[no audio] >> house minority leader nancy pelosi earlier today signing the guest book. on the right of your screen, the floor of the mchale center in arizona. a number of other members of congress and other cabinet secretaries, and more as the president it is set to get

underway shortly live here on c- span. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, tucson, and america. [applause]

♪ ["fanfare for the common man" playing]

♪

♪ [applause]

>> welcome. let me start in the traditional way by introducing myself. i am carlist and solace. on my mother's side, i am -- carlos gonzales. on my mother's side, i am mexican. on my waterside, i am yacci refugee from mexico.

we have been here -- i am degeneration in the valley in tucson. -- i am his generation in the valley in tucson. -- fifth generation. please understand i am not of medicine man. i am forced enough to teach here at this university and fortune on up to learn the sacred ways in the sacred words so that i can share them with them. i have been given permission by my elders to say blessings of this type, all the to tell the truth, i have never done one for so many people. [laughter] so i have been fortunate to grow up in this great country where a

poor kid -- [applause] from the south side of tucson -- [cheers and applause] new could get a fine education at the university of arizona. and then better, to come back as a teacher and teach students at this institution. so with that, i would start the blessing after my brief introduction. i have to do it the traditional way. it is the way we do it. for those of you that no the traditional blessing way, please feel free to do it. let me begin. oh creator, i come to get a

blessing, a blessing at this time -- to give the a blessing, a blessing at this time of disunity. please after hearing my blessing and my prayer, let us work toward harmony, toward wholeness and balance sheet. honoring theby eastern door from where we get visions and guidance. make each of us get the vision and guidance to proceed in a good way. from the southern dorks where we get the energies of the champ -- doors where we get the energies

of the families, let us honor the families of those that passed on, of those that are healing, and also let us honor our own families. let us remain humble and also use humor when appropriate, for humor is healing and can help people. from the western door, please let us honor the sacred ways and our sacred and ancestors. without them we would not be here. oh creator, that is the door through which those who have passed on have walked to the next world. let us honor them as they pass on. let us also look within ourselves to see how we can improve and be better human beings. from the northern door where we receive challenges and the strength and meet those

challenges, let us all receive strained to meet the challenges that face our great country. please give us that strength as we proceed. trump bought their sky where we get the masculine energy, -- from hobart skied -- father sky where we get they've masculine energy for protection, and give us that energy. from mother earth, where we get the feminine energy, less get the energy to help those that need it and those that ask for our help. these energies, the masculine energy, and the feminine industry -- energy, let them come together in our center where the creator exists, where each of us has a piece of the creator. please, you have given us eat a

gift. may we use these kits to help our fellow human beings. of creator, let us bless the families of those that have lost their loved ones. let us bless the family of those that are healing. let us bless those people that are here today. let us bless those that are outside in greater tucson and arizona and in our country. let us bless them so that they too can hill from this tragedy that has -- heal from this tragedy that has occurred. oh creator, if i may, my son is on afghanistan. a little blessing to him, too. [applause]

0 creator, let us not forget our fellow teachers, those that stand, those that blow on the wind, those that are tall and stately. those that call on the earth, those that slither on the earth, those that live under the year. let us remember and less the winged ones, those that swim in the water, but for legged and also our brothers, but to let it, they walk throughout this world. now we all come together at this time and made the words of the people here sing again to their hearts so that state to can heal -- so that they can heal. oh creator, i ask this humbly. i ask this of that we can all once again achieve harmony and balance in our lives.

oh creator, welcome. we welcome those people that come to our beloved city, the beloved city of tucson. welcome here and please bless each and everyone here. with that, i would like to and my blessing -- end my blessings. [applause] >> please welcome robert shelton, president of the university of arizona. >> good evening. on behalf of the faculty, staff,

and the students of the university of arizona here in tucson, ariz. -- [applause] i am privileged to welcome you to "together we thrive, tucson and america." our thanks to the doctor for offering tonight's blessing. [applause] when sean now the lead in the national anthem by the tucson symphony orchestra, conducted by george hansen and sung by a doctoral student in music here at the university of arizona. ["star spangled banner" playing]

>> ♪ osage can you seeing oh say can you see by the dawn's early light and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air gave approval through the night that our flag was still there oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave land of the free

and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] >> please be seated. tonight we had gathered here as a community to mourn the tragic and senseless loss. we are here to try in a small way to bring comfort to those whose lives had been forever changed by an act so heinous that it is simply impossible to comprehend. no one who lives here was

untouched by the events of last saturday. over the past few days, i have repeatedly heard people ask, "how could such a thing have happened and how could it have happened here, in our town, and to people so loved and so it mired?" one of the characteristics that has struck me about tucson, of vast metropolitan area of 1 million people, it can function so much like a small college town. [applause] it is in the truest and best sense of the word a community where people know each other and care about each other.

the university of arizona sits in the middle of that committee, both literally and figuratively. by hosting this ceremony, we hope that we can begin the process of healing. tonight we have a chance to pray for those who were wanted -- wounded, remember those that were lost, and remember our commitment to each other. representative gabrielle giffords is a good friend of mine, as she is almost everyone in this community. [applause] this attack on her and on her constituents, our neighbors, our friends, has changed us all.

the question we have to answer is whether that change will make us angry and afraid, or whether it will inspire us to commit to building a more sensible and caring world. [applause] tucson is a city that is unique for its diversity and its passion. so many of you would come out tonight speaks to our unity of spirit and our desire to stand by our friends and our neighbors in this time of great need. [applause] our society has many serious challenges, but fortunately we have a great leadership to help us through these difficult

times. many of those leaders are here with us tonight to offer their support. [applause] to offer their support to the tragically affected by the events of last saturday. among the many heroes this week was one of our students, daniel hernandez, jr. -- [cheers and applause]

daniel showed extraordinary ploys at a most difficult moment. you see he is here tonight what the president of the associated students of the universe of a -- the university of at arizona. please welcome them at this time. [applause] >> good evening. i like to start by expressing my sincere gratitude to everyone in the tucson and diversity -- and

university community for coming here to sell your support for those affected by a heartbreaking events of this weekend. it is uplifting to see everyone tonight and to witness the outpouring of support for all of you -- from all of you. we need to take a moment and recognize that the victims on saturday or attending congresswoman gabby giffords' event in order to take place in the democratic process. it was something she has spent the better part of her life serving. like many students here and other young people, i have had the opportunity to interact with gabby and her staff as an intern. and to gain a sense of appreciation and inspiration for public service in its most genuine form. from my experience, i believe

