Giffords' Unexpected Goodbye

 I could not believe the news of Gabrielle Giffords' resignation from Congress. She endured the worst year anyone could hope to survive and it seemed her rehabilitation had moved along.

She could have lingered in her congressional seat; the circumstances of her injury would have made her a formidable if not insurmountable incumbent. But I believe Giffords proved herself better than that. In her message, she attributes her departure to do what is right for Arizona. During her rehab, her appearances under the Capitol have been scarce but memorable (the debt ceiling vote).

Moreover, she ended her stint in Congress by finishing the meeting with her constituents that had been horrifically interrupted a year earlier.

It was hard to root against Giffords. One terrible day changed her live forever. Doing what a member of Congress should - appearing in an open public forum for constituents - nearly ended her life. Jared Le Loughner allegedly killed six people, including a conservative Arizona judge and a nine-year-old girl, and wounded 13others, including the congresswoman (The journalist in me requires use of the word "allegedly").


The struggle still rides on her voice; just listen to the resignation video. The words are heartfelt, even as Giffords must push through the impact of traumatic brain injuries. I hard a tough time finishing it with a dry eye.

Think about what change for Giffords. She has had to relearn basic functions, has to write with her left hand because her right has not recovered as quickly. After a tight win in 2010 mid-term elections, Giffords moderate politics made her a likely Senate candidate in 2012. That ended with a fateful bullet.

I long hoped she would recover quickly, but few people bounce back rapidly from "lucky to be alive" brain injuries from a gunshot wound. I half-hoped her husband, astronaut and shuttle commander Mark Kelly, would pick up the torch to run for House. Ask John Glenn or Jack Schmitt. But Kelly seems unlikely to run.

It would be easy to look at her announcement as retirement. But Giffords is just 41 and one year removed from a brain injury.  She has time to recover away from the glare and the ugliness of American politics.
Let's hope her voice for cooperation and less demonization in politics will reemerge someday to break up the daily rancor.