Tearful Obama addresses the nation: calls for “meaningful action against these tragedies”
A tearful President Barak Obama said US leaders must ”take meaningful action'' regardless of politics in response to the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.
The president had tears at times using an index finger to wipe at the corner of his eyes, as he addressed the nation from the White House. He also paused repeatedly as he struggled to keep his composure while speaking of the children, ages 5 to 10, who had died and the life milestones they now would miss.
He said, quote, ”Our hearts are broken.''
Shortly before speaking, Obama ordered that US flags be flown at half-staff on public grounds through Tuesday.
“This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Gov. Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families.''
“We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a president, but as anybody else would as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there's not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do'.
”The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful, little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to help our children fulfil their dreams.''
“So our hearts are broken today for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost.''
“Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors, as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early and there are no words that will ease their pain.''
“As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it is an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theatre in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago, these neighbourhoods are our neighbourhoods and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.''
“This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter, and we'll tell them that we love them, and we'll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight, and they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans, and I will do everything in my power as president to help, because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need, to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories, but also in ours.''
”May God bless the memory of the victims and, in the words of Scripture, heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds”.
Suggested Stories
-
Jun 20th 2013
Fed warns investors to be prepared for an easing out of stimuli later in the year
-
Jun 17th 2013
Expert in international cooperation next US ambassador in Brazil
-
Jun 16th 2013
IMF calls for ‘timely’ unwinding of US stimuli program fearing markets’ volatility
-
Jun 14th 2013
Isle of Man hits back at G8 over tax evasion and questions secrecy of UK and US banks
59 comments Feed
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
Guns para todos Yankeeboy Fred?
www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ct-school-shooter-made-combat-weapon-article-1.1220431
A dreadful, dreadful tradegy. My heart goes out to all those who are effected by this awful act. It must be more than their parents can bear, so many young lives lost, so many families torn apart.
A Truely mindnumbing crime.
midnight/daylight cowboys country........!
How nice of you to make so light of 30+ families being torn apart by one madman.
Happy Christmas you scum sucking bottom feeder, I hope you burn in hell for what you just said.
I just say the truth of US
sold the rifles to people as well as colt
but,the rifle is attack weapon not defense.
Not a very useful comment from you.Scum sucking,what is that.How does calling someone that help the thirty+ families that 2young2 is concerned about.
Is the tearful O'Bhama so minded to now take on the gun lobby and close Guantanamo or not?
whats wrong with tasers only for home defence? i know there are responsible gun owners but all it takes is one incident like this to justify gun bans for civilians, how many more children to die does it take?
very sad, lets just hope action is taken to avoid this senseless waste of young life......no more!
This type of tragedy will occur again and again as long as these automatic weapons are easily obtainable. Is it not time that the NRA (?) (National Rifle Association has its wings clipped.
Agreed “Guns do n ot kill people, people kill”' But how can the the sale of such dangerous weapons be stopped? The USA is no longer living in the time of the War of Independence when all and sundry had the right to bear arms.
There will always be these lunatics, psycopaths and other criminally demented people who will continue with murder and mayhem unless the sale of theselethal weapons is curtailesd
An absolute tragedy. We had this in Dunblane when a deranged psychopath murdered young schoolchildren using a handgun.
The result was that, in the UK, it is now illegal to own a handgun and licensing of all firearms is strictly controlled.
Assault weapons and automatic firearms are forbidden with mandatory prison sentences for anyone caught with one of these.
There are also moves to licence the use of air guns
Until the USA loses its love and obsession with guns, then mass shootings will still happen.
then read this:
LIFE IMITATING ART
The key to the issue of mass killings around the World by young people is the fact that they dress up in combat gear to play the part, not in their ability to obtain guns.
Youth today spend endless, mindless hours in a virtual world playing video games on their television sets “killing” hundreds of thousands of people a year dressed in combat gear.
What has to be done is to ban the production and sale of all video games that involve this type of activity and for parents to be made aware of and cooperate and understand that even if only one in million children are affected in this way, then that is too many.
in US,the American own 300 millions guns which kill about 30,000 people each year...on average about 24 US citizens are murdered everyday with gun.
In this case and in another recent school shooting case, the teacher was the guns man parent! So its clear peer pressure such as pressuring to get work, when their is no jobs or limited jobs available, boiled other and clearly flicked a switch in this mans head resulting in hit targeting the school his parent worked at and killing innocent children in his mothers class along with his mother.
