A Bill in Support of Standing Against Violence: A Candlelight Vigil for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
(Passed by the ASUC Senate, January 11, 2010.)
Authored by: Anais LaVoie, Jonathan Uriarte and Senator McDonald
Sponsored by: Senator Alabastro, Senator Bach, Senator Del Rosso, Senator Freeman, Senator Gong, Senator Horning, Senator Loomba, Senator McDonald, Senator Montouth, Senator Pham, Senator Salahi, Senator Youm, Senator Zhang, and Executive VP Nanxi Liu
WHEREAS, on Saturday, January 8, 2011 a mass shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 17 other people occurred outside a supermarket in Arizona where Rep. Giffords was meeting with constituents; and,
WHEREAS, Rep. Giffords and many others were wounded as a result of the attack while six were killed including Federal District Judge John M. Roll, nine-year-old Christina Greene, Giffords’ Director of Community Outreach Gabe Zimmerman, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard; and,
WHEREAS, although motives for the shooting are still unclear, evidence suggests that the shootings were planned and reflect shooter Jared Lee Loughner’s own hateful and violent political opinions; and,
WHEREAS, in light of the tragic violence the East Bay Young Democrats will be holding a candlelight vigil for Rep. Giffords and all the victims of Sunday’s senseless violence; and,
WHEREAS, the event will take place on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 5pm at the Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall; and,
WHEREAS, the event is co-sponsored by Cal Berkeley Democrats, Courage Campaign, CREDO Action, East Bay Young Democrats, City of Alameda Democratic Club, East Bay Democracy For America, NWPC-AN, South County Young Democrats, and the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club,
BE IT RESOLVED, that “Standing Against Violence: A Candlelight Vigil for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords” be an ASUC-Sponsored event; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC condemns shooter Jared Lee Loughner’s actions and the hateful rhetoric behind them; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the ASUC joins the campus community in calling for civility and a more respectful dialogue in the political process.