the of one of the things gabby would want us to take away from saturday is that we need to continue to be devoted public servants and citizens. on saturday -- [applause] on saturday, violence reared its ugly head to silence our voice in government, but we know our command and you will not be silent and our representatives will not be silent. [applause] one of the most expressive examples of the spirit is my friend standing next to me, daniel hernandez. [applause] many of you had heard his story as someone who displayed courage and heroism in the face of danger. as someone who knew daniel before he had been called a hero, as a friend, the one who

stayed up late with me many late nights of work and brought me many cups of coffee, i was not surprised to hear of his actions and selfless courage. toomey daniel exemplifies the spirit of used and in individual committed to his friends, community, and greater humanity. daniel is only a representation of many that stepped up and took action. those individuals are a symbol of the character found throughout this community, and thus the potential to act with kindness and to rise up when we have been called to do so. [applause] it is with great honor that i introduce to you, my friend, daniel hernandez, to say a few words. [applause] >> thank you, thank you.

thank you. i would like to start up by thinking in a late but also with a few words, but first of which is e pluribus unum. never have those words been more true than today. we have come together. on saturday, we all became tucsonians, we became an arizonans, and above all, we became the americans. despite those actions, we saw glimmers of hope. these glimmers of hope come from people who are the real heroes. although i appreciate the sentiment, i must humbly reject the use of the word hero because i am not one. that heroes are people like pam simon. [applause]

gave zimmerman, who unfortunately we lost that day. ron barber, the first responders, and also people like dr. rhee, who've done an amazing job in making certain gabby is ok and those that are injured are being treated to the best of our ability. [applause] thank you. we have all come together to realize that what a fine says is not the differences, it is that we are all together, we are all a family, we are all americans. we must recognize that the real heroes i mentioned are those that dedicated their life to public service, whether direct care in nursing, or being a

position, or being a great representative like congresswoman giffords, or being a staffer, they are the people we should be honoring and they are the people we need to keep and our thoughts and prayers. i thank you for this opportunity but i say we must reject the title of hero and reserve it for those who deserve it, and those who deserve it are the public servants in the first responders and the people making sure they have dedicated their life to taking care about is. with that, i thank you all. [applause] >> these two young students are

examples of why i am so proud of this university. they should get all of us a great sense of hope for our future. thank you, daniel. thank you, emily. [applause] i am now honored to bring to the lectern the leader of our state. she is providing great leadership at a difficult and challenging time. please welcome to the podium the governor of the state of arizona, the honorable jan brewer. [applause] >> thank you, and thank you president shelton. mr. president, mrs. obama, the justice kennedy, attorney general holder, secretary napolitano, minority leader

pelosi, and my fellow arizonans, good evening. let me say again, thank you, daniel, for your very uncommon courage that likely couragegabby giffords -- on common courage that likely saved gabby giffords' life. mr. president, i thank you for coming today to help us with our healing. [applause] in the aftermath of saturday, your words have been a source of comfort and strength to every arizonan. your presence serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our sorrow. america agrees with us. this great nation stands ready

to help our wounded heal, to join in morning aulos beyond measure. loss beyond measure. a day that began as a warm arizona morning, neighbors were grocery shopping, running errands, they were gathering to meet their congresswoman, to see the gabby giffords smile all of us know so well. there is no way -- [applause] there is no way to quantify loss of a fine public service like united states district court judge john roll. [applause]

there is no way to measure the depth of good people parents and grandparents liked dorwin stoddard, phyllis schneck, and dot morris. gave zimmerman, also killed, only 30 years old, devoted to social work and a fighter for justice. [applause] there is absolutely no measure in the ad debt of the void

someone like gabe leaves behind. we also lost christina-taylor green. born on another day of a unparalleled sadness, september 11, 2001, christina was only 9 years old. she was a new member of the student council at mesa verde at elementary school. she loved ballet, swimming, and baseball. we can never know what christina might have come. we cannot imagine what the families of our six innocent neighbors are appealing. nor could we known the pain of the wounded, some whom are still struggling for their lives. gunfire did not just take six lives, and injure others. it pierced our sense of well- being. it raised questions of which we can make no sense, questions

begging for answers that will not come at any time soon. i know this -- arizona it is united in a mission of recovery. this state, bound together by prayer and action and hope and faith, will not be shredded by one madman's act of darkness. [applause] we have come to understand, aided by your presence, that we are being lifted up by the thoughts and prayers of others who mourn with us. we will remember how to smile again. i know arizona. i know every corner. i know it's proud, courageous citizens. we will go forward together, patient and tribulation, devoted

to prayer, we will go forward unbending, unbowed. in the words of abraham lincoln, "if it is a way which is plain, peaceful, and generous, and jos. it is a way in which followed, god will forever blas." may god bless all the victims, their families, and those suffering from saturday's tragedy. made the -- may god bless those whose service in the cause of freedom and of justice. may he bless you and your families and our great state of arizona. and may god always bless and protect the united states of america. thank you. [applause]

>> thank you, governor romer. confronting the challenges of our nation's security is an enormous security. we are safer as a country because we have the right person leading that effort. please now welcome back to arizona, our former governor and the current secretary of homeland security, janet napolitano. [applause] >> thank you. thank you, tucson. thank you, arizona.

