The Hill News

The Arizona shooting cannot deter constituents from coming out to meet legislators, Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) said Thursday.

At his first townhall meeting of 2011, Christie said he would not be deterred from hosting events similar to the Congress on Your Corner event where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was seriously wounded last Saturday. At the townhall, Christie said being too afraid to come out and interact with legislators would be succumbing to fear.

"There are some who would say, 'Don't come out and do this anymore,' that it's it too dangerous," The New Jersey Star-Ledger reported Christie said. "We cannot play to the lowest common denominator, and we cannot play to fear."

He added that becoming isolated from one's constituents is one of the w! orst things that could happen to an elected official.

"The biggest risk you run as an elected official, especially as a governor, is to become isolated," Christie said.

Since the Arizona shooting in which six died and 14 were injured, some have questioned whether the casual meet-and-greets should be changed in some way either by not having them at all or by increasing security for members of Congress and other politicians who don't normally have armed security with them at public events.