yourlove2011: Obama: 'Gabby opened her eyes for the first time'

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TUCSON, Ariz. — Searching for the right tone in an evening service, President Barack Obama aimed to console the country after a weekend massacre that left six people dead and 13 wounded, including congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who remained hospitalized in critical condition.

"Gabby opened her eyes for the first time," Obama said during the memorial service, veering from his prepared remarks and receiving a loud applause from the thousands assembled. He had visited the congresswoman shortly before his speech.

"There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: the hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy pull through," Obama said.

Obama urged more civil discourse after a heated week of debate on the origins of the tragedy.

"As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility," Obama said. "Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together...."
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"And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let's remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, it did not, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make (the victims) proud."

Calling the Safeway meeting where the attack occurred the "quintessentially American scene that was shattered by a gunman's bullets," he eulogized each person slain.

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"Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. A graduate of this university and its law school, Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain twenty years ago, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and rose to become Arizona's chief federal judge. His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his Representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons, and his five grandchildren.

"George and Dorothy Morris — "Dot" to her friends — were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together, traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their Congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. Both were shot. Dot passed away.

"A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she'd often work under her favorite tree, or sometimes sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better.

"Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together — about 70 years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families, but after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy's daughters put it, "be boyfriend and girlfriend again." When they weren't out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with their dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers," Obama said.

"Everything Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion — but his true passion was people. As Gabby's outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got Medicare benefits they had earned, veterans got the medals and care they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved —talking with people and seeing how he could help. Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year.

"And then there is nine year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student, a dancer, a gymnast, and a swimmer. She often proclaimed that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age, and would remind her mother, "We are so blessed. We have the best life." And she'd pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate."

"Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken — and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.

"Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak.

'Gabby opened her eyes for the first time'
"And I can tell you this ... Gabby opened her eyes for the first time," Obama said to loud applause.

Mark Kelly, Giffords' husband, sat beside Obama and his wife, Michelle, during the ceremony.

Carlos Gonzales, a representative of the Native American community, opened the service at the University of Arizona with a blessing, urging harmony. "Let us bless the families of those who have lost their loved ones," he said.

The university's president, Robert Shelton, called Saturday's shooting "an act so heinous it's simply impossible to comprehend."

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Shelton said the attack should be used as an opportunity to "build a more sensible and caring world."

Daniel Hernandez, a 20-year-old Mexican-American intern on Giffords' staff, was honored as a hero for his actions after the attack credited with possibly saving Giffords' life. Hernandez rejected the hero tag, instead recognizing emergency workers who rushed to help victims.

"There is no way to quantify the loss" of the victims, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said, choking on her words as she recognized each of the deceased individually.

Recognizing the pain in the state after the attack, Brewer declared, "We will go forward unbending and unbowed."

Afterward, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, former governor of Arizona, and Attorney General Eric Holder read from the Bible.

Story: Arizona shooting victims

Inside the McKale Memorial Center, mourners hugged and consoled each other before the ceremony. People cheered when survivors or families of the victims arrived. Some 14,000 people crowded into the basketball arena, with another 13,000 watching on television at Arizona Stadium.

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