There are no words that can change what has happened to these families, but it has got to be a comfort to them to know that the POTUS feels deeply enough to be there in their time of need.

What the rest of us can do to honor the memory of the children, teachers, principal and counselor is to begin a national conversation about gun violence and mental illness.

Thanks, Mr. President.

The nation needs to balance some people's constitutional right to bear arms and others' constitutional right to life and pursuit of happiness.

There should be some common-sense gun control legislation. Don't just say guns don't kill people. But what if crazies like this won't have access or at least easy access to powerful weapons?

Best of luck...in getting something done.

Horrible tragedies like this can be the best legislator.

President Obama continues to show care and compassion to the citizens of America...now he needs to lead the effort to get reasonable, rational gun control laws in this country. We are ready, Mr. President...if not now, when???

Those 20 little darlings should not die in vain. Imagine the losses by their parents who won't be able to tuck them in at night.

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I wonder if we are going to see more of those insensitive people who would still come out to justify unregulated gun ownership by saying 'guns don't kill.'

A couple yrs ago , 2 incidents took place at around the same time. Pres Obama won the nobel peace prize & a gifted child on his way home from school (right outside of the school) was filmed being beaten to death in Chicago with clubs & kicked & it made natl news . It was a day just like every other day in Chicago . They had been having a bad string of young ppl killing young ppl , mostly gang related with as many as 10 murders a night. The right wing attacked Obama saying he'd done nothing to deserve the prize. I had emailed the White House & asked that he consider donating half the prize money to social groups in Chi to give kids a safe place for recreation & maybe safe transportation for inner city kids & maybe even programs to help escape the dirt covering most of this city he called home. He claimed to remember his roots well & even kept his home there & said he felt empathy for the ppl there. I also suggested he use the other half of the money to provide programs to help children in west bank to help jewish & palestinians come together in a non threatening environment where they could look into the eyes of others that ppl say are their enemies. Obama could say to the rest of the world , i cant tell you how to live , without first showing we also need to work on our problems of living together in respect & caring. I said in the email to him , this would silence his critics on the right & maybe even save some lives & do you know what their response was? A form reply thank you & nothing else. Since then hundreds of children have been murdered in Chicago & not 1 act from Obama or his friend R. Emanuel , at least nothing of any substance. I'm sick of all politicians on both sides . Obama , you really care about young ppl dying , start where you know killing will be happening every other day , your old neighborhood & weep for their lost lives.

TALK ABOUT RACISM & INDIFFERENCE , WHERE WAS ALL THIS LIBERAL OUTRAGE WHILE HUNDREDS OF INNERCITY YOUTH WERE BEING MURDERED?

Ironically , chicago just passed a new law , imposing a 50$ additional tax on legal gun purchases , supposedly to pay for hospital bills of poor ppl that survive shootings. Isnt that a kick in the teeth , tax payers & insured workers are allready paying for those bills when theirs are padded & taxes are raised . Thank you Rahm Emanuel .The left figures , yes!!! alot of white gun toting ppl cant argue with 20 dead children , now we have a reason to build a case to take the guns from the sheeple, thats why the outrage now , STAGED OUTRAGE TO SUIT THEIR AGENDA!

stimulatingsolutions

Here is where he donated the 1.4 million dollars.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/obama-announces-charities-where-hell-donate-nobel-peace-prize-money.php

News flash -

Pres. Obama is to nominate John Kerry as the next Secretary of State. His nomination is expected to fly through the senate which usually doesn't give problems to one of their own.

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This has been a breaking news update from the PNN (Pigotry News Netowrk), a nun-partisan news network - our motto...we are nun-partisan; we are bipartisan; we love nuns.

