What Obama Secretly Did in Newtown

[ProSense]

What Obama Secretly Did in Newtown

by ericlewis0 .

I find this story highly apropos in the wake of the senseless tragedy at Fort Hood.

After the jump is an excerpt from the book,The President's Devotional by Joshua Dubois, the former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

He's recounting the Sunday, two days after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He had gotten word the day before that the President wanted to meet with the families of the victims.

I left early to help the advance team—the hardworking folks who handle logistics for every event—set things up, and I arrived at the local high school where the meetings and memorial service would take place. We prepared seven or eight classrooms for the families of the slain children and teachers, two or three families to a classroom, placing water and tissues and snacks in each one. Honestly, we didn’t know how to prepare; it was the best we could think of.

The families came in and gathered together, room by room. Many struggled to offer a weak smile when we whispered, “The president will be here soon.” A few were visibly angry—so understandable that it barely needs to be said—and were looking for someone, anyone, to blame. Mostly they sat in silence.

I went downstairs to greet President Obama when he arrived, and I provided an overview of the situation. “Two families per classroom . . . The first is . . . and their child was . . . The second is . . . and their child was . . . We’ll tell you the rest as you go.”

The president took a deep breath and steeled himself, and went into the first classroom. And what happened next I’ll never forget.

Person after person received an engulfing hug from our commander in chief. He’d say, “Tell me about your son. . . . Tell me about your daughter,” and then hold pictures of the lost beloved as their parents described favorite foods, television shows, and the sound of their laughter. For the younger siblings of those who had passed away—many of them two, three, or four years old, too young to understand it all—the president would grab them and toss them, laughing, up into the air, and then hand them a box of White House M&M’s, which were always kept close at hand. In each room, I saw his eyes water, but he did not break.

And then the entire scene would repeat—for hours. Over and over and over again, through well over a hundred relatives of the fallen, each one equally broken, wrecked by the loss. After each classroom, we would go back into those fluorescent hallways and walk through the names of the coming families, and then the president would dive back in, like a soldier returning to a tour of duty in a worthy but wearing war. We spent what felt like a lifetime in those classrooms, and every single person received the same tender treatment. The same hugs. The same looks, directly in their eyes. The same sincere offer of support and prayer.

The staff did the preparation work, but the comfort and healing were all on President Obama. I remember worrying about the toll it was taking on him. And of course, even a president’s comfort was woefully inadequate for these families in the face of this particularly unspeakable loss. But it became some small measure of love, on a weekend when evil reigned.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/26/the-presidents-devotional_n_4158485.html

How many more families will the President have to console before Congress does something about America's mass-shooting problem? You may remember mostly Goposaurs disgustingly thwarted 90% of public opinion and struck down gun control laws after Sandy Hook.

Update 1:

From the comments, i saw an old tree today found the link to a whitehouse.gov petition you can sign in support of President Obama's plan to reduce gun violence:

http://m.whitehouse.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence

Scroll all the way down to add your name.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/04/1289644/-What-Obama-Secretly-Did-in-Newtown

[Frustratedlady]

1. President Obama and Michelle have to be the most compassionate

people who have inhabited the White House. It just comes naturally to them.

It is such a shame that they have had to put up with the awful treatment they've received from the conservatives/RW idiots. All of them should know better; many should have learned better through their church. They have forgotten all they were taught and should be embarrassed by their actions toward the Obamas.

[Whisp]

6. They have enemies, but many more friends.

[MisterP]

10. not Carter? Lincoln?

[Frustratedlady]

15. Over all the tragedies Obama's had to comfort?

No, I think Obama has the genuine heart to comfort. Carter would be a close second.

Obama was especially touched by the school shootings because of his daughters. We all were drained of emotions so just try to imagine Obama spending all those hours, one-on-one with the families. Very few people could do that. You could see his emotions throughout that horrible tragedy and long after.

[CBHagman]

36. I'd rather not see it as a contest!

Yes, I know the use of "most compassionate" above drew your response, but I'd like to put in a kind word for the Obamas, especially when this particular story is likely not well-known even among Democrats, let alone the general public.

