‘This violence will not define us’
Rep. Pete Aguilar,
DCalif., CNN: “One of my favorite traditions in Washington has been participating in the congressional baseball game. I usually play in the outfield. ... The game has never been about Republicans against Democrats. It’s about Republicans and Democrats. It’s about Americans coming together to support a good cause. ... We will not give in to fear, violence or hate. We will play for those affected by these despicable and cowardly actions, to support local charities, and to remind the American people that this violence will not define or divide us.”
David Hawkings, Roll
Call: “Don’t expect the congressional baseball practice shooting to change anything. Not the venomous partisanship that defines life at the Capitol. Not the public’s dismal opinion of the people they’ve sent to Washington. And certainly not the polarized impasse on gun control.” Katie Packer Beeson, U.S. News & World Report: “Our leaders have come to the conclusion that people are angry and if they convey anger on the same level, then perhaps they can ride a wave of anger into higher office. But what is the point of all of this anger? Did a hate-filled tweet ever win an argument? ... This is no way to live. Our leaders owe it to us to tone things down. They owe it to us to have better impulse control than a 4-year-old or a deranged gunman. They owe it to us to be the adults in the room: acting with dignity, listening to others, being thoughtful and contemplative and, ultimately, wise.” Former representative Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., The Washington Post: “In the days and weeks to come, I know from personal experience what to expect. As a nation, we will debate violence and honor service — the service of the elected officials and their staff, and of local law enforcement and the Capitol Police, without whom the carnage could have been so much worse. We will debate the availability and use of guns. ... We know, as always, that no one law could prevent a shooting like this. But we also know that we must acknowledge a problem: an unacceptable rate of gun violence in this country. And we must acknowledge that a deadly problem like this brings a responsibility to find solutions.”