Starbuck , not 1 penny went to stopping violence here , this was after all , the nobel peace prize. Most went to college funds , these arent gang bangers. These are ppl with a decent future already ahead of them if they have grades to go onto further education. The program that went for afghan schools , we already have spent millions on their schools already & as for african schools & aids programs , although a nobel cause , does nothing to stop violence. As for the VA program , being a vietnam era vet , i see it as a nobel cause also , but does nothing to promote peace here. All the charities were of nobel cause on the face of it. What in saying is , HE HAS SEEN all this violence in his own back yard , no half mast for them . When the murders got so bad , a hearing was set up in chicago , it was held in a deluxe motel & none of the participants dared venture into the crime areas to actually look at the problems. You still miss the point , why all this outrage now , where was it for the last 10 yrs while kids died for no reason & my anger isnt just as obama , but bush & clinton & bush senior , they are all political prostitutes worthy of nothing but contempt.

I don't believe any amount of laws could have prevented what happened.This guy was determined to commit this terrible deed regardless of laws.Laws and law enforcement provide more justice after the crime has been commited than prevention.

I respect President Obama for his show of support for the familes of this devastating act.

I'm sadden by the taking of children's lives, however if obama wants to be a goodwill ambassador he should change jobs. this set a bad precedence for other future events that WILL happen. remember the BEER SUMMIT everybody made a big deal out of it and remember the other similar things happened what happened NOTHING.

he has 300 million other people to take care of and he has been ignoring the masses and needs to get his priorities straight... WHERE ARE THE JOBS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike,

You need to ask the Republicans in the House of Representatives where the jobs are.
The presidents proposals are still there and waiting, while Republicans go about chasing red herrings.

(That is when they are not trying to inject "big government into our bed-rooms)

Hi Wolf,

Well it may be that "no Law" could have stopped this act. But "no gun" would have greatly reduced the number of victims.

Many argue that a psychopath or a nut-case would find a way. This may be true, but there are "nut-cases" of the "Walter Middy" variety. With out their "all black" drag-queen costumes, and their "see what a man I am" guns, I think that few of these individuals would be able to get into the "nitty-gritty" and chase 27 people down with a knife.

Look at Japan. Look at England. Look at any of the other industrial nations. Our problem is that the second amendment has been high-jacked by the gun industry. THey have sold us on the idea that these things are making us safer. They are not.

Sick people kill people, but sick people with guns can kill more people.

And by the way. I'm not asking for the repeal of the right to bare arms. Just for reasonable reform.
It should not be easier to get a gun than it is to get a car!

Right to bare arms would mean you have the right to wear short sleeve shirts. The 2nd amendment right to bear arms means that if you come across a bear, you can whack off his arms and keep them.

I like your interpretation of the Second Amendment, Jim! :)

"he has 300 million other people to take care of and he has been ignoring the masses and needs to get his priorities straight..."

• Mike -- we all know that if President Obama didn't meet with the families, right wing types like you would be whining about that. That what you right wingers do -- whine about President Obama.

"WHERE ARE THE JOBS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

• Ask John Boehner. That's what he ran on in 2011 and has yet to introduce a single jobs bill.

Charlie-1915998

Ask John Boehner. That's what he ran on in 2011 and has yet to introduce a single jobs bill.

Charlie, by a “jobs bill”, do you mean like the $timulu$ “jobs bill”?

The $863 billion $timulu$ jobs bill that allegedly created 5 million jobs? Which means we spent over $200,000 per job to create them. Not a very good return on our investment is it?

More importantly are the “types” of jobs being created.

Although six in 10 jobs lost during the Great Recession paid mid-level wages, the majority of new jobs created in the recovery -- positions such as store clerks, laborers and home healthcare aides -- pay much less, according to a new study by the National Employment Law Project.

The study covered jobs created from the first quarter of 2010 through the first quarter of 2012.

Lower-paying jobs, with median hourly wages from $7.69 to $13.83, accounted for just 21% of the job losses during the recession. But they've made up about 58% of the job growth from the end of the recession in late 2009 through early 2012.

Those jobs have been concentrated in three industries: food services, retail and employment services, such as office clerks and customer service representatives, the study found.

In contrast, mid-wage occupations with median hourly wages from $13.84 to $21.13 -- jobs such as construction workers, real estate brokers, and data entry clerks -- have accounted for just 22% of the new jobs in the recovery after making up 60% of the job losses in the recession.

So, we're paying $200,000 to create jobs making $25,000 a year. I'm not an economist but it would seem like our return on investment isn't very good.