[applause] >> we know that of violence that occurred saturday does not represent this community, this state, or this country. [applause] at these times, words can fail us. so let us listen instead to the words of the old testament. and i will provide a reading now from the book of isaiah. comfort, yes, comfort my people, says your guide. speak comfort to jerusalem and

cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that her inequity is part in, for she has received from the lord's hand double for all her sands. the loss of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our god. every valley shall be exalted in every mountain and hill brought low. the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth. the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the lord hath spoken. lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things. who brings out their hosts by number? he calls them all by name, by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one is missing.

why do you say, at jacob, and speak, israel, my way as hidden from the board and might just claim is passed over by my god? had you not heard the everlasting god, the lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, neither banks nor is weary? his understanding is unsearchable. he gives power to the week ended those who have no might, he increases strength. even the use of paint and the weary and a young man shall utterly false. but those who wait on this board shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings like eagles. they shall run and not be weary. they will walk and not faint. this is the word of the lord. [applause]

>> thank you, secretary napolitano. [applause] i am honored now to introduce the leader of the united states department of justice. he is our nation's leading law enforcement official. please welcome the attorney general of the united states, eric holder. [applause] >> thank you. far -- likell reads secondi'll read from

corinthians. since we have the same spirit of faith of his hand that wrote, i believe and so i spoke, we too believe and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the lord jesus will raise us also with cheeses and bring us with you into his presence. for it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may extend thanksgiving to the glory of god. so we do not lose heart, though i our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. for this slight momentary of affliction is preparing us for of gloryal waeight

beyond comparison. we let not the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen, are eternal. we know that if the earthly 10th we live in is destroyed, we have a building from god, i house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. this is the lords words. [applause] >> i think you can see by ed

those who are in the program and by the many dignitaries and elected officials in the audience how deeply our country was affected by the terrible events last saturday. we are truly honored to have a leader of our great nation with us here tonight. [applause] we are obviously saddened by the circumstances that have brought president and mrs. obama to tucson. but we're comforted, we are comforted by their compassion and inspired by their determination to reach out and help. america has been blessed through its glorious terry hits in history by committed president's who often in great

personal sacrifice step forward to lead us to better futures and greater hope. barack obama assumed the presidency at a perilous time in our history. we are fortunate to have someone with his intellect, his energy, and his heart to leave us forward. please welcome the president of the united states, barack obama. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. please be seated.

[cheers and applause] to the families of those we have lost, to all who call them friends, to the students of this university, the public servants gathered here, the people of tucson, and the people of arizona -- i have come here tonight as an american who like all americans kneel to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow.

there is nothing i can say that hole.fill the sudden in your hearts. but no this -- the hopes of the nation are here tonight. we mourn with you for the fallen, we join you in your grief, and we add our faith to your so that gabrielle to giffords and the other victims of this tragedy will pull through. scripture tells us there is a river whose stream makes glad

the city of god, a holy place where the most holy dwell. god is within her. she will not fall. god will help her at break of day. on saturday morning, gabby, her staff, and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their rights to peacefully assemble and free speech. [applause] they were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders.

representatives of the people answering questions to their constituents, who carry their concerns back to our nation's capital. gabby called it congress on your corner. the updated version of government of, and by, and for the people. [applause] and that quintessentially american scene, that was the scene shattered by a gunman's bullets. and the six people who lost their lives on saturday, they too represented what is best in us, what is best in america. judge john roll served our legal

system for nearly 40 years. [applause] a graduate of this university and a graduate of this law school. [applause] judge roll was recommended for the federal bench by john mccain 20 years ago. appointed by george h. w. bush, and rose to become arizona's chief federal judge. [applause] his colleagues describe him as the hardest working judge within the ninth circuit. he was on his way back from attending mass, as he did every day. 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 beautiful grandchildren. [applause] georgian dorothy morris -- george and dorothy morris, dot to her friends, did everything together. their friends call that a 50- year honeymoon. saturday morning, they went by the safe way to hear what their congresswoman had to say. gunfire rang out, and george, the former marine, instinctively shielded his wife. [applause]

both were shot. dot passed away. a new jersey native, phyllis schneck, retired to tucson to beat the snow. in the summer she would return east where world revolved around her three children, the seven grandchildren, and day 2-year- old great granddaughter. she often worked under her favorites tree. she would sell eight friends 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. [applause]

dorwin and mavy moved apart. they started their own respective families. but when both were widowed, they found their way back. daughter puty's it, to be boyfriend and girlfriend again. you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the mountain avenue church of christ. of retired construction worker, dorwin spent his spare -- spare time fixing up the church with his dog, spot. his final act of selfless this was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for her.

[applause] everything gabe zimmerman did, he did with passion. [applause] his true passion was helping people. heby's outreach director, made the care is of thousands of our constituents his own. he saw to it that seniors got to keep medicare benefits that they have earned. that veterans got the metals and care that 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, his brother, and his fiancee who he plan to marry next year.

[applause] and then there is 9-year-old christina-taylor green. christina was a a student, a dancer, a gymnast, a swimmer. she decided she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues. as the only girl on her little league team, no one put it past her. [applause] she showed an appreciation for life and common -- uncommon for a girl her age. she told her mother, we are so blessed.

she paid those backed 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 hopes and thanks for the people who survive the shooting, including the congresswoman many went to sea on saturday. i have just come from the university medical center just a mile from here, where our friends gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. i want to tell you, her husband mark is here and he allowed me to share this with you. right after we went to visit, a

few minutes after we let the room and some of her colleagues from congress were in their room, gabby opened her eyes for the first time. [cheers and applause] gabby opened her eyes. gabby open your eyes alighted can tell you she knows that we are hurt, and she knows that we are rooting for her for what will undoubtably be of rough road ahead.

[applause] our hearts are full of thanks for that could nays -- good news and full of gratitude for those who saved others. we're thankful to daniel hernandez. a volunteer in gabby's office. daniel, you may deny it but we have decided you are a hero. you ran through the chaos to minister to your boss to help tend her once and help keep her alive. [cheers and applause]

we are grateful to the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. [cheers and applause] they are right over there. [applause] [applause]

we are grateful for petit patricia maisch who wrestled away that killers ammunition and undoubtedly saved some lives. [cheers and applause] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses. and the first responders to worked wonders to deal -- heal those that had been heard. -- hurt.

we are grateful to them. [applause] these men and women remind us that her wisdom -- heroism is not only found on the fields of battle. heroism does not require special training or physical strength. heroism is here. in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens just waiting to be summoned. as it was on saturday morning.

their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. it raises the question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. how can we honor the fallen? how can we be true to their memory? you see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations. to try to have some order on the chaos to make sense out of that which seems senseless.