By the way, I recall the Clintons also spending a fair portion of their White House years consoling the bereaved.

[Faygo Kid]

41. +1

This isn't something to rank.

[JDPriestly]

22. I agree with you, Frustratedlady.

Plus, on the superficial side, Michelle Obama is the most beautiful and most gracious first lady in my lifetime, and that's a pretty long time. Jacqueline Kennedy was also beautiful, but too shy and insecure to match Michelle Obama. As I said, that is superficial, but it is my opinion.

Actually it is not all that superficial because Michelle Obama's beauty comes, to a great extent, from within. A lot of it is her warmth and compassion.

[davidpdx]

24. A bit +1

Especially to the last two sentences

[steve2470]

2. big kick & big rec nt

[awoke_in_2003]

3. K&R...

I don't know how he did it, because I would have lost it. Having grade school age grandkids, that day really rocked my boat.

[Hekate]

4. I signed and left a message, but don't know if it "took" as the blank form returned...

...after I hit Submit.

[freshwest]

5. Thanks! I've got a copy of that book. Half scripture and half civil rights history on most pages.

I'm only a nominal Christian, but the book contains the reasons many used it to end slavery and other crimes against humanity.

[Cha]

7. Mahalo ProSense..

"Person after person received an engulfing hug from our commander in chief. He’d say, “Tell me about your son. . . . Tell me about your daughter,” and then hold pictures of the lost beloved as their parents described favorite foods, television shows, and the sound of their laughter. For the younger siblings of those who had passed away—many of them two, three, or four years old, too young to understand it all—the president would grab them and toss them, laughing, up into the air, and then hand them a box of White House M&M’s, which were always kept close at hand. In each room, I saw his eyes water, but he did not break."


He's made of steel.. The Newton Kids and Adults

[okaawhatever]

8. K & R nt

[sheshe2]

9. I am sitting here with tears running down my face.

I read this before, yet it just sucker punches you again to read it.

The pain and suffering of the families, the loss of the babies so heartbreaking. The President never waivered, he looked them in the eye as he suffered their loss with them.

He and Joe Biden have tried to correct some of the wrongs. They lost to the powerful monies that the lobbyists throw at the feet of the GOP.

It's time to stop it PS, past time. I will go sign now.

[russspeakeasy]

11. Thanks for posting this.

[sheshe2]

12. Kick!

[baldguy]

13. And to think there are some on DU who believe Obama is no better than a clone of Dick Cheney.

Shame on them. And shame on anyone who opposes comprehensive national gun control.

[calimary]

17. Well they're just WRONG.

cheney would snarl out of his sideways mouth and sneer at the whole idea of "empathy." Thinks it's weakness. I've seen and heard him do so. I think it's the Path to Heaven. One he will never be able to find.

Thank you for posting this, ProSense. Really makes one stop and think, and remember.

[ReRe]

14. K&R

No other President would have been able to do it, period. He had to have the gift of "steely compassion" to make it through that day. And he did.

[SheilaT]

16. I have two sons, now grown.

But every time I see pictures of children like those at Newtown I see exactly that same innocence and wonder that my sons had, that all children have at that age. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a child, especially in such a terrible way.

In a very, very small way I sort of know what Obama did that day, only in that I work at a hospital, and sometimes I find myself comforting someone. But it's on a completely different scale, and almost never is it because a loved one has been lost to violence.

From what I understand, President Bill Clinton was unmatched in his ability to connect to people. But with all due respect, he never had to deal with a tragedy like Newtown. Human touch is important. Just hugging someone, or holding hands however briefly, can convey something that goes beyond words. It's so important.

[Overseas]

18. K&R. Beautiful story. So glad to hear about it.

[No Vested Interest]

19. Very moving. I hadn't heard this before. Thank you. nt

[vlakitti]

20. Incredibly moving and upsetting episode

Thanks for finding this and posting it.

[JDPriestly]

21. K&R. The wonderful thing about Obama is his human compassion.

I often do not agree with his stances on issues and I sometimes disagree with his policies, but he is such a genuinely compassionate man. It is evident to anyone who hears him speak or sees videos of him interacting with people.

