As the nation mourns the horrific shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday that left six people dead and 14 wounded, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, those of us who reside in Kirkwood have been handed a chilling reminder of our own tragedy.
The result of madman gunman Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton’s rampage at a city-zoning meeting on a cold February night in 2008 was eerily similar to that in Tucson: six people dead and more wounded. Like Rep. Giffords, Mayor Mike Swoboda was shot in the head, yet survived. He would battle back to attend the final city council meeting of his term before he died on Sept. 6, 2008.
Today, you must pass through a metal detector at Kirkwood’s City Hall, and there’s a larger police presence at public meetings, but surviving elected officials and citizens refuse to let the tragedy frighten them. City meetings of importance are still well-attended. Mayor Art McDonnell and council members often appear in public. They immediately reached out to all Kirkwoodians in the aftermath of the shootings.
Now, in the wake of the Tuscon shootings, members of Congress are discussing how they can safely interact with constituents in the future.
As they do, they must also realize that being an elected official at any level is not about being a star; it’s more important than backing a political philosophy, a president, or those that keep money flowing into campaign coffers. They must keep in mind that there's risk in representing others.
A crazed individual with a gun could always be at the next town hall meeting. But if you sign on to serve government in an elected capacity, you are declaring that you will stand up to the threats—domestic or foreign—and are willing to sacrifice your life to prove that our government will never cower in fear from fools.
