Congress wears black and white ribbons during State of the Union
Members of Congress wore black and white ribbons during President Obama's State of the Union address. What do the ribbons mean?
Speaker of the House John Boehner (R.) wears a black and white ribbon prior to the State of the Union address by US President Barack Obama on Tuesday.
Jim Watson/AFP/Newscom
New York
It looked like most members of Congress present for the State of the Union address were wearing black and white ribbons. What do they mean, and where did they come from?
Skip to next paragraph
Recent posts
-
12.29.11
As Iowa's Kent Sorenson jumps to Ron Paul ship, rat analogies abound -
12.27.11
Could Romney 'train' be derailed by Gingrich? Perry? Someone new? -
12.26.11
Virginia primary: Was it so hard for Perry and Gingrich to get on the ballot? -
12.26.11
Donald Trump as third-party candidate: Will he woo Americans Elect? -
12.22.11
Ron Paul: why racist newsletter flap could hurt him in Iowa
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
The ribbons are meant to honor the 19 victims from the Arizona shooting where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) was shot.
Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) of Florida and Michael McCaul (R) of Texas proposed the idea in a letter to their colleagues, which read as follows:
"In tribute to the victims of the Arizona tragedy, we encourage Members, and everyone attending the State of the Union address Tuesday night to wear a black/white lapel ribbon.
"The tragic shooting on January 8th wounded our friend and colleague, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and caused the deaths of six and wounding of twelve others. The black/white ribbon has been a symbol of unity and hope for the entire Tucson community in the wake of this event. The white ribbon represents hope for a peaceful, nonviolent society. The black ribbon is in remembrance of all who have died and been wounded as a result of violence.
"As the Tucson community works to heal and comes together in solidarity, I, along with my House colleague, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz believe it would be fitting that Members, Administration officials and others, wear these ribbons on Tuesday as a symbol of solidarity with the community and the nation."
These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.