murphylee08: There have been many dramatic and emotional moments at the White House — but few have been as wrenching as this.

President Obama fought to keep his composure and repeatedly wiped away tears as he addressed the nation about the horror inside a Connecticut grade school.

“Our hearts are broken today,” he said.

He spoke not just as a President, but as a father.

“I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do,” Obama said. “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, kids of their own,” President Obama said during an emotional press conference about the deadly shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.

The President then stopped and remained silent for a full 12 seconds to compose himself.

When he summoned the strength to speak again, he lamented the bright futures that had been abruptly lost.

“They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own,” he said.

And then he stopped again. And wiped an eye.

The emotional, four-minute address showcased a side of Obama the public has rarely seen. Even some cable TV commentators who are never at a loss for words seemed stunned.

In the days before his November 2008 election, Obama cried while remembering his late grandmother, but his public persona is that of a cool, even detached, leader.

The sudden outpouring recalled another dark hour in the nation’s history — President George W. Bush’s heartbreak in the frantic first days after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Before his address, Obama signed an order directing that flags at federal buildings across the nation and the world be flown at half-staff as tribute to those lost.

Obama spoke about the rampage from a room named after the victim of another high-profile shooting — the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Brady was the press secretary who was shot and paralyzed in the 1981 assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan.

As Obama fought back tears, two of his aides stood nearby, clutching hands, openly weeping.

The President promised unspecified “meaningful action” in the weeks ahead to prevent yet more shooting tragedies.

But, most immediately, he said he would do what “every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them.”

The President, the father of two daughters, wiped away another tear, and then added, “But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight. And they need all of us right now.”
cc:http://www./president-obam…-shootingphoto/ ‎

This is a REAL LEADER shedding tears in public over the death of children in his country. When will we have such leaders in Nigeria? When will we stop the DEALERS claiming to be LEADERS in Nigeria? When people got angry and beat up a Commissioner some days ago in Plateau State, idiots kept condemning them. WHO PUSHED THE PEOPLE TO THE WALL? DO YOU THINK PLATEAU PEOPLE AND NIGERIANS ARE IDIOTS? THAT WAS JUST A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. SUCH NATURAL HAPPENINGS DO NOT NEED ANY ORGANIZING. THEY WILL SIMPLY HAPPEN AT THE RIGHT TIME. THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE WERE NEVER A VIOLENT PEOPLE BEFORE THEIR OGBANJE LEADERS PUSHED THEM TO THE WALL! NOW IT IS THE TURN OF PLATEAU STATE AND POSSIBLY THE REST OF THE MIDDLE BELT TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!
TIME TO SEND THE DEMONS HOME AND PUT NAIJALAND (NOT NIGERIA) ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MAP OF THE WORLD. THIS OGBANJE NAME (NIGERIA) SHOULD BE CHANGED TO NAIJALAND ONCE AND FOR ALL NOW. WE NEED A SOVEREIGN CONFERENCE NOW WHETHER THE OGBANJES AGREE OR NOT!

ayox2003: Gun control! Gun control!!

Ha! When will they scrap this law?

Data shows that 12,000 people are killed from shootings every year because of this stupid "arm-urself-mentality" in the US

Meanwhile in Japan, 9 people die every year from shootings because its against the law for any citizen to have a gun.

See the difference?

From the lunatic who sent people to their early graves at the theatre to this one.

There is no Xanadu or Shangri-la in this world - "freedom" comes with some ills. They should just scrap it.

May their young souls rest in peace.



Frawzey

Hmmm, y don't u bring ur statistics closer home!!! Its also against the law for citizens to carry guns in Nigeria u know!!! Do u wanna compare hw many ppl died in shootings in naija and in d US Wit all d boko boys and Kidnappers and ritualists.... Also when giving statistics the use of absolute numbers is wrong!!! Percentages, Rates and Proportions r better!!! Like what's d pop of japan compared to that of us Also what is d death rate in japan compared to us Jst ma 2cents aii!!!

Kemy11: He didnt say anytn about compensation. i forgot no b naija

malele: Really love for ur country men

How I wish that our African leaders will emulate such with out their ''crocodile tears'' and implement lawz that not only back their selfishness and embezzlement up and show us a little love for once.....what

All the guns they sold to third world countries rebels and criminal groups alike have sent a lot of children to their early graves and no justice....all the conflict they've sponsored and caused in other politically weak countries have sent lots of innocent children to their early graves....the invasion of Iraq has taken away the lives of innocent children who were also loved by their parents , so I guess that nemesis is catching up with America because karma will always be a bi/tch.

cyril83: crap!...we call ourselves names mehn,american aint call anybdy names...its an unusual event there but usual damn things in africa, shedding of innocents blood has been our tradition for long and that's why God has decided to alienate himself from africa....everyday killing WTF

and dont forget Africans esp NIG are apparently deeply religious set of humans.

gtrust: I time has come to apply MEDIA BLACK-OUT on all these copy-cat murderers!

Just do NOT broadcast the story.
Keep it as quite as possible and no one will do this nonsense again

kai guy you harsh no be small

obama is a brilliant actor - he deserves an oscar for his performance here.

autocue says - pause, wipe away non existent tear, speak with slight tremor in voice - well done sir you were outstanding in this performance.

