Superb speech by President Obama. Here are a few excerpts:
“We gather here in memory of 20 beautiful children, and six remarkable adults. They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school, in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America. Here in Newtown, I come to offer the love and prayers of a nation.””
“I can only hope it helps for you to know that you’re not alone in your grief, that our world too has been torn apart – that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you. We have pulled our children tight. You must know that whatever measure of comfort we can provide, we will provide. Whatever portion of sadness that we can share with you, to ease this heavy load, we will gladly bear. Newtown, you are not alone.”
“They responded as we all hope we might respond in such terrifying circumstances: with courage, and with love, giving their lives to protect the children in their care.
“We know there were other teachers who barricaded themselves inside classrooms and kept steady through it all, and reassured their students by saying, ‘Wait for the good guys – they’re coming. Show me your smile.’
“And we know that good guys came. The first responders who raced to the scene, helping to guide those in harm’s way to safety, and comfort those in need, holding at bay their own shock, and their own trauma, because they had a job to do, and others needed them more.”
“One child even tried to encourage a grownup by saying, ‘I know karate. So it’s OK – I’ll lead the way out.’
“As a community, you’ve inspired us, Newtown. In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, you’ve looked out for each other. You’ve cared for one another. And you’ve loved one another. This is how Newtown will be remembered. And with time, and God’s grace, that love will see you through.”
“…we’re all parents, that they’re all our children. This is our first task: caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged. And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we’re meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children – all of them – safe from harm?”
P.S. I’ll replace this video as soon as higher-quality video is available.
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