When are you all going to learn that government does NOT create jobs, it can only create a favorable environment for commerce to develop.

The only thing that truly creates productive growth jobs is the free-market unobstructed by layers of government bureaucracy.

"Charlie, by a "jobs bill", do you mean like the $timulu$ "jobs bill"?"

• Well Jim -- do you remember Ronald Reagan?? He called for and signed a jobs bill a stimulus bill. And it worked. Funny -- you so called conservatives were all for it then.

The only thing that truly creates productive growth jobs is the free-market unobstructed by layers of government bureaucracy.

• Oh -- you mean like the investment banks and mortgage industry had it in the early part of the decade --- totally unregulated? That worked out great didn't it. Since you're so in favor of totally unregulated capitalism, I suggest you give China a try.

Hey, JimS12345 (#1.15 post)

Right to bare arms...

Are you talking about our right before the overturning of 'concealed carry' by the courts?

Or, are you talking about the right to 'bear' arms?

Anyway, good post.

We have a President that cares, if this was RobMeHood he would be at the Cayman's !!!!!!!!!

Charlie-1915998

Well Jim -- do you remember Ronald Reagan??

Why yes Charlie, I do. Do you?

This is what Reagan “inherited” from your boy toy Jimmy "Peanut Boy" Carter.

One of the worst recessions in 1981-1982

Unemployment 10.8%

Inflation (CPI) of 13.5% (Carter tried to convince everyone inflation was now endemic in the economy)

Prime interest rate 21.5% in 1980

Poverty rate of 15.2 %

Decreased home values by 10% from 1978-1982

Family income decreased by 10%

From 1968-1982 the stock market lost 70% of its real value

Hmmmmm, looks a LOT WORSE than what Barrack Hussein inherited.

What did Reagan do? Did he whine like a child about what he “inherited”. Cry about some mythical car in the ditch? Blame everybody but himself?

Nope.

He got to work.

Decreased tax rates from 70% to 2 rates of 28% and 15% by 1986.

Decreased total Federal spending form a high of 23.5% of GDP in 1983 to 21.2% in 1989, a 10% decrease.

Created an anti-inflation monetary policy by reducing money supply growth compared to demand to stabilize the dollar.

Deregulation which saved an estimated $100 Billion. Eliminated the idiotic price controls Carter placed on oil and natural gas, the price of oil declined by more than 50%.

Four simple steps created 92 months of uninterrupted growth. That’s almost 31 quarters. The longest peacetime expansion EVER!

During this time economic growth was 33%, the amount of West Germany’s entire economy (they were third in the world at the time). 1984 had an unequalled 6.8% of growth, the highest in 50 years.

Nearly 20 million new jobs were created, increasing employment by 20%

In 1989 unemployment was 5.3%.

Inflation dropped to 6.2% by 1982 and 3.2% in 1983. Contraction (NOT EXPANSION) of the money supply created the recession of 1981 that he inherited from Jimmy Cahhtah.

Per-Capita disposable income increased by 18% between 1982 and 1989, a Standard of Living increase of nearly 20%.

Poverty levels decreased by 13%.

The stock market more than tripled from 1980-1990.

Oh, one more little thing, he ended the Cold war that your boys Kennedy, Johnson and Carter did nothing about.

I’m not sure Charlie, but I don’t see any $timulu$ legislation in Reagans plan, do you?

From 1982-2007 America experienced the greatest period of wealth creation in history. Adjusting for inflation more wealth was created in America in that 25 year period than in the previous 200 years. Debt increased simply because we were in the end-stages of the Cold-War. I’m sure you Liberal Progressives just discount this as a minor inconvenience. You should ask your boy JFK what an “inconvenient truth” it really was.

I’d be happy to compare Reagan’s accomplishments against Barrack Hussein’s up until now if you’d like but I don’t think you want to go there do you.

He embarrasses himself enough alone, he doesn’t need me helping him.

Right?

Oh -- you mean like the investment banks and mortgage industry had it in the early part of the decade --- totally unregulated?

