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Health & Fitness

Today Was Not A Day For Speeches

Twelve innocent Americans are dead, and I have no idea how many are injured. Thirteen families are grieving, while others are in a hospital waiting room praying.  The US Senate Chambers are locked down.  Residents of the surrounding communities are being told to shelter down.  There is possibly another lunatic in the wind.  The Washington Nationals quickly decided that it would be unsafe and inappropriate to play their game tonight against the Braves.


The whole country is watching with a mixture of sadness, horror, and anger over a senseless killing spree at the United States Navy Yard.  Details are still sketchy.  Helicopters with SWAT Teams are still hovering over Washington DC.  Large swaths of the area are cordoned off.  Nobody in, and nobody out.  The FBI, The US Park Police, along with DC Metro Police, and others are in a frantic effort to clear Building 197, where this mass shooting took place.  It's basically controlled chaos.


Now we hear that the President is going to speak to the nation.  This is exactly what one would expect.  An attack on a Naval Installation with an unknown number of military personnel and civilians dead, should rightly draw an official response from America's President.


President Obama was scheduled to give a speech on the economy today, but all of that changed when the shooting started.


Here's what happened:  

For whatever reason, all of the folks who were supposed to be in attendance at the economy speech were there when the President walked into the room.  I was stunned that the event was not cancelled, but thought that maybe they were just being kept there until his remarks about the shooting were done, and then they would be sent on their way.


The President walked into the room, stood at the podium, and spoke for exactly 2 minutes and 5 seconds about this horrible massacre.  He then spoke for 40 seconds about the chemical attack, and the US involvement in Syria.


Then, he stunned me.  Then he disgusted me.  Then he stated that he "wanted to get to the number one reason I am here.  My number one priority since I took office.  Fixing the economy."


All of the turmoil mentioned above, was going on within walking distance of the White House.  People were in surgery fighting for their lives. SWAT team members were being lowered from helicopters onto buildings.  All manner of chaos was happening, and President Obama wanted to talk about his number one priority.  The economy. 


At the 4 minute mark, of his speech, he rehashed the horrible economy that President Bush had left him with.  


At the 6 1/2 minute mark, he patted himself on the back for Obamacare.


At the 9 minute mark, he blamed the rich for our economic woes.


At the 11 1/2 minute mark, he laid into the Republicans in Congress for not focusing on the economy, and for not wanting to grow the middle class.


At the 13 minute mark, he went back to patting himself on the back for reducing the debt at a quicker rate than any President of his lifetime.  He failed to mention that he has accrued more debt than all other Presidents combined, but that is not the point today.


At the 14 minute mark, he blamed Republicans for the sequester.


At the 15 minute mark, he demanded that Republicans in Congress remove the sequester, and pass a budget.


At the 18 minute mark he went on a rant against the TEA Party.


At the 19 1/2 minute mark, he actually took a shot at Mitt Romney.  He reminded everybody attending that he beat Romney, that he "won the election."


Apparently, the speech went on for another 7 1/2 minutes after his spiking of the football right on Mitt Romney's head, but I was so disgusted at this point, that I quit listening.  I'll go back to it later.


There is a lot to be disgusted about in this speech.  Pretty much everything after the 3 1/2 minute mark.  His remarks should have ended after the 3 1/2 minute mark.


Everything after the 3 1/2 minute mark was politics, and today was not a day for politics.  Today was not a day for the President to be bashing Republicans.  Today was not an appropriate day to be blaming Bush.  Today was not the the right day to be mocking Mitt Romney.  Today was not a day to spend patting yourself on the back.


Mr. President, today was a day to spend some time reflecting on those that lost their lives, and the pain that their families are currently enduring.  Today would have been better spent celebrating the bravery of the first responders, and maybe recognizing the medical teams at the hospitals, working hard to save lives.


Mr. President, today was a day to cancel the damn speech...      


You can read more blogs by Bryan Bentley here:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bentley-Blog/309509845854563

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