A year ago yesterday, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others were shot at the “Congress on Your Corner” that she was hosting in Tucson. Six people died.
The past few days have been filled with various tributes to the victims. And the big buzz around town was that Rep. Giffords would be attending the candlelight vigil on the University of Arizona campus.
Would she really be well enough to show up? Only way to find out was to head to the University of Arizona Mall and see for yourself. Around 3,500 people did.
Although this year’s January 8 commemoration didn’t attract the media encampment that last year’s shootings did, the satellite trucks were back in town…
The University of Arizona’s flagpole is located just west of where the candlelight vigil took place. As they were last year, the U.S. and Arizona flags were lowered to half staff…
People started arriving two hours before the 6:30 p.m. start. The seating in front of the media riser was reserved, but I didn’t hear the usual snark about all the important and wealthy dignitaries getting to sit near the stage…
After all, that reserved area wasn’t the sort of club that people craved membership in. You got to sit up there because you had some connection to the tragedy…
Due to safety concerns, real candles weren’t provided. Instead, we were given glow sticks that were to be lit at a certain time…
Sun sets, night falls, and the ceremony is about to begin…
The question on everyone’s minds was answered right away. Gabby was there with her husband, Mark Kelly, and she led the Pledge of Allegiance. She also participated in the on-stage candle lighting ceremony that honored the wounded and the deceased.
Then it was our turn…
