Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMichelle Obama: “Hadiya Pendleton Was Me"
By Abby Ohlheiser | Posted Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 5:11 PM
Citing the death of Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton, killed days after performing at Obama's inauguration, Michelle Obama entered the gun violence debate today in a speech to Chicago business leaders.
The First Lady's most quotable line of the day resonates with her husband's remarks following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida. Michelle Obama, who grew up in the South Side of Chicago, said Hadiya Pendleton was me, and I was her, adding:
"But I got to grow up and go to Princeton and Harvard Law School and have a career and family and the most blessed life I could ever imagine. And Hadiya? Oh we know that story. Just a week after she performed at my husband's inauguration, she went to a park with some friends, and got shot in the back. Because some kid thought she was in a gang. Hadiya's family did everything right, but she still didn't have a chance. And that story, the story of Hadiya's life and death, we read that story day after day, month after month, year after year In this city and around this country. I'm not talking about something that's happening in a war zone halfway around the world. I'm talking about what's happening in the city we call home. The city where we're raising our kids."
Michelle Obama attended Pendleton's funeral in February. After her speech Wednesday, the First Lady went to Harper High School, where 29 current and former students have been shot in the past year. Recently, the school was the subject of a two-part This American Life story that examined daily life amid Chicago's gun violence.
more + video:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/04/10/video_of_michelle_obama_gun_violence_speech_hadiya_pendleton_was_me_and.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 809 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (10)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Michelle Obama: “Hadiya Pendleton Was Me" (Original Post)
DonViejo
Apr 2013
OP
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)1. This is such a sad story...knr
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)2. She's a great public speaker
With all the emotion in her voice, she still sounded eloquent.
She has a future in politics if she wants it...
Number23
(24,544 posts)3. That girl's death really affected me. She could have been me, too
I didn't go to Princeton and Harvard but did get the opportunity to go to truly excellent, world class schools and have a career that allows me to travel the world Which apparently a classless, clueless few on this site now see as a blemish on my credibility as an American.
K&R