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In his speeches regarding the tragic shooting deaths of 20 school children in Newton Connecticut last week, President Barack Obama has provided an outline for pro-life activism for all Americans.  Yes, the very President who backs abortion more than any other in history, by commenting on the heartbreaking deaths of young children, has provided what can be seen as a blueprint for defenders of life in the womb everywhere.

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Let’s take a look at what he said:

We, as a nation, we are left with some hard questions…

… this most precious, vital part of ourselves—our child—is suddenly exposed to the world, to possible mishap or malice.  And every parent knows there is nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm…

We bear a responsibility for every child because we’re counting on everybody else to help look after ours; that we’re all parents; that they’re all our children.

This is our first task—caring for our children.  It’s our first job.  If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right.  That’s how, as a society, we will be judged.

And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we are meeting our obligations?  Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children—all of them—safe from harm?  …  Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives …?

I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is no.  We’re not doing enough.  And we will have to change.

We can’t tolerate this anymore.  These tragedies must end.  And to end them, we must change.  We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true.  No single law—no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.

But that can’t be an excuse for inaction.  Surely, we can do better than this.  If there is even one step we can take to save another child…—then surely we have an obligation to try.

In the coming weeks, I will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens—from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators—in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.  Because what choice do we have?  We can’t accept events like this as routine.  Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?  Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?

Speaking on the very day of the tragic shooting, President Obama said: “They had their entire lives ahead of them—birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own”.