These were some of the words that hit home and brought tears to my eyes:
From the word of The United States President
As these difficult days have unfolded, you’ve also inspired us with
stories of strength and resolve and sacrifice. We know that when danger
arrived in the halls of Sandy Hook Elementary, the school’s staff did
not flinch, they did not hesitate. Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach,
Vicki Soto, Lauren Rousseau, Rachel Davino and Anne Marie Murphy — they
responded as we all hope we might respond in such terrifying
circumstances — with courage and with love, giving their lives to
protect the children in their care.
We know that there were other teachers who barricaded themselves
inside classrooms, and kept steady through it all, and reassured their
students by saying “wait for the good guys, they’re coming”; “show me
your smile.”
And then there were the scenes of the schoolchildren, helping one
another, holding each other, dutifully following instructions in the way
that young children sometimes do; one child even trying to encourage a
grown-up by saying, “I know karate. So it’s okay. I’ll lead the way
out.”
As a community, you’ve inspired us, Newtown. In the face of
indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, you’ve
looked out for each other, and you’ve cared for one another, and you’ve
loved one another. This is how Newtown will be remembered. And with
time, and God’s grace, that love will see you through.
All the world’s religions — so many of them represented here today —
start with a simple question: Why are we here? What gives our life
meaning? What gives our acts purpose? We know our time on this Earth
is fleeting. We know that we will each have our share of pleasure and
pain; that even after we chase after some earthly goal, whether it’s
wealth or power or fame, or just simple comfort, we will, in some
fashion, fall short of what we had hoped. We know that no matter how
good our intentions, we will all stumble sometimes, in some way.....
There’s only one thing we can be sure of, and that is the love that
we have — for our children, for our families, for each other. The
warmth of a small child’s embrace — that is true. The memories we have
of them, the joy that they bring, the wonder we see through their eyes,
that fierce and boundless love we feel for them, a love that takes us
out of ourselves, and binds us to something larger — we know that’s what
matters. We know we’re always doing right when we’re taking care of
them, when we’re teaching them well, when we’re showing acts of
kindness. We don’t go wrong when we do that.
That’s what we can be sure of. And that’s what you, the people of
Newtown, have reminded us. That’s how you’ve inspired us. You remind
us what matters. ....
The List of The Victims:
Charlotte. Daniel. Olivia. Josephine. Ana. Dylan. Madeleine.
Catherine. Chase. Jesse. James. Grace. Emilie. Jack. Noah.
Caroline. Jessica. Benjamin. Avielle. Allison.
God has called them all home. For those of us who remain, let us
find the strength to carry on, and make our country worthy of their
memory.
May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in His heavenly place. May
He grace those we still have with His holy comfort. And may He bless
and watch over this community, and the United States of America.
