Memorial service, share your thoughts

[huntinman]

The GOP and its media allies have had a huge amount of success harnessing the resentment of people who feel their status has been destroyed as one group after another (women, blacks, gays, slackers, ect...) has gained the rights due them.

Slackers have rights too?

[Buzz]

Who OK'd ordering the T-shirts and who put them out on the chairs?

T-shirts for a memorial service? Seems odd to me.

Of course the knee jerk reaction of the pundits at RTF is to assume it was Obama's fault. Here is a story from Faux News.

EXCLUSIVE: Univ. of Arizona Reveals Origin of Memorial T-Shirts

Many Americans were startled to see University of Arizona students distributing t-shirts at the memorial service in Tucson yesterday. On the front of the shirts, "Together We Thrive" was printed, along with a trendy logo.

University spokeswoman Jennifer Fitzenberger told FoxNation.com "it was our idea to do the t-shirts." She said distributing merchandise at a memorial was appropriate and rejected the charge that the University over-commercialized the service. "Our intention was to have something to remember after the event...something that symbolizes our community's spirit...which would live on." When asked if the University had worked with the White House or any partisan groups on any level regarding the t-shirts she said "no."

Fitzenberger insisted the University made no money from the "Together We Thrive" t-shirts and they weren't for sale. "We took the idea to University of Arizona BookStores and they contracted it out with a vendor." Reports put the cost of the t-shirts at $60,000.

FoxNation.com spoke to representatives at University of Arizona BookStores who revealed the vendor they used...."Youth Monument," a Los Angeles-based company specializing in "the hottest" college brands. "I don't feel comfortable commenting on the story," said Nick Ventura when contacted by FoxNation.com. Ventura called himself "a partner" at Youth Monument. When asked if the University of Arizona was a regular client and if there was any contact with the White House or any political group he responded "no comment."

[luvmylabs23139]

The whole T-shirt thing was digusting no matter who did it. I never said it was Obumma, just that it was totally disgusting as was the behavior of the crowd.

[BrianW]

For the most part, (to paraphrase the FLOTUS), the memorial was the first time since the election that I was proud of our President. He quoted Scripture, from Psalms & Job not the Koran or other religious works, stated that Christina was in Heaven ( not "in a better place") and asked for God's blessing for the victims, those left behind, and for our country as a whole. He honored the memories of those taken by reminding us of a lot of what makes our country great which is what a President should do in times like these.
Was he perfect? Imo, no. He repeatedly trotted out the timeworn mis-description of our nation- "our democracy" - even though for now we still live in a republic and, in my view, set the stage for legislators coming efforts to restrict our liberty. "We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future."

But he also set a challenge for us, and for himself and I'm curious to see if he lives up to it. As has been pointed out here and elsewhere, the name calling, finger pointing etc comes from both directions and PBO has been a major player in that game. He "wants to live up to [Christina's) expectations". Good. If he can be lead by example, we'll all be better for it.

I am curious though about the words of Daniel Hernandez.
"On Saturday, we all became Tucsonians. On Saturday, we all became Arizonans. And above all we all became Americans."
Now I realize this man is only 20 years old, not an experienced public speaker and (imo) was trying to tap into the 9/11 type phraseology of unifying. But we were already "all Americans", we didn't "become" on Saturday. Now if he had said "And above all, we all came together as Americans" that would have been different. I hate to sound so cynical at a time like this but I have to think his words were chosen carefully, if not written for him.
Do you think this a veiled reference to the debate on immigration reform?
Just a misstatement or an intentional injection of personal politics into an available opportunity?

[Jason Glavich]

A picture is worth 1,000 words.



RK

All that work to put the shirts on the chairs and they couldn't even cover and align the chairs to begin with!

I would think the CIC would require perfection in those types of things. It just looks sloppy.

[M&K's Retrievers]

Maybe it's because we are tired of giving things away.

The GOP and its media allies have had a huge amount of success harnessing the resentment of people who feel their status has been destroyed as one group after another (women, blacks, gays, slackers, ect...) has gained the rights due them.

Buzz, I'm talking about CASH!

[Frank Marx]

Not really my kind of thing

[dnf777]

For the most part, (to paraphrase the FLOTUS), the memorial was the first time since the election that I was proud of our President. He quoted Scripture, from Psalms & Job not the Koran or other religious works, stated that Christina was in Heaven ( not "in a better place") and asked for God's blessing for the victims, those left behind, and for our country as a whole. He honored the memories of those taken by reminding us of a lot of what makes our country great which is what a President should do in times like these.
Was he perfect? Imo, no. He repeatedly trotted out the timeworn mis-description of our nation- "our democracy" - even though for now we still live in a republic and, in my view, set the stage for legislators coming efforts to restrict our liberty. "We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future."

But he also set a challenge for us, and for himself and I'm curious to see if he lives up to it. As has been pointed out here and elsewhere, the name calling, finger pointing etc comes from both directions and PBO has been a major player in that game. He "wants to live up to [Christina's) expectations". Good. If he can be lead by example, we'll all be better for it.

I am curious though about the words of Daniel Hernandez.
"On Saturday, we all became Tucsonians. On Saturday, we all became Arizonans. And above all we all became Americans."
Now I realize this man is only 20 years old, not an experienced public speaker and (imo) was trying to tap into the 9/11 type phraseology of unifying. But we were already "all Americans", we didn't "become" on Saturday. Now if he had said "And above all, we all came together as Americans" that would have been different. I hate to sound so cynical at a time like this but I have to think his words were chosen carefully, if not written for him.
Do you think this a veiled reference to the debate on immigration reform?
Just a misstatement or an intentional injection of personal politics into an available opportunity?

Come on guys! Between thinly veiled cod-words to immigration reform, to chairs that are laser-aligned.....ya'll are sounding ridiculous!

It was a beautiful ceremony. It paid respects, it celebrated life. It was apolitical. A true hero gave his comments.

Give it a freakin' break!

Find some good in the world for once. Not everything has to be evil and sinister.

[road kill]

Come on guys! Between thinly veiled cod-words to immigration reform, to chairs that are laser-aligned.....ya'll are sounding ridiculous!

It was a beautiful ceremony. It paid respects, it celebrated life. It was apolitical. A true hero gave his comments.

Give it a freakin' break!

Find some good in the world for once. Not everything has to be evil and sinister.

YES IT DOES!!!!

RK

[BonMallari]

Come on guys! Between thinly veiled cod-words to immigration reform, to chairs that are laser-aligned.....ya'll are sounding ridiculous!

It was a beautiful ceremony. It paid respects, it celebrated life. It was apolitical. A true hero gave his comments.

Give it a freakin' break!

Find some good in the world for once. Not everything has to be evil and sinister.

were we watching the same event ?

I guess your idea of a beautiful ceremony and my idea of a pep rally are two different things..

To each their own