The View From Tucson

Vetsforgabby_impulsenine

A reader writes:

I was at Rep. Giffords' office late last night. I wanted to get a few photos to help me deal with what happened, and there were still people there well past midnight. The FOX News crew was packing up, and it was cold (40s with a dry breeze). The news crew seemed friendly enough, but nobody talked much - whether the crowd was 300 (at 6pm) people or 10 (at midnight). There was still too much weight to speak.

Ten years ago, Tucson seemed to be home to a range of opinions, from the Greens to the Libertarians to the Dems and Republicans. Even the University of Arizona logo is red and blue. Now Tucson feels blue or red - a mix of only two sides. But this is belied by the mix of homages at her office: Mexican Catholic votives and rosaries, Jewish symbols, Vets for Gabby placards, University of Arizona mascots, private religious school posters (with hundreds of well-wishes or signatures), childrens' stuffed animals. They were placed by the hundreds of yuppies, grandparents, rednecks, and kids standing around with candles and pizza that were donated by local businesses.

The change from shades to bichromatic happened within 10 years; perhaps it will change again.

2006-2011 archives for The Daily Dish, featuring Andrew Sullivan