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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPresident Obama’s speech at prayer vigil for Newtown shooting victims (Full transcript)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-obamas-speech-at-prayer-vigil-for-newtown-shooting-victims-full-transcript/2012/12/16/f764bf8a-47dd-11e2-ad54-580638ede391_story.htmlFull transcript of President Obamas remarks at a Dec. 16 prayer vigil for victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
OBAMA: Thank you.
Thank you, Governor. To all the families, first responders, to the community of Newtown, clergy, guests, scripture tells us, Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.
For light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven not built by human hands.
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 am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts.
I can only hope it helps for you to know that youre 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. Weve pulled our children tight.
And 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 it. Newtown, you are not alone.
As these difficult days have unfolded, youve also inspired us with stories of strength and resolve and sacrifice. We know that when danger arrived in the halls of Sandy Hook Elementary, the schools staff did not flinch. They did not hesitate.
Dawn Hocksprung and Mary Sherlach, Vicki Soto, Lauren Russeau, Rachel Davino and Anne Marie Murphy, 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 that 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 are 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 harms 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.
And then there were the scenes of the schoolchildren helping one another, holding each other, dutifully following instructions in the way that young children sometimes do, one child even trying to encourage a grownup by saying, I know karate, so its OK; Ill lead the way out.
As a community, youve inspired us, Newtown. In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, youve looked out for each other. Youve cared for one another. And youve loved one another. This is how Newtown will be remembered, and with time and Gods grace, that love will see you through.
But we as a nation, we are left with some hard questions. You know, someone once described the joy and anxiety of parenthood as the equivalent of having your heart outside of your body all the time, walking around.
With their very first cry, this most precious, vital part of ourselves, our child, is suddenly exposed to the world, to possible mishap or malice, and every parent knows theres nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm. And yet we also know that with that childs very first step and each step after that, they are separating from us, that we wont -- that we cant always be there for them.
They will suffer sickness and setbacks and broken hearts and disappointments, and we learn that our most important job is to give them what they need to become self-reliant and capable and resilient, ready to face the world without fear. And we know we cant do this by ourselves.
It comes as a shock at a certain point where you realize no matter how much you love these kids, you cant do it by yourself, that this job of keeping our children safe and teaching them well is something we can only do together, with the help of friends and neighbors, the help of a community and the help of a nation.
And in that way we come to realize that we bear responsibility for every child, because were counting on everybody else to help look after ours, that were all parents, that they are all our children.
This is our first task, caring for our children. Its our first job. If we dont get that right, we dont get anything right. Thats how, as a society, we will be judged.
And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that were meeting our obligations?
Can we honestly say that were doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?
Can we claim, as a nation, that were all together there, letting them know they are loved and teaching them to love in return?
Can we say that were truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?
Ive been reflecting on this the last few days, and if were honest with ourselves, the answers no. Were not doing enough. And we will have to change. Since Ive been president, this is the fourth time we have come together to comfort a grieving community torn apart by mass shootings, fourth time weve hugged survivors, the fourth time weve consoled the families of victims.
And in between, there have been an endless series of deadly shootings across the country, almost daily reports of victims, many of them children, in small towns and in big cities all across America, victims whose -- much of the time their only fault was being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We cant tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.
We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law, no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society, but that cant be an excuse for inaction. Surely we can do better than this.
If theres even one step we can take to save another child or another parent or another town from the grief thats visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try.
In the coming weeks, Ill use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have? We cant accept events like this as routine.
Are we really prepared to say that were powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?
Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?
You know, all the worlds religions, so many of them represented here today, start with a simple question.
Why are we here? What gives our life meaning? What gives our acts purpose?
We know our time on this Earth is fleeting. We know that we will each have our share of pleasure and pain, that even after we chase after some earthly goal, whether its wealth or power or fame or just simple comfort, we will, in some fashion, fall short of what we had hoped. We know that, no matter how good our intentions, well all stumble sometimes in some way.
Well make mistakes, well experience hardships and even when were trying to do the right thing, we know that much of our time will be spent groping through the darkness, so often unable to discern Gods heavenly plans.
Theres only one thing we can be sure of, and that is the love that we have for our children, for our families, for each other. The warmth of a small childs embrace, that is true.
The memories we have of them, the joy that they bring, the wonder we see through their eyes, that fierce and boundless love we feel for them, a love that takes us out of ourselves and binds us to something larger, we know thats what matters.
We know were always doing right when were taking care of them, when were teaching them well, when were showing acts of kindness. We dont go wrong when we do that.
Thats what we can be sure of, and thats what you, the people of Newtown, have reminded us. Thats how youve inspired us. You remind us what matters. And thats what should drive us forward in everything we do for as long as God sees fit to keep us on this Earth.
Let the little children come to me, Jesus said, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.
Charlotte, Daniel, Olivia, Josephine, Ana, Dylan, Madeline, Catherine, Chase, Jesse, James, Grace, Emilie, Jack, Noah, Caroline, Jessica, Benjamin, Avielle, Allison, God has called them all home.
For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on and make our country worthy of their memory. May God bless and keep those weve lost in His heavenly place. May He grace those we still have with His holy comfort, and may He bless and watch over this community and the United States of America.
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President Obama’s speech at prayer vigil for Newtown shooting victims (Full transcript) (Original Post)
jsr
Dec 2012
OP
Let us pray for God's guidance in our problems and show ways to handle them.
Thinkingabout
Dec 2012
#1
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)1. Let us pray for God's guidance in our problems and show ways to handle them.
God bless the families who has troubled hearts, help them through the next days, weeks and years, give them strength to face tomorrows. Also bless our President and those in positions of leading our nation through these troubled times and find solutions to prevent tragedies. God help all of us.
Cha
(297,272 posts)2. Thank you, jsr