President Barack Obama hugs Stephanie Davies (C) who was credited for keeping her friend Allie Young (L) alive after the movie theatre shootings in Aurora, Colorado in this White House-released image
*President Barack Obama arrived in Aurora, Colorado on Sunday to convey the nation’s empathy and support in the wake of Thursday night’s deadly movie theater mass shooting.
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The president met with the families of each of the victims, and recalled his encounters during a nationally televised, ten minute speech.
“I had a chance to visit with each family, and most of the conversation was filled with memory,” Obama said. “It was an opportunity for families to describe how wonderful their brother, or their son, or daughter was, and the lives that they have touched, and the dreams that they held for the future. I confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, but that my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them at this moment and will continue to think about them each and every day, and that the awareness that not only all of America but much of the world is thinking about them might serve as some comfort.” [Scroll down to watch the speech.]
President Barack Obama (2nd R) is greeted by (L-R) Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO), Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates and Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan after arriving at Buckley Air Force Base July 22, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado
Twelve moviegoers were killed and 58 more injured during a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
During his address, Obama recounted a meeting with 19-year old Allie Young and 21-year old Stephanie Davies, best friends who survived the assault thanks to fast thinking and selfless acts.
“When the gunman initially came in and threw the canisters, he threw them only a few feet away from Allie and Stephanie, who were sitting there watching the film,” he recounted. “Allie stood up, seeing that she might need to do something or at least warn the other people who were there. And she was immediately shot. And she was shot in the neck, and it punctured a vein, and immediately she started spurting blood.”
“And apparently, as she dropped down on the floor, Stephanie — 21 years old — had the presence of mind to drop down on the ground with her, pull her out of the aisle, place her fingers over where she — where Allie had been wounded, and applied pressure the entire time while the gunman was still shooting,” Obama continued. “Allie told Stephanie she needed to run. Stephanie refused to go — instead, actually, with her other hand, called 911 on her cell phone.”
This is the third reaction Obama has given about the shootings; he gave an early, brief statement shortly after the news broke early Friday morning, and then addressed the nation later that day. He suspended his campaign ads through the weekend, and ordered flags be flown at half-mast until July 25.
James Holmes, the alleged gunman responsible for the massacre, is due in court today.
*speechless*
True Class! I applaud the President for putting politics aside and making this trip!!!
In retrospect, last Friday was one of the luckiest days in this country’s history. If the shooter’s gun didn’t jam, it could easily be the worst mass murder in this countries history, easily surpassing the Virginia Tech’s record of 32. But in the midst of all of this, Obama and the Republicans insist on making excuses for not doing anything.
The Republicans come back with the same dumb tired line, that someone like this would get the necessary weapons regardless. Now how do they know that? It’s a universal law that the more obstacles you place in front of a person, the less likely that they will succeed in carrying out their diabolical plans.
The Democrats are not any better, either. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters: “The president’s view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them, under existing law. He believes we need to take steps that protect Second Amendment rights of the American people but that ensure we’re not allowing weapons into the hands of individuals who should not, by existing law, obtain those weapons.”
1And how the fuck would he be able to keep the guns out of this PhD student’s hands, since all the guns were purchased legally and he didn’t have a criminal record?
If people want to reduce the likelihood of this happening, they need to take the responsibility to elect decent public officials. It’s not going to be the Republicans who are bought out by the NRA, and it’s not going to be their Democratic lap dogs like Bill Clinton and Obama, who goes out of their way to kiss Republicans ass. It’s going to be electing people like Democratic Congress member Carolyn McCarthy of New York. Her husband was killed and her son injured in the 1993 mass shooting on the Long Island Rail Road that killed six people. She was a Republican who switched and ran on a platform of gun control.
