Representative Giffords and the folks in Arizona

Upon hearing about the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords, my first thoughts were, "Oh, no, I hope this is not a view of events to come." Any of you that is old enough to remember the killings of the Kennedys, Dr. King or Malcolm X knows that feeling of lost control the entire country endured at that time in history. We have to remember that as emotional as issues may become, the  only way that we change laws or make laws is through the ballot box or courts . We can be contentious on issues and we may be divided on the outcome, but once the decision is made we move forward. Words have consequences and we have to be careful that our words do not inflame issues to the point that they push people to change the course of our nation with violence. We should all keep the Congresswomen, the federal judge, the nine year old child and their families in our prayers. Let us also pray that our nation can have civil discussions on issues and keep the rhetoric to a minimum.