already, we have seen the national conversation commenced. not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system. much of this process of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government. at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized, at a time where we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we u-haul --

than we do, it is important to pause for a moment and make sure we are talking with each other in a way that heels. -- heals. not in a way that wounds. [applause] script tells us that there is evil in the world. and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. in the words of job, when i looked for life, then came darkness. bad things happen. we have to guard against simple

explanations in the aftermath. but the truth is, none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. the of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired. or what ought to work in the inner recesses of a violent man's mind. we have to examine all of the facts behind this tragedy. we cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. we should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospect of such violence in the future. [applause] but what we cannot do is use

this tragedy has one more occasion to turn on each other. [applause] that, we cannot do. [applause] that, we cannot do. as we discussed these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, which use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations. to listen to each other more carefully. to sharpen our instincts for at the feet. and remind ourselves of all the

ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together. after all, that is what most of us do when we lose somebody in our family. especially if a loss is unexpected. we are shaken out of our routines. we are forced to look inward. we reflect on the past and we spend enough time with an agent. did we express our gratitude from the sacrifices that they made for us. did we tell a spouse just how desperately we love them? not just once in awhile, but every single day?

so some loss causes us to look backward, but it also forces us to look forward. to reflect on the present and the future. on the manner in which we live our lives. and nurture our relationships with those that are still with us. [applause] we might ask ourselves if we have shown enough kindness and generosity. had compassion. -- and compassion to the people in our lives. we might question if our priorities are in order.

we recognize our own mortality and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth or status or power or fame, but how well we have loved. and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better. [applause] and that process of reflection of making sure we align our values with our actions, that is what i believe a tragedy like this requires. for those who were harmed or

killed, they are part of our family. the american family, 300 million strong. [applause] we may not have known them personally, but surely we see ourselves and them. . dot, -- to george, dot, others. we sense them in our life partners. phyllis is our mom or grandma. gabe, our brother or son. and judge roll, we recognize a man that not only applies to family and doing his job well,

but a man that embodied america's fidelity to the law. in gabi, we see a reflection of the public spiritedness that desire to participate in the sometimes frustrating and sometimes contentious but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union. [applause] and in cristina. we see all of our children so curious, so trusting, so energetic. so full of magic.

so deserving of our loved. and so deserving of our good example. if this tragedy, some reflection and debate as it should, let's make sure it is worthy. of those we have lost. [applause] let's make sure is not on the usual plain of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drift away and the next news cycle. the loss of these wonderful people should make everyone of us strive to be better, to be better in our private lives, could be better friends and neighbors, co-workers, parents.

and as it has been discussed in recent days, and their death helped usher in more civility in public discourse. remember that is not because a simple act of civility caused this tragedy. but rather, because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud. [applause]

we should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants like those that knew first and foremost that we are all americans, we can question each other's ideas without questioning each other'' love of country, and that working together, we constantly widen the circle of our concern. so that we bequeath the american dream to future generations. [applause] they believed and i believe that we can be better. those that died here, they held

me believe. lehman not be able to stop all evil in the world. but i know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. and i believe that for all of our imperfections, we are people of decency and good as. the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. [applause] that is what i believe. in part because that is what a child believes. imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming

aware of our democracy. just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship. just starting to let the fact that some day, she might play a part in shaping her nation's future. she had been elected to student council. she sought public service as something exciting and helpful. she was often the term congresswoman. someone she was sure was good and important. and might be a role model. she saw all of this through the eyes of a child. undimmed by the cynicism and vitriol that we take for granted as adults. i want to live up to her expectations.

i want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. i want america to be as good as she imagined it. all of us, we should do everything we can do to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations. [applause]

as it has already been mentioned, christina was given to us on the timber 11, 2001. there were 50 babies born that day pictured in a book called "faces a vote -- of hope." on the other side of her photo were simple wishes. i hope you help those in thneed. i hope you know all the words to the national anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. [applause] i hope that you jump in rain puddles.

if there are rain puddles in heaven, cristina is jumping in them today. [applause] and here, on this earth, a year on this earth we place our hands over our hearts and we commit ourselves as americans to forging a country that is forever were the for gentle, happy spirits. god bless and keep those we have lost. they love and watch over the survivors and may he bless the united states of america. [applause]

>> thank you. thank you, president obama for your remarkable and inspiring words. [applause]

i also thank all of the speakers here tonight as well as all of the federal, state, and local leaders that have come tonight to lend their support. we have heard many inspirational thoughts from our distinguished guests. this time, i invite everyone here and those watching around the nation to join together in a moment of silence that will be followed by the musical selections. join me, please, in a moment of silence.

[singing] ♪ ♪

♪ [applause]

>> i now conclude the program tonight by reading a poem that was written by the current poet loriat of the united states of america. he has a long history with the poetry center here at the university of arizona. the pollen is titled, who the new year. with what stillness at last you appear in the valley your first sunlight reaching down to touch of the tips of the few high leaves that do not stir as though they had not noticed and did not know you at all

then, the voice of the above calls from the far away in itself to hush of morning so this is the sound of you here and now, whether or not anyone here is a -- hears it this is where we have come with our age. our knowledge, such as it is and our hopes, such as they are invisible before us untouched and still possible. [applause]

thank you for coming, and goodnight to everyone. [applause] ♪ [choir singing]

[applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

[cheers and applause] ♪ ♪

♪

[applause]

[applause]

["imagine"]

♪

[cheers and applause]

[cheers]

>> president obama and mrs. obama meeting a small part of the 13,000 people here at mchale memorial center at the university of arizona rapping at the ceremony deceiving in tucson. we will open up our phone lines to get your thoughts on the ceremony. here are the numbers to call. we will get to your phone calls in just a second. -- we will take your phone calls still about 10:00 -- until about 10,000. there were 13,000 there at the center. there were another 13,000 outside of the center in the university of arizona football stadium.

president obama made a bit of news during the course of his speech. gabrielle giffords did open her eyes. she opened her eyes for the first time this afternoon. that is from tucson citizen. >> there is nine-year-old christina taylor grain. she was an aide-student. she was a dancer and a gymnast and a swimmer. she decided that she went to be the first woman to play in the major leagues. as the only girl on her little league team, no one put it past her. [applause] she showed an appreciation for life.