REP. CAROLYN McCARTHY: And I think that the American people understand that. The problem is, politicians, legislators across this country are intimidated by the NRA and the gun manufacturers who put so much money out there to say that “we will take you down in an election if you go against us.” Common sense will say we can take prudent gun safety legislation and try to save people’s lives
Last night, I did watch him speak at the services for the victims and after visiting the victims. He did say that we had to do something, we had to do something to stop this kind of violence in our country. It’s going to be up to me and certainly many members of Congress to convince him. We are willing to lose an election to save people’s lives, and the president should be doing the same thing.
So I ask the Obama apologists. After how many more massacres are you willing to give Obama a pass, while he visits to hug and give speeches, before finally showing a willingness to do something about it?
Really Reds? Was Obama president when Timothy McVeigh blew up the Federal Building in OK, was he president when the VA Tech shooting occurred, was he President when the Atlanta Olympics were bombed? how did you hold the other Presidents accountable when these catastrophes happened? WTF was Obama supposed to do??? He did what any decent human being would do, put all BS aside and showed compassion towards the families. Did the Clinton visit the OK bombing victims, did Bush visit the families effected by the Olympic bombings, WTF…WE GET IT YOU DON’T LIKE OBAMA BUT IF HE GAVE EVERYBODY ON UNEMPLOYMENT A GOVERNMENT JOB WITH BENEFITS, A FREE HOUSE, A BRAND NEW CAR AND ELIMINATED TAXES, MF’S LIKE YOU WOULD STILL FIND FAULT. I appreciate the fact that he wasn’t born with a Platinum spoon in his mouth because he sure as hell is doing more for the middle class than President I’ve seen and NO, I don’t think he’s the resurrected Christ but I would be a damn fool to think one President can fix America’s problems in just 4 years, hell even 8!!!
Damn Stephanie ,u beat me to it.Reds u really have a serious problem,every problem under the sun to u has to somehow have something to so with President Obama.Well 2 can play that game I blame President Obama for your pathetic self for being born.
Yeah, really. Obama wasn’t president when McVeigh blew up the federal building or during the VA Tech shooting, but he was president when Gabby Gifford took a bullet to her brain and this psychopath attempted to take out a theater filled to capacity. I hold Bush accountable for what happened at VA Tech, but what am I going to say to him? I didn’t vote for him and he didn’t lie about being in the pocket of the NRA. Obama, on the other hand, is a two faced mofo. You want to go up in there hugging them people like you give fuck, but won’t say shit against these weapons being so accessible. Bush or another Republican president wouldn’t show his face, because he wouldn’t have shit to say to the victims after being the NRA mouthpiece. But how better is Obama? Is he nothing but a hypocrite?
Obama’s position doesn’t even make no damn sense. He’s not supported by the NRA and Congress woman McCArthey showed that going against them is a winning move. So whose side is Obama really on? Is he a plant for the Republicans or even a Manchurian candidate unknowingly doing their bidding?
It’s amazing how far you folks will go to defend him. I watched all the progressives and they all were poking fun at Obama and the Republicans argument that stricter gun control would not prevent this from happening. Even Sharpton, a known Obama apologist, was talking gun control. He didn’t refer Obama, but by bringing up the topic, he indicted Obama along with the Republicans who are pulling his strings.
Reds, Obama is NOT the second coming of Christ so don’t waste your time expecting him to walk on water, part the red sea, raise the dead, and make a donkey talk! MY GOD!
Sometimes it’s not what you are able to do, but what you are willing that counts. With the number of Republicans in Congress, Obama and the Dems probably can’t make much difference in gun control right now. But the man can’t even show a willingness to do something out of fear of the Republicans. It’s like what went down with Shirley Sherrod. The evidence showed that the Obama admin knew earlier on that the video was doctored, but rather than having to defend her, they choose the easier route. Fire her on spot. The poor woman had to pull over and send in her resignation “before the Glen Beck show” started. We have the same cowardly behavior here. Rather than speaking on the need for more gun control and having to defend his position against Republican smear campaign, Obama would rather see innocent people mowed down like animals.