President Obama is often criticized in this space, so we think it only fair to point it out when he does something praiseworthy. In his address Wednesday evening in Tucson commemorating the senseless slaying of six people, including a federal judge, and the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabbie Giffords, D-Ariz., Obama performed admirably. He spoke plainly but evocatively in tribute to the dead and wounded, he singled out the heroes of the tragedy for appropriate praise, and, perhaps most important, he diplomatically but forcefully called out all who seek to gain political advantage from such a dark day. Considering the constant distraction of inappropriate yelling and applauding from the audience, Obama’s performance was masterful.

As he consoled the mourners at the University of Arizona, Obama lamented the state of affairs in which “we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do.” He reminded his listeners across the nation that it is always “important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” He added that “if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy — it did not — but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud.”