Obama on Virginia Tech, and "Violence"


A friend points me to the audio of his remarks last night, a 23-minute .mp3 file you can listen to here.

It's worth a listen, and it captures what moves a lot of people about Obama. His instinct for abstraction and large themes, and his sense that America's problems have at their root solutions that have as much to do with hope and process as with any specific course of action.
Other politicians would -- and will -- stay with the concrete. They'll talk about this tragedy, and, soon, gun control.
But while Obama mourns the slain students, he takes the massacre more as a theme than as a point of discussion.
"Maybe nothing could have been done to prevent it," he says toward the end.
So he moves quickly to the abstract: Violence, and the general place of violence in American life.
"There's also another kind of violence that we're going to have to think about. It's not necessarily the physical violence, but the violence that we perpetrate on each other in other ways," he said, and goes on to catalogue other forms of "violence."
There's the "verbal violence" of Imus.
There's "the violence of men and women who have worked all their lives and suddenly have the rug pulled out from under them because their job is moved to another country."
There's "the violence of children whose voices are not heard in communities that are ignored,"
And so, Obama says, "there's a lot of different forms of violence in our society, and so much of it is rooted in our incapacity to recognize ourselves in each other."
Many politicians would avoid, I think, about suggesting that outsourcing and mass-murder belong in the same category.
From there, he mourns again the Virginia dead, and then says, "This is an opportunity I think that all of us have today to reflect," and then heads into his stump speech -- education, healthcare, energy policy, politics being broken -- but returning to the Virginia Tech shootings.
Anyway, give it a listen. What do you think?

You didnt even have time to listen to it all...



He has an interesting perspective. I do agree that we need to stop this sense that one race is any better than the other, one gender is any better than the other, one religion is better than the other, etc. I believe that a fresh start is necessary in order to move us forward as a nation, and to put us down in the history books as one of, if not the greatest country of all time. We need to stop thinking that blacks have a right to do whatever they want, just because white people oppressed them years ago. We need to stop thinking that just because physically, men are stronger, that men are better. We need to rally as ONE nation...They aren't called Africans, unless they live in Africa...They are African-AMERICANS. They aren't Latin, unless they live in one of those countries...They are Latin-AMERICAN. The point is...We are all Americans. And we need to stop fighting each other. We are all under the same banner. ONE nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE, with liberty, and justice for all.

Perhaps Don Imus opened this door. Perhaps Virginia Tech opened this door. Perhaps these recent travesties gave America the jerk in the shorts it so desperately needed. That's just my two cents.

Originally Posted by C/1Lt Henderson

You didnt even have time to listen to it all...

He has an interesting perspective. I do agree that we need to stop this sense that one race is any better than the other, one gender is any better than the other, one religion is better than the other, etc. I believe that a fresh start is necessary in order to move us forward as a nation, and to put us down in the history books as one of, if not the greatest country of all time. We need to stop thinking that blacks have a right to do whatever they want, just because white people oppressed them years ago. We need to stop thinking that just because physically, men are stronger, that men are better. We need to rally as ONE nation...They aren't called Africans, unless they live in Africa...They are African-AMERICANS. They aren't Latin, unless they live in one of those countries...They are Latin-AMERICAN. The point is...We are all Americans. And we need to stop fighting each other. We are all under the same banner. ONE nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE, with liberty, and justice for all.

Perhaps Don Imus opened this door. Perhaps Virginia Tech opened this door. Perhaps these recent travesties gave America the jerk in the shorts it so desperately needed. That's just my two cents.

Good post, I agree.

Originally Posted by C/1Lt Henderson

We need to rally as ONE nation...They aren't called Africans, unless they live in Africa...They are African-AMERICANS. They aren't Latin, unless they live in one of those countries...They are Latin-AMERICAN. The point is...We are all Americans. And we need to stop fighting each other. We are all under the same banner. ONE nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE, with liberty, and justice for all.

Far as I can tell, America today is many things, like Red State or Blue State, White or Black, North or South, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, East Coast or West Coast, Rich or Poor, Religious or Atheist.... on, and on.

In 1954 Religious Fanatics in the United States of America had the words "under god" put into the Pledge to the United States Flag, and then in 1956 "E Pluribus Unum" was superseded by "In God We Trust" as the National Motto.... so, in America there seems to be the US Government advocating that one trust a god to make everything alright in America, if one has a god at all that is.

Originally Posted by Gator

Far as I can tell, America today is many things, like Red State or Blue State, White or Black, North or South, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, East Coast or West Coast, Rich or Poor, Religious or Atheist.... on, and on.

In 1954 Religious Fanatics in the United States of America had the words "under god" put into the Pledge to the United States Flag, and then in 1956 "E Pluribus Unum" was superseded by "In God We Trust" as the National Motto.... so, in America there seems to be the US Government advocating that one trust a god to make everything alright in America, if one has a god at all that is.

It is many things, and that's my point...We need to STOP being many things and start being ONE. The "under God" was not my point, I was just finishing the pledge. My point was the Pledge of Alliegance states that we are to be ONE NATION. Not seperated by race, or religion, or region, or gender, etc.

My two cents:
We need to stop thinking of ourselves as hyphenated Americans, i.e. Irish-Americans, African-Americans, Italian-Americans, German-Americans, and so on. We only perpetrate differences that in some cases offend other people. Yes, it is great to respect other heritages, but we, as Americans, have own own history and heritage.

Originally Posted by Gator

Far as I can tell, America today is many things, like Red State or Blue State, White or Black, North or South, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, East Coast or West Coast, Rich or Poor, Religious or Atheist.... on, and on.

In 1954 Religious Fanatics in the United States of America had the words "under god" put into the Pledge to the United States Flag, and then in 1956 "E Pluribus Unum" was superseded by "In God We Trust" as the National Motto.... so, in America there seems to be the US Government advocating that one trust a god to make everything alright in America, if one has a god at all that is.

The star spangled banner written way way back had references to god in it...

This all sounds nice but it will take a long time, the world is full of jackasses and never will everyone see exactly the same way...

People just need to lighten up and let each other be, not try to change them but just let them be...

Originally Posted by tomtom22

My two cents:
We need to stop thinking of ourselves as hyphenated Americans, i.e. Irish-Americans, African-Americans, Italian-Americans, German-Americans, and so on. We only perpetrate differences that in some cases offend other people. Yes, it is great to respect other heritages, but we, as Americans, have own own history and heritage.

Very good choice of words, tomtom!

I think the Founding Fathers included God in a lot of their letters and speeches before and after the constitutional convention than many modern thinkers would like to admit. Their private and public thoughts on the subject are free for anyone to read in the Federalist Papers. But, no one is obligated to believe in any religion or God to be an American.

Benjamin Franklin-
1787 - Motion for Prayers in the Constitutional Convention

And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need its assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Truth, that God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?
Reference: Franklin Collected Works, Lemay, ed., 1138.

Thomas Jefferson-
1781 - Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 18

And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever.

Reference: Our Sacred Honor, Bennett (352)

John Adams-
1776 - Thoughts on Government

It is the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons, to worship the SUPREME BEING, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship.

Reference: The Works of John Adams, Charles Adams, ed., 221.

This thought is applicable to most nations, but we can all see that it is not so. One thing that never seizes to amaze me is the will to be different. Sometimes this is harmless and sometimes it is not. It takes a very strong communal experience to make a large group feel as one, but this feeling is often quickly lost when the "problem" solves....
This thought is, like many other great thoughts, great in theorie, lousy in practice.