she would remind her mother, we are so blessed. we have the best life. she would pay those blessings back by participating in the charity that helps children who were less fortunate. our hearts are broken by this sudden passing. our hearts are broken and yet, our hearts also have reason to -- for fullness. our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 americans is survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to sea on saturday. i have just come from the university medical center in just a mile from here, where our friends gabby courageous the

fight to recover. i want to tell you, her husband is here and he allows me to share this with you. right after we went to visit, a few minutes after we left the room and some of her colleagues from congress were in the room, she opened her eyes for the first time. she opened her eyes for the first time. [applause] she opened her eyes. i can tell you that she knows we are here. we note -- she knows that we

love her and we are rooting for her. we are there for her. [applause] >> the president flies bite -- back to washington this evening. we will show you all of this evening's program tonight at 10:00. montgomery, alabama, your first set. >> i am very encouraged after watching and hearing about the tragedy. i was very impressed and blessed to watch our government officials to bolt -- to pull back on something that is so vital for our nation, our belief in god. to hear them just beautifully state such encouraging words to the families, the people of arizona, i was impressed.

to see the great on the president's face, i am concerned -- i am encouraged that we are a great nation. >> thank you for the call. >> it is amazing how travesty can turn into victory. i thought about how much -- the president comes around and shows us that would something like this, maybe america can open their eyes as well. >> charlotte, n.c., what did you think of the program tonight? >> i thought there was a lot of positive energy in the speeches, a lot of spiritual references. the fact that we have to pull away from all of the net -- negative rhetoric and say, up we

will be a civil society. we will be a civil society and respect one another. the fact that president obama came to arizona to spend time with the people of arizona, offer his condolences to the victims and to show did you unconcern -- showed a genuine concern at 62 volumes. -- speaks volumes. >> thank you for the call. next up is atlanta, georgia. >> i think that the president's message was just what we needed. just a few days ago, i was concerned that the mean spiritedness of america would

turn into what happened last saturday. i want to personally thank the president for his message. let the healing begin. we will go next to alabama. >> next up is georgia. >> we will move on with our calls. >> hello?

>> you are on the air. warner, oklahoma. >> i want to say that i am so sorry for everything that has happened to the citizens of arizona. i do feel that this was a political forum for the president and this was to be a memorial for those we lost and the ones that are still with us that are injured. i would like to see the president really take involvement in that state and not use it for his own advantage. >> thank you for taking my call. the president did a very good job tonight. there were some things that the people of america needed to have said.

i think he unified the people. the people were shooting blame back and forth and i think he did a good job of setting the right things. to put the focus on what it is. thank you for your coverage. >> we are going to continue to take your calls. at the top of the hour, we will show you the entire program this evening. we have already posted it on line at our facebook page. you can see the video. new orleans is next. >> i am so proud of our president. i think he did a fantastic job. i was very afraid that he would not bring up the rhetoric

factor and i'm glad you did. i am not saying bad this is why this happens. but we need to stop this and killed the nation. nation -- healt the nation. >> were due at the event this evening, patricia? >> no. when this first incident happened, i cannot even and use words to describe it. there is nothing that you can say about it except i would like to thank everybody who has prayed for our community. we are a great city. i would also like to -- there is only one person that is to blame

for this. however, the finger-pointing needs to stop. there is only one person to blame. >> do you think a night like tonight, this kind of program those a long way to stop the finger-pointing? >> i hope it does. president obama basically put it out there. we are supposed to love one another. we are supposed to help one another. this is america. we are to love one another. >> thank you, patricia, for your thoughts. new hampshire is next up. >> thank you so much. you are one of the greatest. c-span has perfect pitch and

perfect hearing. it was so wonderful to hear the fanfare for the common man after president obama delivered his speech. i was so moved. i was almost in tears. i wish that sarah palin could just and her concern. she just does not get the point. she indicated that there is a blood libel. if only she could cool her rhetoric and let the nation he'll -- heal. >> good evening. the scales dropped from my eyes tonight. he really said some things that hit my heart. i felt like he has a feeling for the children because he has the two girls. i am sure that his heart was breaking over the little girl.

my heart did, too. i thank him for what he did. it will bring us back to the nation. 1 god and i think him for that. thank you for having him there. >> the president spoke a about the nature of public discourse following the shootings last week. >> if this tragedy probs reflection and debate, as it should, let's make sure it is worthy of those we have lost. [applause]

let's make sure it is not on the usual plain of politics and petting this the trips away into the next news cycle. bill loss of these wonderful people should make everyone a bus strike -- a loss of these wonderful people should make us strive to be better, to be better friends, neighbors, and co-workers and parents. if there death helps usher in more stability and our public discourse, let us remember that it is not because the simple act caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation in a way that would make them proud. [applause]

>> president obama firm justin short while ago. in just a bit, we will show you the entire event from this evening in tucson. we will continue with your phone calls. next up is new jersey. >> good evening. >> we are going to go to chicago. >> thank you for accepting my call. i would like to say that my heart also goes out to the families. the victims are also our families. our hearts and prayers go out to them.

i am wondering -- president obama exercise great leadership. so many afflictions are coming down on our country. the force is to divide us are less than the forces to unite us. we have a great leader. hearts and prayers go out to the family. i think everybody -- thank you, again. >> let's go to our republican line. >> i thought it was a great speech. it was very uplifting and i do enjoy the way that he said that if everybody could be encouraged. i am from arizona. it is a powder keg down there, the issue of immigration.

i wish they could solve the problems down there. the rhetoric is so violent. >> do you think the issue of immigration played in at all to the motives of the suspected killer? >> i read on his block on youtube where he talked about how most of the people in the district were deliberate. he was referring to a lot of the illegal aliens out there. i think it is an issue and it does need to be solved. there is a lot of divisiveness that is going on with that. i thought the president did a good job. >> president obama makes his way back to washington this evening and returns in the wee hours of thursday morning. the house and senate are out for the rest of the week. they spent the day working on the resolution for support for the victims.

