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By Dan Shearer Green Valley News
President Obama arrived in a city that was hurting Wednesday night and delivered a message of encouragement and new direction following Saturday's shooting in Tucson that left six people dead and 13 others injured, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
"There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts," Obama told a packed crowd at the University of Arizona's McKale Center. "But know this, the hopes of a nation are here tonight."
The president also offered much-welcomed news on Giffords, who was shot in the head during the rampage.
"Right after we went to visit, a few minutes after we left her room … Gabby opened her eyes for the first time," he told the cheering crowd. "She knows we are here, she knows we love her, she knows we are rooting for her."
The president and Michelle Obama arrived at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base about 3:40 p.m. and immediately went by motorcade to University Medical Center where they saw Giffords and spoke to her husband, Mark Kelly.
Hundreds of people waved as the Obamas drove to the hospital, where a rapidly growing memorial of flowers, candles, balloons and messages covered a field of green grass.
Obama later addressed a crowd of 13,127 at the basketball arena, some of whom waited in line for more than 10 hours to hear him. About 13,000 more watched the event, dubbed "Together We Thrive: Tucson and America," on the big screen at nearby Arizona Stadium.
The crowd gave a standing ovation to several UMC doctors as they entered the arena in white medical coats just before the event began.
Joining the Obamas on their four-hour visit to Tucson were House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi; Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy; Attorney General Eric Holder; and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Several state officials attended, including Gov. Jan Brewer; Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl; retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; and UA President Robert Shelton. Giffords' husband also was at the event, seated between Michelle Obama and Napolitano.
Daniel Hernandez, who doctors said saved Giffords' life by stopping the flow of blood immediately after the shooting, stepped to the podium and politely rejected the use of the word hero in a brief address.
"The real heroes are the ones who have dedicated their lives to public service," he said.
Napolitano, who was warmly greeted by the crowd, simply read a lengthy passage from chapter 40 of the Old Testament book of Isaiah. She spoke just after Brewer, who promised the crowd, "We will remember how to smile again."
Holder, quoting from II Corinthians, Chapter 4, reminded the crowd that the Bible promises eternal life.
Obama, the final speaker of the memorial, described Giffords' "Congress On Your Corner" event as an exercise in free speech.
"At that quintessentially American scene, that was the scene that was shattered by a gunman's bullets," he said. "The six people who lost their lives that Saturday, they, too, represented what is best in us and what is best in America."
Obama said Americans should not use the tragedy "as one more occasion to turn on each other. That we cannot do."
Instead, he said, we must "listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy… After all, that's what most of us do when we lose somebody in our family, especially if the loss is unexpected. We're shaken out of our routines."
Obama mentioned the six people who died by name, spoke about each one, and then applauded Hernandez, those who subdued the gunman at the scene, and the doctors and nurses who helped the shooting victims.
"These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle, they remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, just waiting to be summoned, as it was on Saturday morning."
Near the end of his 35-minute address, Obama talked about 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, who died in the shootings.
He said Christina-Taylor, who'd recently been elected to the student council at her school, was a girl just becoming aware of democracy and government, who was excited to meet her congresswoman and loved her country.
"I want us to live up to her expectations," he said. "I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it."
The president's speech, which was part motivational and part reflective, said just what Tucson needed to hear, said Lois Eisenstein, who attended the event.
"I think the president said exactly the right thing," she said "This community is about togetherness and working for the future."
State Rep. Steve Farley said, "That wasn't a memorial service. It was a hootin', hollerin' hoedown celebration of life."
Peggy Pierce of Green Valley said the event served to remind her of "how big this was for the entire nation."
"There was an exuberance there," she said. "It was a rebirth of something that is important to all of us… I'm just overwhelmed. I'm proud of Tucson, the state. Thank goodness our president came here and tied this all together."
Reporters Jim Nintzel and Ellen Sussman contributed to this report.
QUOTES FROM THE CROWD
"Gabby represents the best of Arizona in every way. She is one of the brightest stars amidst our leaders and on Saturday, she and many others came face to face with the worst of our state."
— Andrei Cherny, former candidate for state Treasurer and current candidate for chair of the state Democratic Party
"Gabby has the gift of being able to stay on point in debate. She never got personal. She was a true joy to work with."
— Secretary of State Ken Bennett
"I hope we can start the process of moving forward."
— Rep. Chad Campbell, House minority leader
"She's a woman of grace and incredibly kind. She's also very thoughtful."
— State House Speaker Kirk Adams
"He was one of the finest human beings I ever met and the epitome of what judges ought to be. Every judge should take a look at him."
— Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, on Judge John Roll
"I thought the president gave Tucson, Arizona, and the country a great healing speech. He talked about how our losses should make us work harder to be a better people and a better nation. That we should live our lives in a more caring way."
— Phil Friedland, Sahuarita, who watched from home
"I thought it was inspiring, kind of what I needed to hear right now."
— Chrystina Cook, who attended the memorial
"I thought it was wonderful. Everyone was compassionate and uplifting, especially the president."
–Anna Owens, who attended the memorial
"All the legislators were there. President Obama was excellent.
I saw a lot of Republican legislators responding positively.
Nothing negative about the event."
— Jim Woodbrey of Green Valley, who attended the event
"Obama was talking about a better way to be, regardless of politics. It's important to get out of this antagonistic malaise and start being better citizens by treating each other better."
— Tom Zoellner, writer, friend of Giffords
Source: http://www.gvnews.com/news/article_29093382-1e9a-11e0-ba42-001cc4c03286.html