You mean from all the deregulation your boy-toy Billy “Blue Dress” Clinton created? You know what I’m talking about don’t you?

Let’s start with the easy ones like Clinton’s National Homeownership Strategy: Partners in the American Dream which was one of the biggest causes for the incredible redistribution attempt for home ownership and the growth of the housing bubble starting in 1994.

Then there was his advisors, Alan Greenspan, Larry Summers, Robert Rubin and Arthur Levitt ignoring and ridiculing Brooksley Born in 1998 when she wanted to implement regulations on CD’s and CDO’s, remember?

Of course let’s not forget the infamous repeal of Glass-Steagall and replacing it with Gramm-Leach-Bliley which truly opened Pandora’s Box.

Since you're so in favor of totally unregulated capitalism, I suggest you give China a try.

Hmmmm, China you say? You may want to talk to Barrack Husseins "Jobs Czar", Jeff Immelt, he seems to have an inordinate passion for sending his jobs to China.

Try to keep up Spanky, you’re making yourself look more insignificant than you already are.

86% of the American people say "W" was the Worst President in History - Second to Reaganomics !!!

Well Jim -- you're a typical ditto-head. You can't answer a question about what's going on now so rant about Preaident Carter -- who left office 23 years ago and Bill Clinton -- who left office 12 years ago. But when I brought up the FACT that Ronald Reagan, the conservative hero, campaigned for and signed a STIMULUS BILL to CREATE JOBS -- you ignore it. When I bring up China as an example of the kind of unregulated capitalism that you say you favor, you come back with a smart ass comment about "Job Czars" and and further the smart ass, childish comments with "Try to keep up Spanky."

To be honest Jim, the one making them-self look "foolish and insignificant" is you. You can't defend what you say so like a typical ditto-head you change subjects. The only thing you can do is repeat the talking points as prescribed by Limbaugh the junkie, Fox entertainment and the rest of the right wing noise machine.

Looks like Obama is milking this for all it's worth.

I think he's trying to inoculate himself, PR wise, because he knows that he and the two parties are planning on big cuts to social programs that keep millions of americans (including CHILDREN) out of poverty as a part of the "Fiscal Cliff" scam.

Here's how much he really cares about children. Victims of drone attacks he sanctions and directs from the White House:

http://thewe.cc/thewe_/images_5/-----/illuminati-system/drone-strike-by-obama-children-killed.jpg

Those little kids had their whole lives before them, too.

Like black progressive Chicago Journalist Adolf Reed said about Obama: "He's a vacuous opportunist".

1.25

Like black progressive Chicago Journalist Adolf Reed said about Obama: "He's a vacuous opportunist".

Please take you mindless paranoia off this Vine.

Little children murdered,six beautiful caring adults ...... and your cold heart speaks only vile comments.

Ironic since it's this administration that cut the funding for school security.

Have trust in the President...who has been elected twice by We The People.

Thanks, Mr. President, for caring about We The People.

We already have gun control laws - more laws won't help anything.

No law would have prevented this tragedy. How many guns does a psycho need, to shoot up a room full of innocents? The guns this a-hole used weren't even his.

Do we actually believe right winger NRA types would suddenly turn in their guns just because we pass a new law? Especially when "Hussein" Obama is our President?? The gun genie is out of the bottle and it ain't going back in.

Our outrage and sadness would be better directed advocating for wider access to mental healthcare.

But in the end we need to understand there are sick people out circulating among us who just don't give a crap about anyone else. Their problems are their only reality.

The UK outlawed handguns, automatic and semi-automatic weapons after the 1996 massacre at Dunblane. Their gun homicide rate dropped dramatically after that and is one of the lowest in the world now!

Why can't that work in the U.S.? The answer is .... IT CAN!

(Hey, and Piers Morgan just verified that on his tv program, too! Check it out!)

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/world/2012/12/15/pmt-panel-gun-control-debate.cnn

I own a gun and i have never broken any laws regarding guns.Should i be punished for what some freak does?

