In the aftermath of the gruesome massacre in Sandy Hook Elementary School, President Obama visited Newtown to speak at an interfaith vigil. In admitting that the nation has to do some soul-searching, Obama, in his speech, said, “Can we truly say as a nation that we’re meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm? Can we claim as a nation that we’re all together there letting them know they’re loved and teaching them to love one another in return.
Can we say we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives with happiness and with purpose. I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days and if we’re honest with ourselves the answer is no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change.” The interfaith vigil was held in the Newtown High School Auditorium, and Obama’s speech was kept for the end, where he not only mourned the deaths but also promised to take action to see that an incident such as this one was never repeated again.
While the auditorium was filled with children and their parents, people were standing outside to support those who had lost loved ones in the shooting. Obama met the victims’ families in private notably while a photo of him holding the granddaughter of the deceased principal Dawn Hochsprung has been widely circulated on Twitter. Obama also spoke of his life as a parent after which he read out the 20 names of the children killed in the tragedy.