From Tucson forward

In a time of trauma, a well-delivered presidential speech can reassure, inspire and draw the nation together, and it should surprise no one that President Obama, master speaker, rose to the occasion last evening in Tucson, Arizona.

Being presidential also includes action:

• to protect the American people (gun control)
• to fight systemic racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia and transphobia and to foster and protect human rights
• to seek justice for victims of hate crimes
• to ensure adequate funding for mental health resources and universal access to quality mental health care
• to acknowledge that true civility rests upon a foundation of truth and trust and requires the defense of truth, not the promotion (and passive acceptance) of untruths as differing, equally valid points of view

We need a clear commitment from President Obama and our political leadership to fight for these things so that our healing as individuals and as a nation can go deeper and, in the long run, be more secure. We will move forward from Tucson with courage if we take action to address each of our problems at the source.