Thursday, April 18, 2013

President Obama's Boston Memorial Address.

The sound is not too good, but the message is very powerful.

From the transcript:  

That’s the message we send to those who carried this out and anyone who would do harm to our people. Yes, we will find you. And, yes, you will face justice. (Applause.) We will find you. We will hold you accountable. But more than that; our fidelity to our way of life -- to our free and open society -- will only grow stronger. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power and love and self-discipline. 

Like Bill Iffrig, 78 years old -- the runner in the orange tank top who we all saw get knocked down by the blast -- we may be momentarily knocked off our feet, but we’ll pick ourselves up. We’ll keep going. We will finish the race. (Applause.) In the words of Dick Hoyt, who’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, in 31 Boston Marathons -- “We can’t let something like this stop us.” (Applause.) This doesn’t stop us. (Applause.) 

And that’s what you’ve taught us, Boston. That’s what you’ve reminded us -- to push on. To persevere. To not grow weary. To not get faint. Even when it hurts. Even when our heart aches. We summon the strength that maybe we didn’t even know we had, and we carry on. We finish the race. (Applause.) We finish the race. (Applause.) 

And we do that because of who we are. And we do that because we know that somewhere around the bend a stranger has a cup of water. Around the bend, somebody is there to boost our spirits. On that toughest mile, just when we think that we’ve hit a wall, someone will be there to cheer us on and pick us up if we fall. We know that. (Applause.) And that’s what the perpetrators of such senseless violence -- these small, stunted individuals who would destroy instead of build, and think somehow that makes them important -- that’s what they don’t understand. Our faith in each other, our love for each other, our love for country, our common creed that cuts across whatever superficial differences there may be -- that is our power. That’s our strength. 

That’s why a bomb can’t beat us. That’s why we don’t hunker down. That’s why we don’t cower in fear. We carry on. We race. We strive. We build, and we work, and we love -- and we raise our kids to do the same. And we come together to celebrate life, and to walk our cities, and to cheer for our teams. When the Sox and Celtics and Patriots or Bruins are champions again -- to the chagrin of New York and Chicago fans -- (laughter) -- the crowds will gather and watch a parade go down Boylston Street. (Applause.) 

And this time next year, on the third Monday in April, the world will return to this great American city to run harder than ever, and to cheer even louder, for the 118th Boston Marathon. (Applause.) Bet on it. (Applause.)

I think that this is AT LEAST as powerful of a message as the one that George W. Bush delivered while standing in the rubble of the twin towers in 2001.

What's more, when THIS President says we will bring these people to justice, I believe him!

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:47 PM

    Those last two comments brought tears to my eye... so much so that I'm having a hard time seeing the letters on my keyboard to type this. May our will and strength never fail.

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    Replies
    1. Pat in MA3:24 PM

      me too, alone at home today I watched the service and when the President made those comments I stood up, started clapping with tears streaming... seconds later my son who is away at school sent me a text 'did you watch that? I was watching it on TV at the gym and almost lost it,' Thank you Mr. President.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous1:28 PM

    Mayor Michael Bloomberg today blasted the Senators who defeated background checks for gun owners, as well as more monitoring of guns sold to the mentally ill.

    "The criminals won," he declared, citing a figure that 12,000 Americans will be killed with handguns this year, while 19,000 will commit suicide with handguns.

    He will continue to fight, with words and money, the people who think the Second Amendment meant to so easily give anyone the means to kill others and themselves. He urges people to read about the writing of the Constitution -- "a well-regulated militia" doesn't mean what the gun manufacturers and others who make money from gun sales say it does.
    But the psychologically deficient NRA supporters who think taking their guns is threatening their manhood will never learn or listen.
    The other 90% of the population will have to set them straight in elections to come.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "But the psychologically deficient NRA supporters who think taking their guns is threatening their manhood will never learn or listen.
      The other 90% of the population will have to set them straight in elections to come."

      I think this is critical. We cannot afford to waste time on those who can't or won't listen and learn. We, the 90% will have to put our efforts into elections and educating voters.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous3:26 PM

    Step away from the podium and do your job
    First Benghazi, and now Boston
    Nobody is safe anymore
    With Obama as President

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anita Winecooler6:54 PM

      Oh, look! Someone's mastered the fine art of "Copy" and "Paste"!

      Good Job!

      Delete
  4. Anita Winecooler6:52 PM

    I think you're giving President Bush too much credit Yeah, the rubble speech was good, but the man already had plans to start an unjust war. already

    This speech was much more powerful President Obama shows a great deal of empathy and a grasp of what touches people's hearts when they need it most. The analogy of the race with someone with a cup of water being there for your next mile, and the next was a metaphor for what brings out the best in people when tragedy strikes.

    ReplyDelete

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