Today my flag is flying half staff, unfurled in the crisp Pacific Northwest wind, it seems free although in mourning. Standing for truth, as well as any nation can. We are all praying for the Honorable U.S. Rep. Gabriel Giffords, other victims and their families. Since published in 1776, Thomas Paine and his work, “Common Sense,” our nation has gravitated to the truth, understood by the people, to be a source of strength as a country. We oppose all violence as a nation in all forms.

When I first heard the county sheriff in Tucson, making statements of blame I thought, “poor guy, he must be in too much grief to hold a news conference, he should be off duty.”

But after repeating himself daily, I thought it was not grief. Simply, here was a misguided public servant. Having no evidence to support a thing he was saying and to be fixing blame to a grieving public is hurtful.

Turns out it was just the beginning of a flood of unsubstantiated political rhetoric. What we should expect from our elected leadership is sound crisis management, not soap opera over science. Encourage our elected officials to avoid political gamesmanship, and think first of the those who have personally suffered from this sentinel event, initiate healing and what is best for our country.

Ronald T. Porzio

Maple Valley