So no the key issue of mass killings around the world is nothing to do with video games, though granted some have copied scenes from them, to commit murder, usually of 1 person not mass murder. The main reason is a mixture of peer pressure, economic pressure and lack of hope for the future among young men - Hence why its young men that are the ones committing these massacres, and not young women (despite them playing the same video games), who believe it or not are able to cope with such pressure more efficiently then young men are.
My prays go out to the families and children effected by this terrible act and to the children who where brutally killed.
This analysis of yours is very deep and broad.Does it help your business interests at all?
ElaineB
I am not confused.I didn't post4#. But you posted-
I think toooldtodieyoung just said the truth about you.
And toodledee posted-
Happy Christmas you scum sucking bottom feeder, I hope you burn in hell for what you just .
And this on a thread about a young man of 24 who has committed a terrible act.
You need to check with yourself that you meant what you posted.
I also fail to see why you are deliberately attempting to hijack this thread for your own personal satisfactory gains, by making pathetic attempts to deflect from the subject of the article or to incite others to hit back at you!
And what others posted about Tipsy Think is true, his comment was unneeded and more insulting towards the US. So yes, he is a “Bottom Feeder”, otherwise known as a troll! You should ask yourself, why your sticking up for said troll!
@Nostrilldamus #18 - Even if this had happened in Argentina, no one in their right minds would gloat at such a shocking loss of innocence, especially when its children! So stop trying to turn this into a us verse's Argentina debate and show some respect for those children and their families!
You are very touchy about things,aren't you?Where is your proof that video games have no role in these 'random' acts by young people with guns.
At no time did I support tipsy's comment and you are off the mark to say i did.Trying to deflect matters are you.I commented on ElaineB's contradictory remarks in backing toodledee's disgusting remark directed at tipsy.I ignored the post of tipsy and made no comment on it.Show me where I did when you finish checking your cash flow.
Every day I go out I face the fact that someone can shoot me even while driving...there is no gun control..that is the biggest problem in this country!
Odly enough, this particular sad story isn't about Argentina or your insane leader, although you sound like would like it to be. You have some very disturbing complexes there, you really ought to get some professional help.
On a serious note I don't think the US can do anything about these tragedies even if they try. Guns are as engrained into US society as Tea is in the UK. It's a very sad case of cause and affect and sadly a considerable number of American citizens will simply view this as collateral damage and the price that has to be paid to bare their arms.
Britworker.Do Yankees carry guns when they are in other countries.Bolivians can't carry coca leaf .Its too dangerous to the brave Yankee even with perspective.I don't know why such a modern humane country needs them.Must be a weakness they have.
Oh it's all about you, you, you isn't it??? You m*th*rf*ck*r!!! you would wish this on your own people. It's bad enough it happened anyway but to wish it on your own countrymen / women...... Or to even think that someone would wish a tradegy like this on someone else... what kind of sick, twisted, moronic, retard are you???
You have nothing to say to me, to anyone, on this thread, at this time, that is not feeling sorry for the families torn apart or the dead. You and that other retarded troll, TipsyThink.
You want to play, go do it on another thread. This one is reserved from reflection and human feeling.
Do you even know what “Human feeling” is??
Do you know what “empathy” is??
Do you have any feelings at all in that swinging brick you've got for a heart?
There are about 12,00o gun murders every year in the USA and the vast majority are gangland related with a small percentage as a crime of passion. (google it). Out of 316,000,000, not really a high number but still too many. Nearly the same number are killed each year to drunk drivers, though no one seems to want to take the cars away. The vast apreas of the USA, most people will never experience a crime let alone a murder. The are small numbers of metropolitan areas of the USA that make the vast majority of those percentages. SSB must be living in them.
The real issue here is mental illness. Not guns. Just as China has the same problem. Knives and axes are the weapons of choice because of the lack of access to guns. 201011 was a banner year in China . So when a person so unstable decides they want to kill someone, they will with or without a gun or even a car.
