An Open Letter to Parents Following the Tragedy in Tucson, By First Lady Michelle Obama

[jefferson_dem]

An Open Letter to Parents Following the Tragedy in Tucson
Posted by First Lady Michelle Obama on January 13, 2011 at 06:07 PM EST

Dear parents,

Like so many Americans all across the country, Barack and I were shocked and heartbroken by the horrific act of violence committed in Arizona this past weekend. Yesterday, we had the chance to attend a memorial service and meet with some of the families of those who lost their lives, and both of us were deeply moved by their strength and resilience in the face of such unspeakable tragedy.

As parents, an event like this hits home especially hard. It makes our hearts ache for those who lost loved ones. It makes us want to hug our own families a little tighter. And it makes us think about what an event like this says about the world we live in – and the world in which our children will grow up.

In the days and weeks ahead, as we struggle with these issues ourselves, many of us will find that our children are struggling with them as well. The questions my daughters have asked are the same ones that many of your children will have – and they don’t lend themselves to easy answers. But they will provide an opportunity for us as parents to teach some valuable lessons – about the character of our country, about the values we hold dear, and about finding hope at a time when it seems far away.

We can teach our children that here in America, we embrace each other, and support each other, in times of crisis. And we can help them do that in their own small way – whether it’s by sending a letter, or saying a prayer, or just keeping the victims and their families in their thoughts.

We can teach them the value of tolerance – the practice of assuming the best, rather than the worst, about those around us. We can teach them to give others the benefit of the doubt, particularly those with whom they disagree.

We can also teach our children about the tremendous sacrifices made by the men and women who serve our country and by their families. We can explain to them that although we might not always agree with those who represent us, anyone who enters public life does so because they love their country and want to serve it.

Christina Green felt that call. She was just nine years old when she lost her life. But she was at that store that day because she was passionate about serving others. She had just been elected to her school’s student council, and she wanted to meet her Congresswoman and learn more about politics and public life.

And that’s something else we can do for our children – we can tell them about Christina and about how much she wanted to give back. We can tell them about John Roll, a judge with a reputation for fairness; about Dorothy Morris, a devoted wife to her husband, her high school sweetheart, to whom she’d been married for 55 years; about Phyllis Schneck, a great-grandmother who sewed aprons for church fundraisers; about Dorwan Stoddard, a retired construction worker who helped neighbors down on their luck; and about Gabe Zimmerman, who did community outreach for Congresswoman Giffords, working tirelessly to help folks who were struggling, and was engaged to be married next year. We can tell them about the brave men and women who risked their lives that day to save others. And we can work together to honor their legacy by following their example – by embracing our fellow citizens; by standing up for what we believe is right; and by doing our part, however we can, to serve our communities and our country.

Sincerely,

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is the First Lady of the United States

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/13/open-letter-parents-following-tragedy-tucson

[slackmaster]

1. K and enthusiastic R

:kick:

[northoftheborder]

2. A wonderful letter.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. First she tells us what to feed our kids and now she tells us how to raise them!!

Just beating the wingnuts to the punch on this one.

Wonderful letter, BTW. :)

[bigwillq]

4. K and R (nt)

[Jefferson23]

5. The value of tolerance..well said. The RW will bash her for the implication

they don't tolerate..even though it's true.

Nice job Michelle.

[Tsiyu]

8. you are so right

er...left :D

"Civility" now means "Criminalizing conservatism" and "tolerance" means "my right to discriminate against others is being infringed."

I agree, nice job.

The pic and all the others move me to tears again

[BlueIris]

6. I'm glad she chose to mention the other victims.

But as with almost all things now said by the president and first lady, I find this to be more like a political ad than a statement of condolence. Maybe it's the repetitive and superficial nature of this letter, but I feel like it's inappropriate to use a little girl's death as a teachable moment.

[Hestia]

11. So when is the proper time when a shooting like this becomes a teachable moment?

It's the NOT teaching that we find ourselves, collectively, in this time of grief and shock. Every moment is a teaching moment when it comes to children - the good, the bad and the ugly.

[BlueMTexpat]

13. So, should her death simply be swept under the rug?

Kids ask questions - how would YOU respond, if you don't find Michelle's commments "appropriate?"

As a former teacher and a current parent/grandparent, I like to utilize "teachable moments" whenever and wherever I can.

[Tx4obama]

7. [phone] K & R n/t

[simmonsj811]

9. K&R

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Tx4obama]

10. Bump. n/t

[progressoid]

12. k/r