Although I didn't appreciate the cheers and shouting out from the young crowd filling the auditorium at the university, I finally found that President Obama delivered a comforting and healing speech to all this madness that has overtaken our great nation since Saturday.
His final words were delivered well.
"I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
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.
Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all of the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.”
If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. And here on Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.
May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America."
As My Mind Keeps Me Awake
5 hours ago
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2 comments:
I thought the yelling and cheering like it was a pep rally was ...weird? I am not sure of the right word. I also thought the Prez was finally presidential.
I'm assuming that the university let alot of the students in. Someone should have taught them the appropriate reactions at a memorial service.
I'll give Obama his due here, I didn't think he should wade into the messy debate, but he did AND he did it well. I don't think I've ever heard him not put a partisan spin before and I was impressed with how he handled.
I don't think it changes anything though. Since I was watching Fox, I switched it over to MSNBC and saw the start of Lawrence O'Donnell show and it was snippet after snippet of Sarah Palin. I swear that network is seriously paranoid.
The worst I saw was Bill Maher on Leno. That man is sick and the audience did not even appreciate alot of what he said. I was extremely disappointed that Leno let him go on and on.
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