Yeah worked out great in Australia,crime went up when they banned guns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8RDWltHxRc&feature=player_embedded

This is a sad day for the world. While the guns used in this incident were purchased legally it doesn't stop us from asking the question: Is there anything we can do to stop these angry young men from doing these horrific things in the future? Does that include stronger and standardized control of guns, improved mental health care? Although the mental health care is difficult to provide to anyone who is an adult (i.e. over the age of 18). We must do what is best even if it means we must register all weapons. We must ask the questions and find the answers so that even if one life is saved, it will be worth it.

Someone said to me, 'well my son was killed with a knife, should we ban all knives?' In my opinion, if this young man had a knife, most, if not all, of those children would be home sleeping in their own beds tonight. There would have been harm done to adults, but there would have been time to save the children. You can run from a knife but you can't run fast enough to get away from bullets.

Bless the families and know we all weep in sorrow for your loss.

wolfhound, this "freak's" mother, the actual owner of the guns used in this massacre, probably had never broken any laws regarding guns either. However, she was well aware that her son had mental problems. The guns should never have been kept in that house! In her own way she is as guilty as he is and she's paid the price with her own life. Should you be punished for what her "freak" did? That depends on the mental health of YOUR family. IMHO, background checks should be done on everyone in the house and anyone who is a family member who frequents the house. If there's any record of mental unbalance, NO gun sale!!!

The good people of our country do not aspire to be anything like any EU country. They are fiscally and morally bankrupt. Europe is a good BAD example. Leftism worships Government rather than God. Again, Europe is a good BAD example.

mesamax,

You need to get over your Europhobia.

There is a cure for that. It is called intelligent information.

NRA is not just about guns, they are a seed of the Republicon Party !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speechless...I agree.

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I worry about those parents who used to read bedtime stories to those 20 little darlings....But now.... what a loss...

.

Words can't describe.

We should only be so lucky if these knuckle dragging goobers would actually secede. I have very little faith that there will be enough congress people with enough balls to not be intimidated by the NRA crazies who wrap themselves up in the flag and pretend that by owning a gun, it makes you a patriot and by owning many guns yet more even more patriotic. The amount of gun violence in this country is beyond comprehensing and there is no other advanced nation in the world that comes anywhere close to this amount of insanity.

Realist,

the funny thing is that, under constitutional law, no state can secede without premission from every other state. We should just make them renounce their citezenship if they want to leave so badly.

You're too late, it's already started. These folks never take a day off from their cynicism and hatred.

MNniceguy and Ozzie Boy, this is no time to politicize this national tragedy. People on both sides of the political fence, whether Republican, Democrat, Tea Party supporter or NRA member all weep for those who have suffered so much. Your comments only show your vain insensitivity to your fellow men and women.

Miguelito-7242206: this is no time to politicize this national tragedy.

You are right Migulite! and for that, I am sorry.

But they will,, Just Wait! Its how some people from the Dark side roll!

Both political parties are going to play this to the hilt just like aways.Both parties will view this as a chance to raise their ratings.The media stands poised to bleed this horrible incident for all it's worth and then some.Eventually the truth of the matter will be buried in political B.S supported by media sensationalism.The wrong people in the long run will probably get blamed for all this while the real source of the problem contiues until the next time something horrible happens.Then the same procedure will happen all over again.

Miguelito - comment 5.2 - see comment #17 - MNiceguy and Ozzie Boy know what they're talking about.

Why did YOU just bring it up?

What is it with this silly argument that we can't talk about gun control after a gun related tragedy?
That's like saying we shouldn't talk about ship safety after the sinking of the Titanic. Or saying that we shouldn't talk about flue vaccines during an epidemic.

Besides, since we now have about 8 to 12 of these each year, we are always "just after a gun related tragedy".
Guns may not kill people, but sick people with guns can kill more.

And, What's with this semi automatic rifle stuff? Can't our gun carrying brothers and sisters see that they are being played? This is just marketing. Like Kids who think they will die if they don't have the latest toys or eat the newest breakfast cereal. (Or own the latest i-phone).

Not only has the gun market convinced you that you need a killing machine, THey have made you believe that you are more American for having one. More guns mean more accidents. Sounds like this guy had a gun because his mom was a gun nut.