all that is online at our website. georgetown university, jeff is on a republican line. >> my emotions are running really high. >> let's go to detroit. >> how are you doing? the president did a great job. god bless america and got help all the people who are hurt and everything will be ok. >> the president of the university of arizona opened the event this evening. the governor of the state also spoke tonight, talking about nine-year-old girl was killed

and the shooting on saturday. >> we also lost pristina tailored green -- christina taylor green, born on september 11, 2001. she was only 9 years old. she was a new member of the student council. she loved ballet, swimming, and baseball. we could never know what christina might have become. we cannot imagine what the families of our six innocent neighbors are feeling. nor can we know the pain of the wounded, some who are still struggling for their lives. saturday's gunfire did not simply take six lives. it's pierced our sense of well-

being. and raised questions of which we can make no sense. , questions backing for answers that will not come any time soon. though arizona is united in a mission of recovery, this state bound together by prayer and action and hope and faith will not be shredded by one madman's act of darkness. [applause] event intonight's tucson coming momentarily on c- span. let's wrap it up with a couple of calls. >> i just wanted to say that i thought his speech was awesome tonight. i was touched by the president of the university who said that the president comes with its energy and intelligence and his

heart. that is so true. he is misunderstood, misconstrued by so many. he is a wonderful man. we are blessed and lucky to have him. >> let's let arizona get the last word. >> good evening. i am calling from phoenix, ariz., and i am so proud of our president. i am a republican than i am so proud of him. i think him very much for coming out here and mrs. obama. i loved his talk and that is what we need. we need to get together and understand each other. i wish this world would do that. thank you very bunched. -- thank you very much. >> we appreciate you calling

craig thank you for weighing in. you can continue the conversation on line. our facebook page is taking your postings. you can log into twitter as well. we will show you the entire event that began about 8:00 eastern. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, tucson, and america. [applause]

♪ ["fanfare for the common man" playing]

♪

♪ [applause]

>> welcome. let me start in the traditional way by introducing myself. i am carlist and solace. on my mother's side, i am -- carlos gonzales. on my mother's side, i am mexican. on my waterside, i am yacci

refugee from mexico. we have been here -- i am degeneration in the valley in tucson. -- i am his generation in the valley in tucson. -- fifth generation. please understand i am not of medicine man. i am forced enough to teach here at this university and fortune on up to learn the sacred ways in the sacred words so that i can share them with them. i have been given permission by my elders to say blessings of this type, all the to tell the truth, i have never done one for so many people. [laughter] so i have been fortunate to grow up in this great country where a

poor kid -- [applause] from the south side of tucson -- [cheers and applause] new could get a fine education at the university of arizona. and then better, to come back as a teacher and teach students at this institution. so with that, i would start the blessing after my brief introduction. i have to do it the traditional way. it is the way we do it. for those of you that no the traditional blessing way, please feel free to do it. let me begin.

oh creator, i come to get a blessing, a blessing at this time -- to give the a blessing, a blessing at this time of disunity. please after hearing my blessing and my prayer, let us work toward harmony, toward wholeness and balance sheet. honoring theby eastern door from where we get visions and guidance. make each of us get the vision and guidance to proceed in a good way. from the southern dorks where we get the energies of the champ -- doors where we get the energies

of the families, let us honor the families of those that passed on, of those that are healing, and also let us honor our own families. let us remain humble and also use humor when appropriate, for humor is healing and can help people. from the western door, please let us honor the sacred ways and our sacred and ancestors. without them we would not be here. oh creator, that is the door through which those who have passed on have walked to the next world. let us honor them as they pass on. let us also look within ourselves to see how we can improve and be better human beings. from the northern door where we receive challenges and the

strength and meet those challenges, let us all receive strained to meet the challenges that face our great country. please give us that strength as we proceed. trump bought their sky where we get the masculine energy, -- from hobart skied -- father sky where we get they've masculine energy for protection, and give us that energy. from mother earth, where we get the feminine energy, less get the energy to help those that need it and those that ask for our help. these energies, the masculine energy, and the feminine industry -- energy, let them come together in our center where the creator exists, where each of us has a piece of the creator.

please, you have given us eat a gift. may we use these kits to help our fellow human beings. of creator, let us bless the families of those that have lost their loved ones. let us bless the family of those that are healing. let us bless those people that are here today. let us bless those that are outside in greater tucson and arizona and in our country. let us bless them so that they too can hill from this tragedy that has -- heal from this tragedy that has occurred. oh creator, if i may, my son is on afghanistan. a little blessing to him, too. [applause]

0 creator, let us not forget our fellow teachers, those that stand, those that blow on the wind, those that are tall and stately. those that call on the earth, those that slither on the earth, those that live under the year. let us remember and less the winged ones, those that swim in the water, but for legged and also our brothers, but to let it, they walk throughout this world. now we all come together at this time and made the words of the people here sing again to their hearts so that state to can heal -- so that they can heal. oh creator, i ask this humbly. i ask this of that we can all once again achieve harmony and balance in our lives.

oh creator, welcome. we welcome those people that come to our beloved city, the beloved city of tucson. welcome here and please bless each and everyone here. with that, i would like to and my blessing -- end my blessings. [applause] >> please welcome robert shelton, president of the university of arizona. >> good evening. on behalf of the faculty, staff,

and the students of the university of arizona here in tucson, ariz. -- [applause] i am privileged to welcome you to "together we thrive, tucson and america." our thanks to the doctor for offering tonight's blessing. [applause] when sean now the lead in the national anthem by the tucson symphony orchestra, conducted by george hansen and sung by a doctoral student in music here at the university of arizona. ["star spangled banner" playing]

>> ♪ osage can you seeing oh say can you see by the dawn's early light and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air gave approval through the night that our flag was still there oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave land of the free

and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] >> please be seated. tonight we had gathered here as a community to mourn the tragic and senseless loss. we are here to try in a small way to bring comfort to those whose lives had been forever changed by an act so heinous that it is simply impossible to comprehend. no one who lives here was

untouched by the events of last saturday. over the past few days, i have repeatedly heard people ask, "how could such a thing have happened and how could it have happened here, in our town, and to people so loved and so it mired?" one of the characteristics that has struck me about tucson, of vast metropolitan area of 1 million people, it can function so much like a small college town. [applause] it is in the truest and best sense of the word a community where people know each other and

care about each other. the university of arizona sits in the middle of that committee, both literally and figuratively. by hosting this ceremony, we hope that we can begin the process of healing. tonight we have a chance to pray for those who were wanted -- wounded, remember those that were lost, and remember our commitment to each other. representative gabrielle giffords is a good friend of mine, as she is almost everyone in this community. [applause] this attack on her and on her constituents, our neighbors, our

friends, has changed us all. the question we have to answer is whether that change will make us angry and afraid, or whether it will inspire us to commit to building a more sensible and caring world. [applause] tucson is a city that is unique for its diversity and its passion. so many of you would come out tonight speaks to our unity of spirit and our desire to stand by our friends and our neighbors in this time of great need. [applause] our society has many serious challenges, but fortunately we have a great leadership to help

