President Obama Delivers Remarks on Orlando Massacre

Posted on June 12, 2016 by rikyrah

Transcript of President Obama’ remarks:

Today, as Americans, we grieve the brutal murder — a horrific massacre — of dozens of innocent people. We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand with the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city. Although it’s still early in the investigation, we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate. And as Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage, and in resolve to defend our people.

I just finished a meeting with FBI Director Comey and my homeland security and national security advisors. The FBI is on the scene and leading the investigation, in partnership with local law enforcement. I’ve directed that the full resources of the federal government be made available for this investigation.

We are still learning all the facts. This is an open investigation. We’ve reached no definitive judgment on the precise motivations of the killer. The FBI is appropriately investigating this as an act of terrorism. And I’ve directed that we must spare no effort to determine what — if any — inspiration or association this killer may have had with terrorist groups. What is clear is that he was a person filled with hatred. Over the coming days, we’ll uncover why and how this happened, and we will go wherever the facts lead us.

This morning I spoke with my good friend, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and I conveyed the condolences of the entire American people. This could have been any one of our communities. So I told Mayor Dyer that whatever help he and the people of Orlando need — they are going to get it. As a country, we will be there for the people of Orlando today, tomorrow and for all the days to come.

We also express our profound gratitude to all the police and first responders who rushed into harm’s way. Their courage and professionalism saved lives, and kept the carnage from being even worse. It’s the kind of sacrifice that our law enforcement professionals make every single day for all of us, and we can never thank them enough.

This is an especially heartbreaking day for all our friends — our fellow Americans — who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The shooter targeted a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to sing, and to live. The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub — it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights.

So this is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American — regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation — is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country. And no act of hate or terror will ever change who we are or the values that make us Americans.

Today marks the most deadly shooting in American history. The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.

In the coming hours and days, we’ll learn about the victims of this tragedy. Their names. Their faces. Who they were. The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the difference that they made in this world. Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families — that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are defined more — as a country — by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us.

As we go together, we will draw inspiration from heroic and selfless acts — friends who helped friends, took care of each other and saved lives. In the face of hate and violence, we will love one another. We will not give in to fear or turn against each other. Instead, we will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us.

May God bless the Americans we lost this morning. May He comfort their families. May God continue to watch over this country that we love. Thank you.

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51 Responses to President Obama Delivers Remarks on Orlando Massacre

  2. Ametia says:
    June 13, 2016 at 10:15 am

    Omar M was on the FBI watch list, and they had no clues he would roll up into a gay night club and blow away hundreds of people.

    WHAT’ WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

    Reply
  3. Ametia says:
    June 13, 2016 at 10:11 am
    Reply
    • Ametia says:
      June 13, 2016 at 10:02 am

      That’s all well and good to tell folks to be strong, Frank.

      Strength will mean getting all Americans together and vote out a congress that WILL NOT DO ITS JOB for the AMERICAN PEOPLE.

      Reply
  6. Liza says:
    June 12, 2016 at 9:57 pm

    Hillary, please explain this.

    This is @HillaryClinton who's taken $50,000,000+ from countries who execute homosexuals under Islamic Law#Orlando pic.twitter.com/pgqfyRhNsM— Jared Wyand (@JaredWyand) June 12, 2016

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    Reply
  9. Liza says:
    June 12, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    NRA was busy in 2012, a big presidential election year, transferring funds to these Congressional senators and representatives, Republicans and Democrats. Note that Harry Reid accepted $4,950.

    https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00053553&cycle=2010

    Reply
  11. Liza says:
    June 12, 2016 at 8:39 pm

    Throughout the day I watched CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, CBS and FOX (for five minutes.)

    Not a single mention of the NRA or legislators taking money from the gun lobby. Some discussion of the AR-15 type assault weapon. Fox is calling this an ISIS attack.

    These legislators tied to the gun lobby are going to have to be called out repeatedly on social media, it will not happen anywhere else, certainly not in the MSM.

    The hell of it is, in many cases we are not talking about huge sums of money. Sometimes just a couple of grand. They sell out for nickels and dimes, y’all, nickels and dimes.