The USA really is at a cross roads where they need to choose between restricting what many consider a unalienable right....to own a gun. In the USA, the mindset is that something is fundamentally wrong when the only ones that can own a gun is the government. Lack of trust passed from generation to generation since the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately people own too many guns. However the number owning gun are down from a high or 51% in the 80s to currently 32% of the population. It remains to be seen if the USA will take decisive action to make some attempt to curb this scourge on my society. In the meantime, as I look at my wonderful 6 year old grandson, my heart goes to the parents who have lost their children here, or anywhere for that matter.....be it war or in peace. And for those that take pleasure in this news, because it is the USA, I can only say that you yourself are an event waiting to happen.
It is well known that Aspergers and Autism are FAR more prevalent in European societies. In fact, there is a discernible increase in this condition between far southern Italy and the rest of Italy, and between southern Spain and northern Spain, with regions in Italy form just south of Naples and points north, and in Spain from Toledo points north showing rates similar to the rest of Europe. From there, you see a very slight increase in prevalance of Autism-Aspergers the further north you go, very very small but there.
Autism-Aspergers is hypothesized to be a NEANDERTHAL genetic adaptation. The neanderthals needed supreme focus to specific skills in order to survive the Ice Age near the northern polar regions, a focus that bordered on the obsessive. It is postulated evolutionary pressure selected those individuals that had this superior concentration and near “savant” characteristics to survive, fashion tools, hunt, etc. A “emphathy lack” is also a concomitant of these syndromes, which is important to remember.
Then, Neanderthals passed these to modern Europeans.
It is common knowledge that people with Autism can be extremely anti-social if untreated, but at the same time can display qualities in certain very specific fields of study that would qualify them as geniuses. Those with Aspergers have a far milder range of symptoms, but several studies have shown people with Aspergers were so-called “loners” in school, but they also just happen to be more prevalent in numbers in doctorate, scientific, and other top echelons of a panoply of professions/pursuits. Autistic people tend not to be able to function in society, unlike Asperger individuals.
This could help explain the “coldness” of European character, especially in northern countries (but in comparison to African and LatAm culture, even the Italians and Spanish are cold, standoffish people), & also why these massacres occur there.
Secondly, i never said Video games had no role in this, only that they are not the main reasons and their is no evidence to support that Video Games were a cause in this case. In fact the whole connection between violence and video games in such massacres is nothing but theory. Those that are influenced by such games, usually have severe underlying psychological issues, and usually only results in harm to just 1 person not mass murder. To say Video games played a role in this massacre or similar massacres is nothing but an hypothetical connection. The point the mother was a victim along with the gun man's brother whom was killed prior to the gun man's going to the school, backs up my theory that it is more to do with peer pressure and underlying psychological issues then anything else. Which is further backed up by the fact that other similar massacres involved teachers (also killed) being the parent of the gun man!
So where you trying to change the subject - Yes you were!
Now if you don't mind, please allow people to post their respects without turning this into a debate!
In Argentina, in contrast to other country in this continent dare I aver, we regard mental health as a completely natural feature of wholesome living, and not as an embellished euphism for “crazy”. We are renowned worldwide for being an ostensibly “shrink addicted/obsessed” nation. Such a fatuous, unenlightened assessment.
The reason the rest of the world may view it as a fey quiddity, is because in their countries there is actually much too little attention to mental health as a legitimate linchpin of overall well being. This is from first-hand experience with foreigners. When I acquainted some of them with the anecdote of having visited a psychologist (with two other family members), many intimated that such disclosure could change their impressions of me. I had to coax them into honesty; once they acceded to my wish, they confided that the mention of psychology would be a virtually taboo back home, due to stigmas around admission of mental distress.
I believe that is a crux of your society's predicament. Not merely guns, not solely violence in popular culture. Could those factors exacerbate the problem? Perhaps. But in most countries acknowledgement of tsuris of mind is still frowned upon.
I've no problem admitting I attended therapy sessions, neither does any argentine for the most part. I wasn't mentally ill; I just needed a different angle to analyze a problem. If nothing else, it allowed for forced colloquy, an exchange of views and convictions, to vent a spleen (in a controlled setting). Something many of these mass killers could have usufructed had the environment towards this been more auspicious. It is not a justification for their atrocities, but a plausible explanation.
Perhaps that wicked, nefarious argie society can teach the rest of the world something, for the nonce.
odious posting, if only you had started dating when a young troll you may not have developed into such an idiot, keep your Nazi teachings to yourself and show some respect these are children that have been murdered, although probably not belonging to the correct race for yourself , keep your racist posts to yourself you ill person.
