Ten years after a mass shooting claimed the lives of six people and wounded 13 others, including then U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the anniversary of the tragedy was commemorated with a memorial dedication at the Historic County Courthouse in downtown Tucson. The January 8 Memorial, formally named Embrace, honors the victims, survivors and first responders of that day.
In the immediate months following the shooting in 2011, as the community took steps to heal, it gave rise to the National Institute for Civil Discourse. Over the last decade, the institute has focused on promoting and teaching meaningful ways to discuss our differences. The importance of that mission was underscored this week when a mob of the president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. The institute’s executive director Keith Allred discussed how those events play into deepening political divides and solutions that individuals can undertake.
Arizona 360 also heard from former Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, who put politics aside and literally crossed the aisle to support then Congresswoman Giffords on her road to recovery. Flake memorably sat with other House Democrats next to Giffords during the 2012 State of the Union Address. He reflected on his actions then and shared his views about bipartisanship on Capitol Hill.
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