    Reply
    • Ametia says:
      June 12, 2016 at 8:53 pm

      Liza, congressional slime aren’t going to do anything ask the parents of Sandy Hook hoe it’s going.

      Reply
      • Liza says:
        June 12, 2016 at 9:28 pm

        I know. But their connections to the NRA and how much money they are taking needs to be blasted all over social media. We’re so accustomed to our bought and paid for legislators and other elected officials that it’s tempting to look the other way. But why not make an example of the NRA? Every one of these massacres is an opportunity. This one has such a high death count that it seems like a good time, otherwise it is gone by the next news cycle.

        Make Hillary take a stand. Make the Democrats take a stand.

        Reply
      • yahtzeebutterfly says:
        June 12, 2016 at 9:32 pm

        I want to scream my tears and frustration because Congress is doing nothing when they should be banning assault weapons.

        Reply
      • Liza says:
        June 12, 2016 at 10:02 pm

        Well, they don’t like to bite the hand that feeds them. Although most of the recipients of gun lobby donations have sold out for very small sums. But that’s what they do.

        Reply
  13. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    June 12, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    Petition calling for the BAN OF ASSAULT WEAPONS:

    http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/ban-assault-weapons

    Reply
  14. Ametia says:
    June 12, 2016 at 7:57 pm

    But fearmongering for GOP votes THOUGH!!!

    Reply
  19. Ametia says:
    June 12, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    DON’T LET THE MOFOs REWRITE HISTPRY

    Reply
  21. Liza says:
    June 12, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    @igorvolsky has been calling out politicians all day on Twitter, one at a time, for taking money from the NRA. Bravo!! Folks need to be all over this, get to the source of the problem.

    .@SpeakerRyan – who took $35K from @NRA – has issued a statement on #OrlandoShooting that doesn't even mention guns https://t.co/xUcXJHXL97— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) June 12, 2016

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    Reply
  22. Liza says:
    June 12, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Omar Mateen worked for G4S, one of the largest mercenary firms. Their operatives are deployed in scores of countries, including war zones.— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) June 12, 2016

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    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    June 12, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    https://twitter.com/ATFHQ/status/742075110161588224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    LEGALLY
    LEGALLY
    LEGALLY

    THE DEATH MACHINES WERE PURCHASED LEGALLY

    Reply
    • Ametia says:
      June 12, 2016 at 4:43 pm

      FACTS:
      SHOOTER WAS AMERICAN
      SHOOTING OCCURED IN AMERICA
      SHOOTER WAS NOT RELIGIOUS
      SHOOTER TARGETED GLGBT COMMUNITY IN AMERICA
      SHOOTER CARRIED AND USED GUN HE BOUGHT IN AMERICA
      SHOOTER CARRIED OUT DOMETIC TERRORISM

      IT’S A FUCKING AMERICAN PROBLEM

      PERIOD

      Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    June 12, 2016 at 4:34 pm

    Orlando suspect’s father hosted a TV show and now pretends to be Afghanistan’s president

    Source: Washington Post

    The father of Omar Mateen, identified by police as the man behind the carnage at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning, is an Afghan man who holds strong political views, including support for the Afghan Taliban. In a video he posted on Saturday, he appears to be portraying himself as the president of Afghanistan.

    Seddique Mateen, who has been referred to as Mir Seddique in early news reports, hosted the “Durand Jirga Show” on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California. In it, the elder Mateen speaks in the Dari language on a variety of political subjects. Dozens of videos are posted on a channel under Seddique Mateen’s name on YouTube. A phone number and post office box that are displayed on the show were traced back to the Mateen home in Florida. Mateen also owns a nonprofit organization under the name Durand Jirga, which is registered in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

    In one video, Mateen expresses gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.

    “Our brothers in Waziristan, our warrior brothers in Taliban movement and national Afghan Taliban are rising up,” he said. “Inshallah the Durand Line issue will be solved soon.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/12/orlando-shooting-suspects-father-hosted-a-political-tv-show-and-even-tried-to-run-for-the-afghan-presidency/?postshare=2441465759392185&tid=ss_tw

    Reply

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