Gabrielle Giffords Statement On The Assassination Of British MP Jo Cox June 16, 2016 – Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords issued the following statement today in response to reports of the assassination in West Yorkshire, England of Member of Parliament Jo Cox:
“I don’t remember the constituent meeting where I was shot in the head and nearly lost my life, but the scores of such events I and so many others have hosted represent the importance of a democracy connected to its citizens. Just like January 8, 2011 did not deter America from its founding ideals, the British principle of pluralism and the nation’s democratic institutions will endure. However, the assassination of MP Jo Cox at the hands of a man driven by hatred is a manifestation of a coarseness in our politics and hatred toward the other that we must not tolerate. Not in the United States, not in Europe, not in Latin America, not in Asia, and not in Africa. MP Cox was courageous, young, and a hardworking public servant. She was a rising star, a mother, and a wife. Mark and I grieve for her family, friends, constituents, and for the people of Great Britain.”