By David N. Goodman
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) -- Members of Michigan's congressional delegation condemned the attack against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and said their thoughts and prayers go out to her family and the families of those wounded and killed in the Arizona shooting.
Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head Saturday when a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson grocery store, killing six and wounding several others.
Prayers also went out Sunday at houses of worship around Michigan. At Dimondale United Methodist Church, the Rev. Joe Huston urged a return to a more civil level of political discourse, and led a prayer for the families of those who were killed and injured.
Freshman Rep. Bill Huizenga said he will proceed with plans for public meetings with constituents, which he knows from past experience as district director for then-Rep. Pete Hoekstra can be "very, very tense" but are nonetheless crucial to maintaining contact between lawmakers and those they represent.
"I'm not going to let some lone gunman handcuff democracy," the Zeeland Republican told The Associated Press on Sunday, saying he will take reasonable precautions but won't cancel any meetings. "I'm not going to let that happen."
"Violent attacks have no place in our society, and it is my sincerest hope that swift justice is found," Huizenga added.
Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, served with Giffords on the House Science and Technology Committee in the last session of Congress and said the Arizona Democrat "was doing what all of us in Congress strive to do, meet with our constituents so that we can better serve them."
Peters said in a statement that he grieves for those killed and prays for the "speedy and full recovery" of her and the other wounded.
Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, said she and Giffords share an interest in border security and in space.
"We also have talked frequently about our support of the space program, as my father was an aeronautical engineer who worked on the program at the beginning and her husband who now serves as an astronaut" Miller said in a statement.
Miller described Giffords as a friend and "a beautiful person both inside and out," adding "I am deeply saddened by this heinous crime. This senseless violence has absolutely no place in our free society."
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., called Giffords "a courageous and dedicated congresswoman who engaged with her constituents and listened to their concerns.
"An attack like this threatens the very fabric of our nation, and I condemn this senseless violence," Stabenow said.
Freshman Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, said his "thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her family, and the families of those killed and injured."
Last year, then-Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan received threats for supporting a health care overhaul bill. The suspect is undergoing tests for dementia before trial in U.S. District Court in Bay City.
Russell Hesch, 73, of West Branch, is accused of writing a letter that threatened to paint the Mackinac Bridge with Bart Stupak's blood because he voted for President Barack Obama's a health care law.
Stupak, D-Menominee, did not seek re-election in 2010.
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Associated Press writer Kathy Barks Hoffman in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this story.
Published: Tue, Jan 11, 2011
