke for 33 minutes…
Reagan after Challenger (4 mins)
Clinton after OKC (9 mins).
I was 4 years old at the time of Reagan’s and 14 years old at the time of Clinton’s. I remember them both (and I never understood the Reagan worship even as a kid.)
Who besides those directly affected will remember Obama’s speech twenty-five years from now?
Hard to know. I think Reagan’s Legacy is not aging well.
I never ever thought I’d live to see the day that The Doors would be featured on PBS American Masters
I hope Reagan’s legacy is revealed for the social darwinism-with-a-sunshine-next-to-it that it is, but I think the ‘surly bonds’ speech is something that will stick out in memory for those who were around. It wasn’t generic.
Lincoln at Gettysburg, 246 words long…
Yup. And he did it in a cemetery, not a university stadium … actually weren’t some of the bodies still being buried or reburied at the scene too? Can’t remember for certain.
Yes, the bodies were disinterred to move them to the cemetery. I just cannot believe the overall theme of this memorial. It seems holding it in a stadium, with all that applause and hoots, and a lecture from Obama…I don’t know, just feels real strange. I am glad I did not see it.
dakinikat
January 12, 2011 8:47 pm
yes … see above. A radio station offered them 1/2 hour if they’d not do that. It was your basic business deal.
————-
omg! This is where I read that bit about phelps!! lolol So sorry. :::: blush::::
Reading the log tells me it was alright to miss the best speech evah. You’ve done a magnificent job of recapping and sharing your impressions. If I thought O could deliver thoughtful soothing words, I would have made an effort to watch him.
I would have liked him to talk about the people and why the loss impacts each one of us, and the strength we can give to the injured and the families who hurt right now. And tell those in Tucson that at times like these perceived division dissolve. He should have left out everything else, especially Loughner. It sounds like the speech he gave could have been better delivered from the Oval Office.
I have missed a lot of stuff, now to get caught up…
I wound up listening to a panel on AC 360 dissect the speech because I lost the video feed at one point. Had to turn on the TV. But I thought I’d put this link up and quote something by a Republican speech writer for Dubya because it was interesting. Also, that Cooper found the pep rally atmosphere disconcerting too.
Regarding the applause, there is a post about this a Huffpo:
Thomas de Zengotita: Obama in Tucson: The Question of the Applause
I just caught this little tidbit:
Obama speech undercuts federal charge for judge’s murder – Josh Gerstein – POLITICO.com
I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d do a little catching up since I didn’t get a chance to Sky Dance today.
My hubby stumbled upon the memorial tonight – I wandered into the room as O was speaking – I asked what he was speechifying about – hubby said it was the memorial for those killed in AZ – ‘A memorial?’ what’s all the cheering and clapping and his rhetoric about? – “I guess he saw it as another opportunity for a speech”
Never a lost moment.
I didn’t watch the memorial but was on a blog where some were and some weren’t watching it. The ones who did watch it were sort of askance at the whoots and clapping and cheers.
Someone posted a shot at the arena and of the t shirts that were draped over the seats. Looks like everyone who showed got a t-shirt!
Can you find a link to that picture? I can’t and I’d like to see it.
Thanks.
zaladonis, try this:
http://uppitywoman08.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/442818.jpg
Sweet.
Thanks my friend.
I just wanted to add some information here. The T shirts came from the University.
I still think it is tacky.
I question the University President’s gravitas frankly.
Good grief. Go to a funeral, get a t shirt? Ok, ok, it wasn’t technically a funeral. Go to a eulogy, get a t shirt?
It’s like a rock tour. Now showing, ‘the greatest eulogy ever, with free t shirts!’