Through “Voices and Choices in the 2012 Election,” the College of SBS invites the Tucson community to engage in a positive dialogue about the election.

Win, Lose or Draw: Cartoon Humor in Campaigns
Tucson Jewish Community Center Ballroom, 3800 E. River Road
Thursday, October 25, 2012; 7-8:30 p.m.

Join us as David Fitzsimmons, a liberal cartoonist with the Arizona Daily Star, and Steve Kelley, a nationally syndicated conservative cartoonist, battle it out using only their well-sharpened pencils and wit. UA Communication Professor and political research guru Kate Kenski will moderate the “debate,” which will be unlike any you’ve ever seen.

To learn about other free events in the series, go to http://web.sbs.arizona.edu/college/democracy

If you have additional questions, please contact the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at (520) 621-1112.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences’s “Voices and Choices of the 2012 Election” is sponsored by Arizona Public Media, the Arizona Daily Star, the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the UA Honors College, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Pam Grissom, and Jan Lesher. Event co-chairs are Jan Lesher and Lisa Lovallo.

UA Communication Associate Professor Kate Kenski will attempt to moderate this forum. Now this sounds like fun: a liberal cartoonist battling it out with a conservative cartoonist. Sharpen those pencils! And sharpen your wits.

From Loft Cinema: http://www.loftcinema.com/endbullying

Saturday, April 28th at 10:00 am
Free Admission

In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding presents “Step Up, Speak Out, End Bullying: PSA Showcase and Awards”.

The Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding wants to find out what your solutions to bullying are and to share them with Southern Arizona. They are inviting you to take part in their Public Service Announcement contest by creating your own 30-second video PSA with the theme “Step Up, Speak Out, End Bullying.”

Cash and prizes are up for grabs and the winning PSAs will be aired on local television and converted to radio format. It’s your chance to Step Up, Speak Out and End Bullying.

Those entering are encouraged to have fun with the process, to be creative and to choose positive, nonviolent solutions for dealing with this issue. Good luck and thank you for joining us as we continue to strive for the end of bullying.

For details about submitting a PSA, go to www.endofbullying.com

A Project of the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding in Collaboration with:
Cox Communications, Pima County Attorney’s Office, Homicide Survivors, So. AZ Center Against Sexual Assault, Our Family Services, Tucson Unified School District, Community Partnership of So. AZ, Wingspan, and the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

update: Take the Civility Pledge & notes from this PSA event (click here).

Remember January 8, 2011.

Remember the first moment you heard/read online that CD 8 Congresswoman “Gabby” Giffords had been shot in the head (credit to blogger “3 Sonorans” for his fast blog here at Tucsoncitizen.com, minutes after the shooting).

Remember when you realized that 19 persons including a 9 year old child had been shot & injured at that Safeway in NW Tucson.

Remember the pain when you realized that you personally knew someone who died (for me, Gabe Zimmerman, Gabby’s community outreach aide). Remember the grief thereafter for such a senseless killing.

Remember anxiously waitng for news from UMC of the condition of the injured.

Remember going to that Safeway to pay your respects to the six fallen on the sidewalk.

Remember going to the UMC memorial to light candles, and to the Congresswoman’s office to place flowers, pray for healing and peace of mind.

Remember President Barack Obama’s speech on January 12, 2011 at McKale Center, in which he stated:
“I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us”.

We all remember January 8, 2011 and the first responders, Surgeon Dr. Peter Rhee at the UMC Trauma Unit, the outpouring of love and support for the families of the murdered and the injured.

Today, as we reflect on the events of that day a year ago, here is a list of some events to attend, to collectively continue the healing:

7 a.m.

Ben’s Bells Distribution – Hundreds of Ben’s Bells will be randomly distributed throughout Tucson in memory of those we lost and in gratitude for our beautifully supportive community. Contact: Phone:520-628-2829

10 a.m .- 5 p.m.

A Day of Kindness at the Children’s Museum — Tucson Ben’s Bells invites families to gather to sign the Kindness Contract, to paint Kindness Coins and to hang Kindness Wishes in the trees at the Museum. Contact: Children’s Museum Tucson, 520-792-9985, 200 S. 6th Avenue

10:11 a.m. Community-wide Ringing of Bells

1:00 p.m. Interfaith Service
San Augustine Cathedral
190 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ

3 p.m. – 5 p.m. January 8th Lecture Series
Centennial Hall – University of Arizona Campus
1020 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ
The event will be streamed live at http://ondemand.azpm.org/live.

6:30 p.m. – Candlelight vigil on University of Arizona Mall, with speeches
Congresswoman Giffords and her husband USN Captain (ret.) Mark Kelly will be attending.
The vigil will be streamed live at http://ondemand.azpm.org/live.

For my earlier blog with many more details on today’s events including other faith services (click here).

Today let us remember January 8, 2011.

UPDATES: my notes in comment section below about some of the events I attended today.

1/9/12 update: Channel 6 video of the vigil: http://azpm.org/news/story/2012/1/9/1616-view-jan-8-2012-candlelight-vigil/