us through these difficult times. many of those leaders are here with us tonight to offer their support. [applause] to offer their support to the families and friends so tragically affected by the events of last saturday. among the many heroes this week was one of our students, daniel hernandez, jr. -- [cheers and applause]

daniel showed extraordinary ploys at a most difficult moment. you see he is here tonight what the president of the associated students of the universe of a -- the university of at arizona. please welcome them at this time. [applause] >> good evening. i like to start by expressing my sincere gratitude to everyone in the tucson and diversity -- and

university community for coming here to sell your support for those affected by a heartbreaking events of this weekend. it is uplifting to see everyone tonight and to witness the outpouring of support for all of you -- from all of you. we need to take a moment and recognize that the victims on saturday or attending congresswoman gabby giffords' event in order to take place in the democratic process. it was something she has spent the better part of her life serving. like many students here and other young people, i have had the opportunity to interact with gabby and her staff as an intern. and to gain a sense of appreciation and inspiration for public service in its most genuine form.

from my experience, i believe the of one of the things gabby would want us to take away from saturday is that we need to continue to be devoted public servants and citizens. on saturday -- [applause] on saturday, violence reared its ugly head to silence our voice in government, but we know our command and you will not be silent and our representatives will not be silent. [applause] one of the most expressive examples of the spirit is my friend standing next to me, daniel hernandez. [applause] many of you had heard his story as someone who displayed courage and heroism in the face of danger. as someone who knew daniel before he had been called a

hero, as a friend, the one who stayed up late with me many late nights of work and brought me many cups of coffee, i was not surprised to hear of his actions and selfless courage. toomey daniel exemplifies the spirit of used and in individual committed to his friends, community, and greater humanity. daniel is only a representation of many that stepped up and took action. those individuals are a symbol of the character found throughout this community, and thus the potential to act with kindness and to rise up when we have been called to do so. [applause] it is with great honor that i introduce to you, my friend, daniel hernandez, to say a few words. [applause] >> thank you, thank you.

thank you. i would like to start up by thinking in a late but also with a few words, but first of which is e pluribus unum. never have those words been more true than today. we have come together. on saturday, we all became tucsonians, we became an arizonans, and above all, we became the americans. despite those actions, we saw glimmers of hope. these glimmers of hope come from people who are the real heroes. although i appreciate the sentiment, i must humbly reject the use of the word hero because i am not one. that heroes are people like pam simon.

[applause] gave zimmerman, who unfortunately we lost that day. ron barber, the first responders, and also people like dr. rhee, who've done an amazing job in making certain gabby is ok and those that are injured are being treated to the best of our ability. [applause] thank you. we have all come together to realize that what a fine says is not the differences, it is that we are all together, we are all a family, we are all americans. we must recognize that the real heroes i mentioned are those that dedicated their life to public service, whether direct care in nursing, or being a

position, or being a great representative like congresswoman giffords, or being a staffer, they are the people we should be honoring and they are the people we need to keep and our thoughts and prayers. i thank you for this opportunity but i say we must reject the title of hero and reserve it for those who deserve it, and those who deserve it are the public servants in the first responders and the people making sure they have dedicated their life to taking care about is. with that, i thank you all. [applause] >> these two young students are

examples of why i am so proud of this university. they should get all of us a great sense of hope for our future. thank you, daniel. thank you, emily. [applause] i am now honored to bring to the lectern the leader of our state. she is providing great leadership at a difficult and challenging time. please welcome to the podium the governor of the state of arizona, the honorable jan brewer. [applause] >> thank you, and thank you president shelton. mr. president, mrs. obama, the justice kennedy, attorney general holder, secretary napolitano, minority leader

pelosi, and my fellow arizonans, good evening. let me say again, thank you, daniel, for your very uncommon courage that likely couragegabby giffords -- on common courage that likely saved gabby giffords' life. mr. president, i thank you for coming today to help us with our healing. [applause] in the aftermath of saturday, your words have been a source of comfort and strength to every arizonyour presence serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our sorrow. america agrees with us.

this great nation stands ready to help our wounded heal, to join in morning aulos beyond measure. loss beyond measure. a day that began as a warm arizona morning, neighbors were grocery shopping, running errands, they were gathering to meet their congresswoman, to see the gabby giffords smile all of us know so well. there is no way -- [applause] there is no way to quantify loss of a fine public service like united states district court judge john roll.

[applause] there is no way to measure the depth of good people parents and grandparents liked dorwin stoddard, phyllis schneck, and dot morris. gave zimmerman, also killed, only 30 years old, devoted to social work and a fighter for justice. [applause] there is absolutely no measure in the ad debt of the void

someone like gabe leaves behind. we also lost christina-taylor green. born on another day of a unparalleled sadness, september 11, 2001, christina was only 9 years old. she was a new member of the student council at mesa verde at elementary school. she loved ballet, swimming, and baseball. we can never know what christina might have come. we cannot imagine what the families of our six innocent neighbors are appealing. nor could we known the pain of the wounded, some whom are still struggling for their lives. gunfire did not just take six lives, and injure others. it pierced our sense of well- being. it raised questions of which we

can make no sense, questions begging for answers that will not come at any time soon. i know this -- arizona it is united in a mission of recovery. this state, bound together by prayer and action and hope and faith, will not be shredded by one madman's act of darkness. [applause] we have come to understand, aided by your presence, that we are being lifted up by the thoughts and prayers of others who mourn with us. we will remember how to smile again. i know arizona. i know every corner. i know it's proud, courageous citizens. we will go forward together,

patient and tribulation, devoted to prayer, we will go forward unbending, unbowed. in the words of abraham lincoln, "if it is a way which is plain, peaceful, and generous, and jos. it is a way in which followed, god will forever blas." may god bless all the victims, their families, and those suffering from saturday's tragedy. made the -- may god bless those whose service in the cause of freedom and of justice. may he bless you and your families and our great state of arizona. and may god always bless and protect the united states of america. thank you. [applause]

>> thank you, governor romer. confronting the challenges of our nation's security is an enormous security. we are safer as a country because we have the right person leading that effort. please now welcome back to arizona, our former governor and the current secretary of homeland security, janet napolitano. [applause] >> thank you. thank you, tucson.

