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March 28, 2024

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Bishop Gorman students weigh in on current events following Tucson tragedy

RELATED STORY: Local students weigh in on current events following Tucson tragedy

Involved Students

Daniel Rozental, a fifth-grader at The Meadows School, poses at the school Jan. 24, 2011. Launch slideshow »

It's been a month since the horrific shooting in Tucson that left six people dead and 13 wounded. Among the injured was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head but is recovering.

The shooting's youngest victim was 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green. In a speech, President Barack Obama called for national harmony and eulogized Christina along with the other shooting victims.

Christina "showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age," Obama said. "I want to live up to her expectations, I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it, I want America to be as good as Christina imagined it."

As the nation continues to reflect on what happened, the Sun wanted to know what young people in our community are thinking about the future of America.

Their responses to the Sun's questions are condensed and edited for clarity.

Responses from students at Bishop Gorman are below. To read responses from other students around the valley, click here.

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Nicole Santoro is a senior and member of We the People, a congressional-style competitive debate team at Bishop Gorman High School.

Click to enlarge photo

Nicole Santoro, a Bishop Gorman High School senior, poses at the school Jan. 25, 2011. She was a member of the school's We the People squad, a Congressional-style debate team, this year.

How did you react when you first heard about Tucson? How do you feel now?

I felt like that's the type of thing that would happen in a different country, not ours, where different ideas are so welcome. It really upset me, and I'm still really upset, but we just can't let it get to us. We can't let this one deranged man affect how unique our country is and our debate. I think instead of focusing on how different the two sides are, we should be more focused on the common ground in between because at the end of the day, both Democrats and Republicans really do want to help. We need to keep in mind that everyone wants what's good for our country.

Brendan Flynn is a senior and student body president at Bishop Gorman High School.

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Brendan Flynn, a Bishop Gorman High School senior and student body president, poses in the school's chapel Jan. 25, 2011.

Why do you think it's important for people your age to get involved with politics?

Politics is interacting with people, whether you're talking about it on a high school level or a national, or international level. I think it's easy for young people to criticize the government. At the same time, we have to realize that we will eventually become the government, so I think it's important to take an active role in the political process.

I served as a page for Senator Harry Reid, which is what really sparked my interest in getting involved. I think it is tough to find people my age who care, so I think you have to start the discussion on a level that makes high school students interested and explains how issues affect their everyday lives.

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