You truely are scum, arn't you? for the last couple of days you and all your little butt-buddies have tried and tried to change the subject on other posting to this outrage and now, finally when there is a story on this forum about this tragic crime you preach vile, racist, b*llsh*t.
Is this your attempt at empathy?
“Perhaps that wicked, nefarious argie society can teach the rest of the world something, for the nonce.”
No you can't. You stand as a warning to all as society gone very, very wrong. To casually and openly speak in such vile racist terms, you SHOULD be ashamed, but I can tell that you arn't. The fact that you can think it show that there is something wrong with you, the fact that you wrote it............
Were your mother and father, brother and sister? Is that why you go to therapy?
“I wasn't mentally ill” You see most mentally ill patents, don't see that they are mentally ill. This would actually explain a lot about your postings but to do that here, on this story.......wow, you truely are the lowest form of pond life.
28 Fido Dido
and why don't you just f**k off as well? this story is for posting messages of regret and for sympathy for the families that have been so terribly torn apart. Where is your respect? If you can't even lay your politics on one side for even a few minutes to comfort those in pain, then you'd better go and sit in a corner with the rest of the retards.
So, you respond to “racism” with yet more classical “racism” and chauvinism.
To you “respect” transparently equals “argies shut your mouth, you have no rights to free speech in an article about other countries' problems”. Furthermore, for all the time I have read your “contributions”, you have made it crystalline obvious you actually believe Argentina must be the only society with absolutely no redeeming qualities. No, think about that. Even the lowliest human can't be “perfect in imperfection”. That is what you claim of us.
Further, you as a racist Brit are constantly posting in articles about Argentine problems and incessantly slandering, reviling, and hurling brickbats of scurril, and believe it is completely legitimate and your divine right to do so.
You in fact are SO racist, that you don't even realize your scelestic double-standard and loathsome hypocrisy of what you have redacted. You actually believe all argentines are vermin, from birth. So do not engage in cant rodomontades filled with polemics with me.
Your clearly now just making things up by making false accusation as a pathetic attempt justify your desire to continue your trolling.
Everyone report this idiots posts above by click on the report abuse link under his/her username and demand Mercopress ban this idiots and all other known trolls posts - Complaints in numbers will force mercopress to act!
Just like the British government and their spirt of self-determination... (except if you are Iraq, Afghanistan, etc, etc).
This article is nothing to do with politics, human rights or the Falklands, yet you are using your posts as nothing but a tool to deflect the discussion to being about the Falklands and us vs you debate. You are sick, disrespectful and deluded person. Who's only clear desire is to use this tragedy in the US to point score on this comment section against us Brits and Islanders.
Not one of your posts on this page has expressed any sorrow or paying of respect to the families affected and the children who lost their lives. Yet you feel you have the right to post your bile here. What about the rights of the children whom were killed, such as right to life and the right to be remembered and respected! Your a selfish, arrogant and trolling bastard!!
Dear me teaboy.Are you the big man.Cant toodledee say what he wants.I know what he says is pretty worthless,but so are yours.Is it Brits you're defending or fellow scots.As racist people you would get embarrassed with toodledee's posts.But racists can be detected by the nature of their comments their focus.
There is no need to attack Nostro and try to moderate him out.Better to address your attitude and your colonial mind.Read Fanon's wretched of the earth,and start to understand yourself instead of giving analysis on what psychological factors influenced Adam Lanza.You do not have anything to go on in that analysis.Your portraying preconceived thought as intelligent analysis.
www.buenosairesherald.com/article/119504/gun-madness-in-the-us
The main argument put forward by ordinary people who have been unwittingly brain-washed by NRA propaganda is that: “Guns don’t kill people. It’s people who kill people.” Like “por algo será” (“there must be a reason”) that ominous phrase that was commonly heard in Argentina when “disappearances” began, these phrases allow people to deny, dismiss or ignore terrible realities.
#42 You should understand, at least a bare minimal, what the Bill of Rights is and how it relates to our constitution before you make a statement regarding gun control in the USA. Gun ownership is not leaving the USA. If that bothers you you are the one that needs to deal with it. Besides, the government kidnapping and taking them for a one way flight over the Atlantic is a far cry from a handful of mentally disturbed individuals. 12,000 people in the USA are mudered, almost criminal versus criminal. Which means they were not legal guns to begin with. Can you tell me of that 12,000 how many were of a killing spree?
