To quote Eliza Doolittle to Freddie Eynsford-Hill in "My Fair Lady"

[MotherPetrie]

Words, words, words I'm so sick of words!
I get words all day through,
First from him, now from you,
Is that all you blighters can do?!

To say the least, I was NOT impressed with President Obama's speech which I did not have the chance to watch, so just read instead.

I read it twice to make sure what I thought I must have missed the first time, I had NOT missed.

And no, I had not missed it. It was not in there. That is, tere was not a single mention of guns.

Not. A. Single. Mention.

Unbelievable.

President Obama:

Show me - NOW!

(I won't be holding my breath.)

[niyad]

1. but, according to current wisdom, now is not the time to be talking of guns, or gun control, or

gun idolatry, or gun violence.

[reformist2]

2. You need to learn to read in-between the lines.

The message was loud and clear what he wants to do.

[shraby]

3. To mention guns in that auditorium filled with people who were totally aware

of what guns had done was not necessary. The points were made that the gun situation is out of control and left no doubt that he feels it's time to do something about it.. He used other words to convey the message in a very admirable way.

[rDigital]

4. You're begging for him to play politics in a time of healing.

Those poor kids aren't even buried yet.

[Hekate]

5. It was there in every syllable

Very gutsy. I can't tell you how proud of him I am.

[Downwinder]

6. The speech is well worth viewing.

[Honeycombe8]

7. It was a speech at a memorial for the community and the families.

It was not a political speech (except in the sense that all speeches by politicians are by definition political). But the PURPOSE of the speech was to comfort, encourage, and support the community in a time of grief. Religious leaders and community leaders spoke, as well.

The core message was "You are not alone." The fact that he even mentioned doing something at all is noteworthy. The speech was not intended to be controversial or to start a discussion on particular of gun control. That's not very comforting to a wailing mother whose child was just killed.

[ailsagirl]

8. Actually...

"Words, words, words!" (though not the rest of it) is from Hamlet (Hamlet scolding Polonius)

Not that I expect anyone to care

[intaglio]

9. Just Shavs vs Shaks

GBS loved playing games like that

[ailsagirl]

10. GBS always maintained he was a better writer than WS

I don't believe I have ever read of any other writer who seriously thought he/she was better than WS, though GBS was pretty amazing.

[REP]

11. GBS on Shakespeare:

"I despise Shakespeare when I measure my mind against his... It would positively be a relief to me to dig him up and throw stones at him."

Willy was good, but I prefer Bernie.

[ailsagirl]

12. WS continues to amaze me

after years and years of exposure-- GBS is right up there, too. A brilliant iconoclast!