Speed of Life

President Obama's Remarks About the Killing of Florida Teenager Trayvon Martin and "Stand Your Ground" Laws on Friday, July 19, 2013 at the White House ( full transcript and video) The reason I actually wanted to come out today is not to take questions, but to speak to an issue that obviously has gotten a lot of attention over the course of the last week, the issue of the Trayvon Martin ruling. I gave a preliminary statement right after the ruling on Sunday, but watching the debate over the course of the last week I thought it might be useful for me to expand on my thoughts a little bit. First of all, you know,  I want to make sure that, once again, I send my thoughts and prayers, as well as Michelle’s, to the family of Trayvon Martin, and to remark on the incredible grace and dignity with which they have dealt with the entire situation. I can only imagine what they’re going through, and it’s remarkable how they’ve handled it. The second thing I ...

by Gregg Chadwick   GreggChadwick As I write this, an impromptu vigil is forming in front of the White House in Washington DC to mourn the victims of another senseless mass shooting and to call for much needed gun regulation. Today, a quiet school in Newtown, Connecticut was violated by a gun wielding murderer packing semi-automatic weapons with a back up assault rifle in his car. The shooting was horrific and preventable.  This is a national tragedy that needs a national response. Our glorification of weapons and our embrace of the use of violent force to resolve conflicts has led us to a crisis point. Do we continue to let our children be slaughtered in schools and theaters? Will we continue to allow almost unfettered access to military grade high powered weapons? Will we continue to cut funding for preventive mental health care? Today, we make a decision as a nation. Twenty children and six adults were killed today at a Newtown, Connecticut school. I refus...

The remarks of President Barack Obama on the war in Afghanistan, as prepared for delivery at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, on May 1, 2012 (U.S. time): Good evening from Bagram Air Base. This outpost is more than seven thousand miles from home, but for over a decade it has been close to our hearts. Because  here, in Afghanistan, more than half a million of our sons and daughters have sacrificed to protect our country. Today, I signed an historic agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that defines a new kind of relationship between our countries -  a future in which Afghans are responsible for the security of their nation , and we build  an equal partnership  between two sovereign states;  a future in which the war ends, and a new chapter begins. Tonight, I’d like to speak to you about this transition.  But first, let us remember why we came here. It was here, in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden established a safe-haven ...