That is worth a lot.

Thanks for posting this.

[kelliekat44]

23. Thank you once again. nt

[davidpdx]

25. This doesn't surprise me too much

I have (and always will) feel President Obama is a compassionate person and a great president. The 2012 election was my sixth voting for president and I have never been more proud to vote for someone who has lead our country.

[stonecutter357]

26. K&R

[DrDan]

27. if Sandy Hook does not spur significant legislation, I fear nothing will

perhaps a mass shooting at NRA Hq will get these owners concerned.

[spanone]

28. k&r...

[Paladin]

29. K&R. (nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

30. That story brought tears to my eyes and I had to blow my nose. k&r

[Kath1]

31. Heartbreaking story.

Very compassionate acts on the part of President Obama.

And, yes, I did sign the petition. This has to stop.

[billh58]

32. Thanks for posting

and signed...

[llmart]

33. Thank you for this.....

Yes, President Obama is as sincere as they get and so is his beautiful wife. They have empathy in buckets. A leader is supposed to set an example and he and his family do exactly that.

We are so fortunate to have him as our President after the completely unempathetic jerks that were in the White House previously.

I will sign today and thanks for posting that. We should never forget the children of Sandy Hook and something MUST be done about the proliferation of guns in our society.

[Bluzmann57]

34. It's just so nice to have real copassionate human beings in charge

Especially with all that's gone on and is going on in the world today.
Thank you to President and Mrs. Obama for actually caring and showing genuine compassion for those heartbroken parents and siblings. Not too many PotUS's would have done that. Of course, not too many have had to either. Time for real gun law reform. Now. Today.

[Botany]

35. It is the guns .... end of story

I just broke down a little bit.

[greiner3]

37. "...and toss them...";

So he can juggle too?

[hue]

38. POTUS & FLOTUS truly are fighting against the Tea/Repuke/1% currents (in many areas)!

[sheshe2]

39. Kick!

[SidDithers]

40. DU rec...

threads like this are kryptonite to the ODSers.

Thanks for posting.

Sid

[flamingdem]

42. K&R

[treestar]

44. K&R

What an amazing thing to do.

[Cha]

45. Mahalo again, ProSense~

[ProSense]

47. Hey, between this

and the post about the $17.38, I couldn't stop the tears.

Then I watched "12 Years a Slave," which reminded me why I stay away from such movies.

[Cha]

48. I will see 12 Years a Slave and

cry my eyes out.. but what's this about "17.38"?

[ProSense]

49. This

To the Woman Behind Me in Line at the Grocery Store
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024781740

[Cha]

50. Oh yeah.. thanks!

[Skip Intro]

51. He made the victims' families part of a deceptive campaign against the 2nd Amendment.

It failed then, and it will fail now.

[ProSense]

52. Not everyone is a fan of guns, and

"He made the victims' families part of a deceptive campaign against the 2nd Amendment."

...the "victims" were created by gun violence. The above is valuing guns more than compassion.

[Skip Intro]

53. Not everyone is a fan of propagandistic bullshit, and

if you come to me and tell me that we must suddenly further restrict a right in order to stop this "horrible thing", be fucking honest about what the "horrible thing" is. Don't exploit the people of a rarity like the Newtown incident to claim that stopping this type of thing requires immediate action on purposely vague "common sense" gun control. Total bullshit from one end to the other. As I've said elsewhere, it failed then, and it will continue to fail. The thinking, thank God, appear to outnumber the non-thinking.

[ProSense]

54. Compassion is not "propgandistic (sic) bullshit,"

"Not everyone is a fan of propgandistic bullshit, and if you're come to me and tell me that we must suddenly further restrict a right in order to stop this horrible thing, be fucking honest about what the horrible thing is. "

...and if the decision was mine to make, I'd order every fucking gun collected and melted down. The "horrible thing" is fucking hijacking this thread with Second Amendment "bullshit" propaganda.

[Skip Intro]

55. You'll never make that decision for me.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/propagandistic