First Lady Michelle Obama is offering advice to
parents who are struggling to help their children
understand the horrific Tucson massacre that
killed six and wounded 14, including Rep. Gabrielle
Giffords (D-Ariz.)
Mrs. Obama accompanied President Obama to
the Tucson memorial service for the victims
Wednesday at the University of Arizona, sitting
next to Mark Kelly, the NASA astronaut who is
Giffords' husband.
Her main advice: use the tragedy to teach kids
about faith, compassion, hope and community
service.
A White House official told Politics Daily, "It was
something she personally wanted to do and knew
exactly what she wanted to say. She decided to
do it before the memorial service."
Mrs. Obama's "open letter to parents" is posted at
whitehouse.gov.
MICHELLE OBAMA'S LETTER:
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.
Gambar 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 9 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
Source: Http://m.aol.com/politicsdaily/default/politicsDailyArticle.do?articleType=dailyguidance&url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/01/13/michelle-obamas-advice-to-parents-in-wake-of-tucson-shooting/
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