Nah, I figure Wayne LaPierre and the NRA should go on their own behalf and speak for themselves. They should tell the victims' parents first-hand how their precious Second Amendment rights are far more important than their children's lives.

Bonus points if they actually use the phrase "slippery slope" in the conversation.

Wayne La Pierrre

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Crickets

Bet the Syrian Rebels wouldn't agree with you.

Now that would be the humane thing to do for the Media, however they are about stories, money & trophies.

How about if the country & world would give these famlies a few weeks to grieve & bury their dead instead of glorifying the actions of a killer. Respect, what a concept.

Tell him to stay home! President of the people. Give me a break! HE WAS THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS! Neither should have been elected.

@DESOTOKIM - OBLAMO? really? hmmmm............

Wonder what your parents think of their spawn

If this isn't the time, I don't know when the hell is.

I don't think you will see photos of the President with the parents. That will be a private occasion.

Common - you should be ashamed. Can't you take five minutes off from your hate?

Just love you Bush-haters.

"A great photo-op for Obama."

• And another opportunity for the right to continue their non-stop, 24/7/365 whining about President Obama. You clowns remind me of a bunch of spoiled, 3 and 4 year old brats -- all you do is whine, cry, throw tantrums.

Common Man-3493893

Yeah.. If he didn't go to CT, you would be crying that he has no compassion. Now that he is going, the only thing you can think of is a 'PHOTO OP?"

I'd nominate you for most pathetic american, but you are over qualified.

A deranged man in China stabbed 22 children..

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/15642677/man-stabs-22-children-at-china-primary-school/

Maybe you and your roommate need to gather up all your knives. I'm angry at people like you who are turning this tragedy into a gun control debate !

All those 22 children are STILL ALIVE to live another day.

One major difference is that we are super-saturated with guns, and those guns are capable of much more damage, much quicker, than the guns widely available years ago. The second amendment was written when Britain was still threatening our independence and "guns" referred to single-shot weapons which would take all day to fire the amount of rounds fired yesterday in minutes. The country has been hijacked by the gun industry and the NRA, which has injected so many people with the paranoia that they must own more and more, bigger and more deadly guns, despite the fact that having them for self-protection often backfires - more often than not. 300 million is an obscene number of guns to be in circulation in this country. It is as easy to get a semi-automatic pistol as it is to buy a pack of cigarettes. If you can't see the insanity of this I just feel pity for you.

I believe guns are WAY too easy to get and we need much tighter laws on gun purchases. a 15 year old kid can probably buy a gun easier than he can buy cigarettes. BUT --- that's only part of the problem. This nation must address mental illness. I don't have the answers but over the past year I personally seen the devastating effects of mental illness and have come to realize we are doing is worse than nothing -- we are in fact making it worse.

Don't you see that people can't always be identified as mentally ill? A few bad years can cause any man to go over the top. And chances are, that person now owns guns and can take everyone they blame out in a blaze of glory with them. It's the incredibly easy availability of guns that make these people potential efficient killing machines and nothing else. Sure we should address the problem of mental health in this country, but we are addressing it by the implementation of Obamacare, when everyone will have medical insurance - at least partially. But 300 million guns floating around, easier to buy than a pack of cigarettes, Uzis and AK-47s available to anyone who has the cash - this is insanity. There are mentally ill people all across the world - there are not the number of gun deaths, murders, suicides, accidental gun deaths in other countries like we have.

Firearms have been widely available for years yet this type of shooting has only come about in the last 20 years...

That's not true. This has been going on periodically for decades. This is just the worst year on record for it, that's all.

booldogsuck, Obama said he would not go UNLESS he was asked to. He's BEEN ASKED TO. Please crawl back into whatever cave you slithered out of.

You won't see photos of the meetings with the parents. This is a meeting of a father to the grieving parents, so go back under the rock you came from and live with the bugs.

Good screen-name. Very fitting.

Hey there gun-o-phobe, "dam" is spelled "damn". Do your parents know you are using their computer??

irrelevant?

Both of your posts are at about kindergarten level.