Also am not defending anyone, merely pointing out Nostrils inability to show some respect and his desire to turn this to a you vs us debate. Also am not Scottish, so not sure what you mean when you refer to supporting fellow Scots. Yes i am British, but that has nothing to do with it, so don't you even thing about jumping down that route.
In fact its pretty clear your just as bad as Nostril, you clearly post in order to get a reaction and antagonize people. Its pathetic, and you only look like idiots and low life to the rest of people that read your posts.
As for my attitude and colonial mind, my attitude is fine, its you that goes round thinking its clever to try change the subject for your own personal gain, not me. Also i do not have a colonial mind either, it is you that wants to colonize the Falklands, i have no intention of colonizing anywhere. She fact you mentioned the word Colonial just goes to show your attempting to make this a Argentina v Britain/Falkland argument. Grow the fuck up and get a life you sad person.
It dont bother me I dont have to live there,It just amazes me that guns are not treated with more respect in the USA
Accidental Shooting
In 2008 there were 680 accidental shooting deaths in the United States, with more than 15,500 shooting injuries. Most disturbing, perhaps, is the number of children involved in accidental shootings. Every day approximately five children are injured or killed on a nationwide basis as a result of handguns.
www.thesurvivorsclub.org/extreme/surviving-accidents/accidental-shooting
I will tell you right off I do not and never have agreed with the NRA.......but that is NOT their main argument. Where do you get your news about the USA from? Read our Bill of Rights. The Second Amendment is their main argument.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dunblane-will-feel-sandy-hook-shootings-more-than-anywhere-8420462.html
Thats why i feel the need to comment on this post,as for the bill of rights,that was drawn up in the day of flint locks also it was a English law,we have moved on why cant you?or at the very least meet halfway,the stupidty of being to buy ammo on line,having thousands of rounds in your home.the absurdity of having assault rifles at home, do you have more or less home invasions than the UK?
I am not a yank hater,I enjoy visiting the States,I have even got to fire a uzi at a gun range in Vegas and enjoyed the experience,but the gun stayed at the range
This amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, a right that dates back to England before the Magna Carta. The English Bill of Rights protected the right of Protestants to own and carry weapons, but denied that right to Catholics.
billofrightsinstitute.org/resources/educator-resources/americapedia/americapedia-bill-of-rights/second-amendment/
Just watching CNN-I they are reporting tons of so-called “lockdowns” and “suspicious people” around schools, and even some calls threatening buildings and students.... some even suggestd school should have been canceled everywhere due to risks.
At least the US president was BRAVE enough to admit what the blind ultra-nationalists Yankeeboy and Captain Poppy won't ever admit: there is somethint VERY WRONG with your society.
Guess it's easy to talk smack and criticize other countries and societies but not as easy to look in the mirror, right Captain Poppy?
I will criticize argentina until it pays it debts, asslips dies, they repay my wives pension they stole....until then......argentina is like dried semen. BTW.....I have been to argentina a million times........more than you can say.
Once things have died down a bit and some time has passed, there is less likely to be a direct repeat of the massacre by other sickos, though if sickos are still making such threats, then schools should be kept in lock-down and armed guards at the school gates.
Also Nostroll, there is clearly something wrong with all societies in all countries. Not just in the USA! Though you can hardly talk, when you consider the gun related murders and crime statistics in Argentina!
I do feel that something will come of this finally, but I also know that gun ownership will not end in the USA......but more controls of the sales and how many.
12000 Americans are murdered by guns each year. 98% of them are criminals on criminals with illegal guns. Criminals will always find guns.
30000 ...not...12000.
you are very useless comment name here becouse you are not from US.
Then there will be those who claim it was a mental health issue but probably don't want to get tax more to pay for medical care.
Then there will be the religious lobby who will blame the breakdown of marriage as a factor.
But the people on this thread will expect others to follow them in whatever they think is right.Will they say what caused the incident,as they seem to know.Poppy doesn't believe the number of gun deaths to population is particularly high.
And so close to Christmas,
May they rest in peace?
.
What goes around comes around. Ask chubby chavo, the evil incarnate himself.....I bet my life he is praying to God everyday now that he faces the gates of hell and none to soon.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!