My colleague Andy Dallos had an item yesterday, noting that President Obama was in Aurora and that we'd publish the video, so I wanted to be sure to post this clip this morning. The president spoke for about 10 minutes without a prepared text at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora (for those who can't watch clips online, the transcript is available).
There was one story that Obama told that I hope folks will take a moment to remember. The president spoke, just a few minutes before addressing the cameras, with Allie Young, who is 19, and who was in the theater with friend Stephanie Davies, who's 21.
"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. 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. Allie told Stephanie she needed to run. Stephanie refused to go -- instead, actually, with her other hand, called 911 on her cell phone.
"Once the SWAT team came in, they were still trying to clear the theater. Stephanie then, with the help of several others, carries Allie across two parking lots to where the ambulance is waiting. And because of Stephanie's timely actions, I just had a conversation with Allie downstairs, and she is going to be fine."
The president described these young women as representing "what's best in us, and they assure us that out of this darkness a brighter day is going to come."
There was also a vigil in Aurora last night, but to help keep the focus on the families and community, the president did not attend.
In the meantime, we continue to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the massacre, including the fact that the suspected gunman, James Holmes, "was able to build what the police called a 6,000-round arsenal legally and easily over the Internet, exploiting what critics call a virtual absence of any laws regulating ammunition sales." Piecing together the details will apparently take quite a bit more time because the accused is not cooperating with law enforcement.
As Tricia noted earlier, Holmes is scheduled to make his first appearance in court this morning.
Leave a Comment:
Theater. It is all just theater. We have become the longest running live soap opera since Henry VIII entertained at Hampton Court Palace.
Platitudes and pathos, shrill voices raging against the 1%, the NRA, while Big Ag, Big Oil and Big Bux diddle the system and toast each other inside their limos.
The winner this November matters not a whit.
As the song says, "same as it ever was, same as it ever was."
So ... what do we do? Roll over and give up?
Day; I share your cynicism . You are absolutely correct . He with the most money wins be it via lobbyists or propaganda for the stupids.
Politicians are so afraid of NRA they can not bring themselves to even consider why a person would need a 40 bullet clip for a handgun or a 100 round drum for an assault rifle.
What's it going to take a congressman being gunned down ....
Oh wait.....
Seriously I can't even get excited anymore , nothing will change . Ever.
I'm glad I don't think like that.
To Maphi and Hell's
According to the latest numbers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, there are 123,000 licensed firearms dealers in the United States, meaning there are roughly as many gun dealers as there are gas stations.
McDonald's - 14000 U.S. Locations
Between 2006 and 2010 more than 47,000 people were killed in the United States by firearms, according to ATF reports.
Blam Blam Blam, It's the American effin way baby.
It is a battle you will always lose.
While people are throwing around bans on guns rhetoric, let's take care of the state of mental health-care in our country (pun intended).
If "People Kill People", then let us as a nation expand and de-stigmatize our mental health programs so people can get the proper treatment that is so deserving. Surely the NRA can support that, right?
And let's give every victim of mass violence or terroristic activities free healthcare for life. Victims shouldn't go bankrupt from medical bills and we will never know how deeply scarred the events they experienced left them. All physical and mental therapy after recovery is paid for. Surely the NRA -as 'hobbyists' who defend their 'hobby'- can support that, right?
I feel what you guys are saying. I do..
There is something that can be done and it can be done drastically or in increments.
When sentiments of hopelessness settles in the bad guys have won. That's what they want you to believe. So you won't do anything about it, and they can continue without any opposition.
If people thought all was hopeless, worker's rights, unions, child labor laws, women's right to vote, and fair wages would have never happened.
If people thought all was lost, the civil rights movement would have never happened.
It wasn't always like this. It didn't get to this point overnight. And it won't change overnight. But we all must remember our own culpability in letting it get this far. And now that this crappy situation is here, we must do what we can to fight against it.
Now is the time to fight. And in any way that we can.
the President is a good man.
Pretty words are pretty words, and last about as long as the air that carried them. Bloomberg is right! But you won't see this president act on anything like what he should be doing here.
We grew up in Aurora, and we have family there still. Our brother lives six blocks from the Century 16 and he had plans to go to that night with his kids. He changed his mind at the last second because he didnt have the cash. He and his wife said they were never so happy to be poor. This whole incident is a testiment to what government can do. In less than 48 hours they had everything locked down: suspect in custody, IED ridden Apt Bldg Evacuated along with 4 other bldgs, 7 hospitals treating victims, assestment of the crime scene and removal of the bodies, IED ridden Apt Bldg neutralized, evacuation center at nearby high school, greif councilors and Red Cross available at 2 nearby high schools, Aurora mental health open 24 hours through the weekend WITH a hotline for ANYBODY in the city who needed to talk. If you look up the record of Chief Oates you will find that he has been indespensible in this turn around for Aurora. So we dare anybody to say that public employees dont do anything.
You should qualify that to say local government. Sadly this is the government that is first on the chopping block.
Humanity’s Successes
As a species, we face many challenges. The universe bombards us with tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, asteroids, diseases, floods and dangerous rays of energy. And , yes we are a bit behind on all these dangers. But as for turning our frustrations on each other, we are at our “ best “. For most all of recorded history mankind has spend more time and effort inventing new ways of hurting each other, than helping anyone. Some estimate that, way over half of all of humanity’s GDP has went in to killing each other off, while causing as much pain as possible in the process. We have developed thousands and thousands of ways to “break each other’s hearts “. We can slowly cook you in oil, or rip you limb from limb. We can burn you at the stake, or pull your finger nails out with pliers. Burn your eyes out with hot pokers, or chop off body parts. Melt entire cites with a single bomb, or kill every man , woman and child a thousand times over. We are very, very good at destruction.
And then every once in a while, we do good things, like build bridges, roads and schools. But those still all seem less important to us. We have caused more harm to each other than all of histories tsunamis combined.
* We always seek the easiest of paths, and destruction is always easier. But can we still look into our loving mothers eyes and honestly say, “ I tried to good mama, I really did ! “ ??
Two Wrongs will Never Make a Right
The state of Colorado has not committed capital-murder in 35 years ( 1977), let’s not start now. Enough hearts have been broken. We are better than this. It is not for him. It for us.