President Obama's speech in Arizona

[redfox]

Was incredible. I am very touched, and very very grateful

[Zigzagman]

After seeing his speech, all of my ranting in the last few days seems so trivial. Very inspirational.

Peace

[iris lily]

I watched most of it (was it only 20 + minutes?) and he did a nice job.

[Greg44]

He did a good job - a good memorial to all those families involved in this terrible event.

I was a bit bothered by all the cheering as he went to the podium - of which he had no control over. For a memorial service, I just expected those in attendance would have been more "reverent" rather than cheer like it was a political rally. IMHO

[Gina]

Yes, I too was a bit surprised by the cheers. But it was in a gym on a college campus, and the students had waited hours to gain admission.

I thought it was pretty well-done for a quickly arranged service of such magnitude.

And I'm amazed at how well Giffords is doing. She opened her eyes. Wow.

[kally]

I found the cheering and applause very strange. But the speech was just the ticket. I see how grey-haired the president has become/

[peggy]

I found the cheering and applause very strange. But the speech was just the ticket. I see how grey-haired the president has become/

I noticed that grey hair too. The stuff this man knows and must deal with on a daily basis would probably make our toes curl!
Yea, the cheering did seem out of place. I tried to put myself in the shoes of the families of the dead and I don't know how I would feel about the cheering. Very odd.

[CathyA]

I was very uncomfortable with all the cheering. It wasn't a sporting event. I do wish some of the crowd was more reverent. I think some were more excited to be in the presence of the president than to be at a memorial service. I think Obama was a bit uncomfortable with it too.
I think Obama and his wife are very compassionate people.

[Gregg]

I also thought the cheering was out of place, but that wasn't really the President's fault. Good speech by a good speaker. He's one of the best at that.

[goldensmom]

Nicely done by President Obama. I agree with previous posters that the cheering and applause were out of place but it was a response of the attendees and not under the control of the speaker. I feel that it was a time for reverence out of respect for the victims and their families.

[Gina]

I would guess it was very small % of the 27,000 inside the arena who were cheering at odd moments. I also would guess most in the crowd expected a more somber tone and reacted the way many on this thread have - that the cheering was out of place. If it had been thousands rather than a couple hundred (?) initially cheering, such as at a sporting event, the level of noise would have been so much more. But people adjusted and it turned out to be a very moving, uplifting event.

[loosechickens]

The cheering seemed a little out of place to me, too, but I think partly it may have been support for the President having come to Tucson, and also that people were kind of reacting to too much tension and grief, almost in the way that people often laugh too loudly or seem irreverent at wakes.

I think what touched me the most was seeing the visible effort on the President's part, which he got through amazingly well, to be under complete control when he spoke of the little girl who lost her life. Somehow, the "father" part of him came through so plainly as he talked about that child. Who can doubt that his own two girls were much on his mind and the mind numbing horror of how it would feel to lose a child. And in such a senseless way.

When we criticize and complain about Presidents (all of 'em), it probably behooves us to know that the rapid greying of their hair while in office, which seems to happen with them all, must have something to do with the heavy mantle of responsibility and the certain knowledge of terrible worries that we can only guess at.

I think it meant a lot to the people in Tucson, and all of us, to hear the President's words. The office of President, together with all his other job responsibilities, does seem to be as the "consoler in chief".

[gimmethesimplelife]

[QUOTE=kally;3563]I found the cheering and applause very strange. But the speech was just the ticket. I see how grey-haired the president has become/[/QUOTE I noticed that too, how much grey hair he seems to have now vs. when he was first elected. I gotta say I would not want his job for anything, I don't care what the perks are.....Rob of the Valley once more

[redfox]

Not all of a memorial is somber... there are usually tears & laughter both, and the responses to a memorial is highly culturally specific. And, sometimes laughter and cheering are the way that one releases after prolonged fear and sadness. This community has been locked down in both for several days - they obviously needed a release.

[LDAHL]

I especially liked the part where he said:

"If, as has been discussed in recent days, their death helps usher in more civility in our public discourse, let us remember it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy--it did not--but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud."

