Christina Taylor Green was born on September 11, 2001 and was among those killed in Tucson last Saturday. After listening to President Obama talk about this idealistic nine year old and seeing a bit of the news coverage of her funeral today, I couldn’t help thinking about Tom Harrell’s “Wise Children.” I have no idea what motivated this mournful tune, but it certainly fits the occasion. I especially liked these words from the President:

Imagine — imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council. She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.

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 she imagined it. All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.

Wise children indeed.

Update: On rdio.com I created a playlist containing songs inspired by the events of 9/11. It’s since been updated with songs inspired by Hurricane Katrina and, today, songs that seem fitting for the events of Tucson, and especially the death of Christina Taylor Green: