Special to ABC news that President Barack Obama has declared his support for gay marriage today:

http://gma.yahoo.com/obama-announces-his-support-for-same-sex-marriage.html

President Obama is the first U.S. President to openly support gay marriage.

On the 2008 campaign trail I heard Democratic nominee Barack Obama say that he was unsure about taking this stand, though he believed in civil unions. Now running for re-election in 2012, the President has joined Vice President Joe Biden in his support of same-sex marriage.

U.S. States that grant gay marriage (from wikipedia):

“Such licenses are granted by six states: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, plus Washington, D.C. and Oregon’s Coquille and Washington state’s Suquamish Indian tribes. The states of Washington and Maryland have passed laws in 2012 to begin granting same-sex marriage licenses, but each may be delayed or derailed by November 2012 voter referenda. Same-sex marriages could be legally performed in California between June 16, 2008, and November 4, 2008, after which voters passed Proposition 8 prohibiting same-sex marriages. California also recognizes any same-sex marriage from around the world that took place before that end date.”

Gay marriage is a civil rights issue, allowing loving & committed same-sex couples to legally marry, if they choose to. I also see this as an equal protection issue, as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution…”nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords resigned today from her job representing Congressional District 8 in the State of Arizona. She cast her last vote this morning in the U.S.House on a bipartisan bill she introduced with Congressman Jeff Flake to impose tougher penalties on drug smugglers, and last night she listened to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

She had served n the U.S. Congress since January 2007, was re-elected twice. As most of you know by now she was shot in Tucson once in the head at close range by mass shooter Jared Lee Loughner on January 8, 2011, over a year ago. She has been recovering in Houston, Texas where her astronaut husband Capt.(ret.) Mark Kelly lives, sharing custody of his two daughters from his previous marriage.

She faced three tough campaigns for her CD 8 race in the general elections: against former LD 30 House Rep. Randy Graf in 2006, former LD 30 State Senate President Tim Bee in 2008, and newcomer Jesse Kelly in 2010. And she also had a contentious Democratic primary race in 2006 against former TV newscaster Patty Weiss, and four others (William Johnson, Jeff Latas, Alex Rodriguez, Francine Shacter). She ran unopposed in the Democratic CD 8 primaries of 2008 and 2010.

Her closest race margin was with Kelly in November, 2010 (winning by 4,156 votes). Read my previous blog about that race “How did Giffords win?” (click here).

Gabby served one and a half terms in the Arizona State Senate (2003 to 2005), and also one term in the State House (2001 – 2003), representing mid-town Tucson in LD 28, prior to Congress. I knew her then as well, and worked as a volunteer on her Congressional campaigns for 2006 and 2008. So I knew Gabby professionally through the Pima County Democratic Party and as a campaign volunteer, and later as I covered her campaign for the TucsonCitizen.com in 2010. And of course I knew the late Gabe Zimmerman, who worked as a field organizer on her first 2006 campaign and later as the constituent outreach director in her Tucson District Office. (30 year old Zimmerman was killed in the Tucson Tragedy mass shooting on 1/8/11).

There is a bumper sticker “Gabrielle Giffords continues to inspire” which was placed at the Tucson three impromptu memorials that sprang up after the shooting. It was a testament of her courage and inspirational fight back to health, which is still ongoing (and the reason for her resignation). Because the Glock 9mm bullet entered the left side of her brain, Gabby’s right leg, right arm/hand, and speech were affected by the injury, and she now is working in rehab with her aphasia –speech & language difficulties — and reduced physical mobility. Prior to this shooting, Gabby was an avid hiker, and rode horses, a bicycle, and a motorcycle.

But I know what a healthy, friendly, strong-willed individual she was as a politician and community activist, and I know she will work tirelessly now at age 41 to recover fully from her injury. She took a bullet in the line of duty as a U.S. Congresswoman and should be praised for her courage and resiliency, and hard work for over 10 years as a state & federal legislator.

Good luck Gabby and our prayers are with you as you recuperate, and find a new mission in life.

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/