As I watched President Obama's speech at the memorial service for those who died in the shootings in Tucson, Arizona, I was proud. The presidency is a bully pulpit, and Obama excelled tonight in striking all the right notes with his words and his demeanor.
From the Miami Herald:
President Barack Obama played the part of "healer in chief" Wednesday night, honoring the victims of Saturday's mass shooting while seeking to calm an increasingly angry political debate, urging all Americans to stop pointing fingers and "make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds."
And the president was able to announce the good news that Representative Gabrielle Giffords opened her eyes for the first time tonight. Thanks be to God and to all who cared for the congresswoman since her injury.
He was amazing. I loved the last part about living into our children's expectations of us. Talking about Christina:
ReplyDelete"I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy 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"
In stark contrast to Sarah "Blood Libel" Palin! :-0
ReplyDeleteAnn, that was a lovely moment. The president had many fine moments throughout the speech.
ReplyDeleteJCF, following the president's example, I'm accentuating the positive here.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm the first to beat the negativity drum, I'm with you, Mimi . . . and with the President.
ReplyDeleteAccentuate the positive. We owe that to the people who died.
Agreed to all above comments... including the note from JCF. In many ways, what Obama showed was why he is the President. And after having seen the Sarah Palin video from earlier, it was nice to have a public official strike the right tone. Really nice.
ReplyDeleteHis best speech yet.
ReplyDeleteI too like the idea of living up to the expectations of our children, that we should focus on what is best in all of us, and I also agree with JCF.
A Straight ¨Aid¨, Daniel Hernandez, and a Hetersexual ¨President¨, Barack Obama, brought the Memorial Service to a STANDING OVATION for National HOPE and TRUST (and a little ¨love thy neighbor too)! Quite a historical movement for everyone to see--and they did see/respond (interesting as I watched it on Fox News as it was the only overseas coverage here with a live feed--immediately, yes immediately afterward the commentator said ¨yes, the President called out/down the Far Left extremists¨--twice before I flipped to find other coverage in Spanish)
ReplyDeleteWhoops, I meant a ¨Gay Aid¨...sorry--quite a unexpected and perfect moment for realistic reflection and UNITY!
ReplyDeleteLeonardo, if we note that "a Gay Aide, Daniel Hernandez, and a Black Heterosexual President, Barack Obama, brought on a standing ovation", the moment is even more astonishing.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a scene of changing face of leadership - woman president of student body, gay Latino aide, side by side.
ReplyDeleteIt was the new face of America--visions of Christmas to come and there is no, absolutely no going back...sanity reigns at last (oddly, I didn´t even pause to think of the ¨black¨ President part).
ReplyDeleteThanks for this,
Leonardo
Diversity rules!
ReplyDelete