thank you, arizona. [applause] >> we know that of violence that occurred saturday does not represent this community, this state, or this country. [applause] at these times, words can fail us. so let us listen instead to the words of the old testament. and i will provide a reading now from the book of isaiah. comfort, yes, comfort my people, says your guide.

speak comfort to jerusalem and cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that her inequity is part in, for she has received from the lord's hand double for all her sands. the loss of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our god. every valley shall be exalted in every mountain and hill brought low. the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth. the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the lord hath spoken. lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things. who brings out their hosts by number? he calls them all by name, by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one is missing.

why do you say, at jacob, and speak, israel, my way as hidden from the board and might just claim is passed over by my god? had you not heard the everlasting god, the lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, neither banks nor is weary? his understanding is unsearchable. he gives power to the week ended those who have no might, he increases strength. even the use of paint and the weary and a young man shall utterly false. but those who wait on this board shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings like eagles. they shall run and not be weary. they will walk and not faint. this is the word of the lord. [applause]

>> thank you, secretary napolitano. [applause] i am honored now to introduce the leader of the united states department of justice. he is our nation's leading law enforcement official. please welcome the attorney general of the united states, eric holder. [applause] >> thank you. far -- likell reads

secondi'll read from corinthians. since we have the same spirit of faith of his hand that wrote, i believe and so i spoke, we too believe and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the lord jesus will raise us also with cheeses and bring us with you into his presence. for it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may extend thanksgiving to the glory of god. so we do not lose heart, though i our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. for this slight momentary of affliction is preparing us for of gloryal waeight

beyond comparison. we let not the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen, are eternal. we know that if the earthly 10th we live in is destroyed, we have a building from god, i house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. this is the lords words. [applause] >> i think you can see by ed

those who are in the program and by the many dignitaries and elected officials in the audience how deeply our country was affected by the terrible events last saturday. we are truly honored to have a leader of our great nation with us here tonight. [applause] we are obviously saddened by the circumstances that have brought president and mrs. obama to tucson. but we're comforted, we are comforted by their compassion and inspired by their determination to reach out and help. america has been blessed through its glorious terry hits in history by committed

president's who often in great personal sacrifice step forward to lead us to better futures and greater hope. barack obama assumed the presidency at a perilous time in our history. we are fortunate to have someone with his intellect, his energy, and his heart to leave us forward. please welcome the president of the united states, barack obama. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. please be seated.

[cheers and applause] to the families of those we have lost, to all who call them friends, to the students of this university, the public servants gathered here, the people of tucson, and the people of arizona -- i have come here tonight as an american who like all americans kneel to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow.

there is nothing i can say that hole.fill the sudden in your hearts. but no this -- the hopes of the nation are here tonight. we mourn with you for the fallen, we join you in your grief, and we add our faith to your so that gabrielle to giffords and the other victims of this tragedy will pull through. scripture tells us there is a river whose stream makes glad

the city of god, a holy place where the most holy dwell. god is within her. she will not fall. god will help her at break of day. on saturday morning, gabby, her staff, and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their rights to peacefully assemble and free speech. [applause] they were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders.

representatives of the people answering questions to their constituents, who carry their concerns back to our nation's capital. gabby called it congress on your corner. the updated version of government of, and by, and for the people. [applause] and that quintessentially american scene, that was the scene shattered by a gunman's bullets. and the six people who lost their lives on saturday, they too represented what is best in us, what is best in america. judge john roll served our legal

system for nearly 40 years. [applause] a graduate of this university and a graduate of this law school. [applause] judge roll was recommended for the federal bench by john mccain 20 years ago. appointed by george h. w. bush, and rose to become arizona's chief federal judge. [applause] his colleagues describe him as the hardest working judge within the ninth circuit. he was on his way back from attending mass, as he did every day. 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 beautiful grandchildren. [applause] georgian dorothy morris -- george and dorothy morris, dot to her friends, did everything together. their friends call that a 50- year honeymoon. saturday morning, they went by the safe way to hear what their congresswoman had to say. gunfire rang out, and george, the former marine, instinctively shielded his wife.

[applause] both were shot. dot passed away. a new jersey native, phyllis schneck, retired to tucson to beat the snow. in the summer she would return east where world revolved around her three children, the seven grandchildren, and day 2-year- old great granddaughter. she often worked under her favorites tree. she would sell eight friends 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. [applause]

dorwin and mavy moved apart. they started their own respective families. but when both were widowed, they found their way back. daughter puty's it, to be boyfriend and girlfriend again. you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the mountain avenue church of christ. of retired construction worker, dorwin spent his spare -- spare time fixing up the church with his dog, spot. his final act of selfless this was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for her.

[applause] everything gabe zimmerman did, he did with passion. [applause] his true passion was helping people. heby's outreach director, made the care is of thousands of our constituents his own. he saw to it that seniors got to keep medicare benefits that they have earned. that veterans got the metals and care that 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, his brother, and his fiancee who he plan to marry next year.

[applause] and then there is 9-year-old christina-taylor green. christina was a a student, a dancer, a gymnast, a swimmer. she decided she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues. as the only girl on her little league team, no one put it past her. [applause] she showed an appreciation for life and common -- uncommon for a girl her age. she told her mother, we are so

blessed. she paid those backed 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 hopes and thanks for the people who survive the shooting, including the congresswoman many went to sea on saturday. i have just come from the university medical center just a mile from here, where our friends gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. i want to tell you, her husband mark is here and he allowed me to share this with you. right after we went to visit, a

few minutes after we let the room and some of her colleagues from congress were in their room, gabby opened her eyes for the first time. [cheers and applause] gabby opened her eyes. gabby open your eyes alighted can tell you she knows that we are hurt, and she knows that we are rooting for her for what will undoubtably be of rough road ahead.

[applause] our hearts are full of thanks for that could nays -- good news and full of gratitude for those who saved others. we're thankful to daniel hernandez. a volunteer in gabby's office. daniel, you may deny it but we have decided you are a hero. you ran through the chaos to minister to your boss to help tend her once and help keep her alive. [cheers and applause]

we are grateful to the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. [cheers and applause] they are right over there. [applause] [applause]

we are grateful for petit patricia maisch who wrestled away that killers ammunition and undoubtedly saved some lives. [cheers and applause] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses. and the first responders to worked wonders to deal -- heal those that had been heard.