Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona has resigned from Congress a little over a year after she was shot in the head by a mentally unstable killer while she was holding an open air question-answer session with constituents. She explained that she still had not recovered sufficiently to do a good job in the office and wanted to concentrate her efforts on getting well.
Rep. Giffords could have remained in office for another year and enjoyed the very substantial perks of her office had she chosen to do so. She thought Arizona and the nation deserved better.
Arizona voters can return the compliment by sending a Giffords clone to Washington, if they can find one willing to campaign and serve.
Giffords served as a moderate, non-ideological, Democrat. Those are the badges her successor should wear.
— Emerson Lynn, jr.