Obama you can fool everyone else but im sorry you are as the americans say "as phoney as hell ":


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIa7VLtGIHc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmSH5MREHdw

uneeking:

This is a REAL LEADER shedding tears in public over the death of children in his country. When will we have such leaders in Nigeria? When will we stop the DEALERS claiming to be LEADERS in Nigeria? When people got angry and beat up a Commissioner some days ago in Plateau State, idiots kept condemning them. WHO PUSHED THE PEOPLE TO THE WALL? DO YOU THINK PLATEAU PEOPLE AND NIGERIANS ARE IDIOTS? THAT WAS JUST A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. SUCH NATURAL HAPPENINGS DO NOT NEED ANY ORGANIZING. THEY WILL SIMPLY HAPPEN AT THE RIGHT TIME. THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE WERE NEVER A VIOLENT PEOPLE BEFORE THEIR OGBANJE LEADERS PUSHED THEM TO THE WALL! NOW IT IS THE TURN OF PLATEAU STATE AND POSSIBLY THE REST OF THE MIDDLE BELT TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!
TIME TO SEND THE DEMONS HOME AND PUT NAIJALAND (NOT NIGERIA) ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MAP OF THE WORLD. THIS OGBANJE NAME (NIGERIA) SHOULD BE CHANGED TO NAIJALAND ONCE AND FOR ALL NOW. WE NEED A SOVEREIGN CONFERENCE NOW WHETHER THE OGBANJES AGREE OR NOT!

real leader who sanctioned the invasion of libya which lead to the massacre of thousands of black africans

real leader who never defends the interests of black americans

real leader who passed the National Defence Authorisation Act which allows the US govt to hold people indefinitely in detention without trial if they are SUSPECTED of being involved in terrorist activity.

this is the same US govt that can frame suspects and jail them for life using non existent or fake evidence - all black militants in america in the 1960s and early 70s were done away with using this method.

YOU NEED AN EDUCATION

pro01: Nah, I don't think gun control would necessarily reduce these incessant mass shootings in the US (and in Europe to a lesser degree). The sort of people that do these things would get guns through back-door channels to do what they want to do. Several countries (including Nigeria) prohibit or tightly control gun ownership but it hasn't stopped widespread murders/robberies/terrorism perpetrated with guns acquired one way or the other.

Smooth278: Hmmm, y don't u bring ur statistics closer home!!! Its also against the law for citizens to carry guns in Nigeria u know!!! Do u wanna compare hw many ppl died in shootings in naija and in d US Wit all d boko boys and Kidnappers and ritualists.... Also when giving statistics the use of absolute numbers is wrong!!! Percentages, Rates and Proportions r better!!! Like what's d pop of japan compared to that of us Also what is d death rate in japan compared to us Jst ma 2cents aii!!!

Total elimination will be impossible as it is a constitutional right but control has been really loose. The NRA and repubs are slowly chipping away at restrictions and controls on gun ownership.
Gun control will reduce mass shootings or @ least reduce the level of casualty when they occur. For example, the Aurora shooting where the guy used an assault rifle would have had less casualty numbers if assault rifles had remained banned and the psycho guy didn't have legal access to it. I don't feel safe when the guy shopping next to me at the mall has a gun on his waist or people at the bar have guns in their cars parked outside. I'm more comfortable seeing just armed policemen around.

For the Nigeria comparison, death by the shooting in Nigeria is mainly perpetrated by boko, armed robbers(who have no business owning those guns) and by police, not by psycho individuals. This is mainly due to ineffective security, if we had a police force half as effective as the cops here, coupled with the tight- to no-guns status, Nigeria will be as peaceful as Iceland..

Is Obama not a human being, why would he not cry ?

cyril83: *sigh*...Obama weeps over conncticut shooting while GEJ had never for once shed any tears despite over series of gunmen shooting and boko haram bombing...OMG america is definately a beautiful home for every human being

But whn GEJ cried during d dana crash, where some folks not calling him all sorts of names.
And whn ur governors where in d flood, NL called every one of dem actors .
Face it anything 4m nigeria will always neva b good enuf some people

50calibre: This is how a humane country works, a real leader should have empathy and sympathy.

How many times has goodluck even showed concern for women and children being massacred by boko haram?

If america's gun laws are changed, what will they do about the guns already in circulation? I see a spike in gun sales soon

In a country where humility nd gentility is mistaken 4 stupidity, nd empathy nd sympathy is taken for weakness.
D day he dears shed a tear for those killed by boko H, its d same u that will call him all sorts of names.
Nigerians a nation of people with double standards

duality: now you see nairalanders?
making light the situation. some are even commending obama for weeping. no one is actually seeing the huge security laps. people are downplaying this fact, that any body can get killed in the streets of America. If this happened in Nigeria, People will insult the president and accuse him of being responsible. no one is seeing how insecure the world is turning out to be.

the comments here underscores how insincere and hypocritical Nigerians are.

My point exactly. Nigerians nd our double standards.

A good trigger lock costs about $10.00. The shooter in Conn killed his mother and used her guns to kill 20 children. If the guns had been protected by a decent trigger lock ...