The tragedy of the shooting that killed six people and injured 18 others, including a politician, truly shocked the United States.
Although this shock was not as dreadful as compared to the shock over the space shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986 or the spectacular terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that bloody event on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona, stunned the U.S.
The concern with which U.S. leaders have reacted and taken steps to face that crisis is no less interesting. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama immediately expressed deep condolences toward the victims and the families that were left behind.
President Obama and the first lady also flew to Arizona to lead the national mourning during last Wednesday’s funeral ceremony at the University of Arizona campus. Moreover, President Obama also invited the entire U.S. to unite and to continue to look ahead to the future, in spite of the ordeal.
Obama’s leadership style in facing that crisis contributed to strengthening and lengthening the history notes about the mythology of America’s leadership in facing difficulties. Obama’s actions reminded people of the reaction of President Ronald Reagan, who gave a speech when Challenger exploded in 1986. Reagan’s speech gave optimism to the U.S. people, especially to the schoolchildren who were shocked because one of the victims in that explosion was a teacher who became an astronaut.
No less impressive was President George W. Bush’s speech after the spectacular terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that pushed the U.S. to unite in facing that difficulty and to keep viewing the future with optimism. That too was the message that was displayed by Obama in facing the tragedy in Tucson.
Obama urged the U.S. to unite [and] not be divided by the controversy about the possibility that the weekend’s tragedy was a political assassination attempt. Speculation about a political assassination attempt emerged because a shot, among others, was directed at a member of Congress from the Democratic Party, Gabrielle Giffords, who is now in critical condition in the hospital.
Up until now the motive of the bloody attack by that youth, Jared Loughner, 22, has not yet been explained. His family has already asked for forgiveness. Loughner is charged with murder and attempted murder. From last weekend’s shooting incident, an anxiety about safety has emerged among the population.
Nonetheless, that worry is considered excessive, because even with how heavy the threat of crime is, the U.S. continues to show its supremacy in the effort to enforce the law and to guarantee a feeling of safety among its people.
Tragedi penembakan yang menewaskan 6 orang dan mencederai 18 orang lainnya, termasuk seorang politisi, sungguh mengguncangkan Amerika Serikat.
Sekalipun guncangannya tidak sedahsyat jika dibandingkan dengan peristiwa ledakan pesawat ulang alik Challenger tahun 1986, atau serangan teroris spektakuler 11 September 2001, peristiwa berdarah hari Sabtu di Tucson, Arizona, itu membuat bangsa AS terenyak.
Tidak kalah menarik perhatian bagaimana pemimpin AS bereaksi dan bertindak menghadapi krisis itu. Presiden Barack Obama dan Ibu Negara Michelle Obama langsung menyatakan duka mendalam kepada para korban dan keluarga yang ditinggalkan.
Presiden Obama dan Ibu Negara juga terbang ke Arizona untuk memimpin perkabungan nasional pada upacara pelepasan jenazah pada Rabu kemarin di Kampus Universitas Arizona. Lebih dari itu, Presiden Obama juga mengajak seluruh bangsa AS bersatu dan terus bergerak menyambut masa depan sekalipun menghadapi cobaan.
Gaya kepemimpinan Obama dalam menghadapi krisis itu ikut memperkuat dan memperpanjang catatan sejarah tentang mitologi kepemimpinan bangsa Amerika dalam menghadapi kesulitan. Tindakan Obama mengingatkan orang pada reaksi Presiden Ronald Reagan yang memberikan pidato ketika Challenger meledak pada 1986. Pidato Reagan memberikan optimisme kepada rakyat AS, terutama kepada anak-anak sekolah yang terguncang karena salah seorang yang menjadi korban dalam ledakan itu adalah seorang ibu guru yang menjadi astronot.
Tidak kalah mengesankan pidato Presiden George W Bush setelah serangan spektakuler teroris tanggal 11 September 2001 yang mendorong bangsa AS bersatu menghadapi kesulitan dan terus memandang masa depan secara optimistis. Pesan itu pula yang diperlihatkan Obama dalam menghadapi tragedi di Tucson.
Obama mendesak bangsa AS bersatu, tidak terpecah-pecah oleh kontroversi tentang kemungkinan tragedi akhir pekan itu sebagai upaya pembunuhan politik. Spekulasi tentang upaya pembunuhan politik muncul karena tembakan, antara lain, diarahkan kepada anggota Kongres dari Partai Demokrat, Gabrielle Giffords, yang kini dalam keadaan kritis di rumah sakit.
Sampai sekarang belum terungkap motif serangan berdarah pemuda Jared Loughner berusia 22 tahun itu. Keluarganya sudah meminta maaf. Loughner dituntut telah melakukan pembunuhan dan percobaan pembunuhan. Dari kasus penembakan akhir pekan lalu itu, muncul kegelisahan di kalangan masyarakat soal keamanan.
Namun, kekhawatiran itu dianggap berlebihan karena seberat-beratnya ancaman kriminalitas, bagaimanapun AS tetap memperlihatkan keunggulan dalam upaya menegakkan hukum dan menjamin rasa aman masyarakatnya.
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The madness lies in asserting something ... contrary to all evidence and intelligence. The method is doing it again and again, relentlessly, at full volume ... This is how Trump became president twice.