One passage, and he was able to distance himself from the all the nonsense of the past several days. I'm not normally a fan of his rhetoric, but I think he struck just the right note here.

[peggy]

Well he was right. I just hope, in the wake of this political assassination attempt, the right will stop using the threat of guns and gun violence as a political tool. I certainly can't hope for, nor do I think they will stop vilifying and demonizing democrats/liberals, but please, stop with all the gun talk. Guns and politics should never mix!

[ApatheticNoMore]

The violent threats and so on are either dishonest in a trivial or serious sense or else evil anyway. They dishonest in a trivial sense if they are merely bluster and figure of speech, but this is common. They are dishonest in a serious sense if they convince anyone a bunch of people rich on the status quo (such as media pundits) really want a violent revolution (or even violent chaos). They don't. They're doing too well with how things are now. But maybe they can profit off of their acting and pretending. They are evil if their purpose is to intimidate certain people into not running for office by threats (fascist really).

[ApatheticNoMore]

[QUOTE=kally;3563]I see how grey-haired the president has become/[/QUOTE I noticed that too, how much grey hair he seems to have now vs. when he was first elected. I gotta say I would not want his job for anything, I don't care what the perks are.....Rob of the Valley once more

Oh it's a trick, most of the presidents have gray hair when they start out but initially they dye it. Then they let more and more of the natural color come through so as to look presidential and like they have grown into the job (hey, they are all men and can get away with it). Ok I'm sillying up a somber thread with this post.

[Zippy]

I was at the memorial and can probably explain the cheering. In the hour before the event, as people came into the stadium and found seats, the jumbotron was on, and most of the images were of local scenes - the campus, University Avenue, UMC, etc. -- but on occasion, the cameras would find some of the week's VIPs in the crowd, such as the ER trauma doctor, surgeons, Daniel Hernandez, other heroes of the week, our other Congressman Raul Grijalva, Justice O'Connor -- all these people that do Arizona proud -- every time someone like that came on, super-loud, spontaneous cheers broke out.

And so by the time Mark Kelly and President and Mrs. Obama, and Janet Napolitano arrived, the mood was WAY elevated, almost festive, and I don't think the speakers knew what to do about it. It was a very strange feeling, even being in the stadium but that's why it was like that, I think - the hour building up to the event and the Jumbotron.

[ljevtich]

While I was not able to watch the broadcast, I read the transcript and the words moved me to tears. It was amazing how words can do that. And I know he is a good speaker, so I would have to imagine the moving speech that he gave. Even on the transcript, they had the cheering that people were talking about, but it seems he handled it well.

[bae]

If you want some good to come out of this tragedy, consider this:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/01/14/landsberg.mental.health.arizona/index.html?iref=allsearch

[CathyA]

Thanks for that info Zippy.

[Gregg]

I was at the memorial and can probably explain the cheering. In the hour before the event, as people came into the stadium and found seats, the jumbotron was on, and most of the images were of local scenes - the campus, University Avenue, UMC, etc. -- but on occasion, the cameras would find some of the week's VIPs in the crowd, such as the ER trauma doctor, surgeons, Daniel Hernandez, other heroes of the week, our other Congressman Raul Grijalva, Justice O'Connor -- all these people that do Arizona proud -- every time someone like that came on, super-loud, spontaneous cheers broke out.

And so by the time Mark Kelly and President and Mrs. Obama, and Janet Napolitano arrived, the mood was WAY elevated, almost festive, and I don't think the speakers knew what to do about it. It was a very strange feeling, even being in the stadium but that's why it was like that, I think - the hour building up to the event and the Jumbotron.

Makes you wonder who the bright bulb that put it all together was, but it does explain alot. Thanks for the info Zippy!

[danna]

Good Article Bae...
I think we are seeing similar issues in this country.... The weeks news Toronto man in bare feet steals large snow plow..joy rides up and down major street
Killing one police officer, hurting another and large amounts of property damage..
One of too many examples we are hearing these days. But, still we close beds and make cuts to mental health.