PHOTOS Memorial

[Jackeens]

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President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden attend a memorial service for the 29 men, killed on April 5 in the worst US mining disaster in decades, at the Beckley-Raleigh Country Convention Center in Backley, West Virginia, on April 25, 2010.



A helmet of a victim with President Barack Obama's autograph on it is placed on a cross during the memorial service

[SeattleGirl]

1. Thank you, Jackeens. It was a very moving memorial service. n/t

[midnight]

2. Put some teeth into our workers rights. Give OSHA the right to do more than

fine these murders.

[fishwax]

11. that would be an appropriate memorial

[struggle4progress]

14. It would be the most appropriate memorial

[BlooInBloo]

3. RIP all, and for fuck's sake get some worker safety stuff in place.

[Catshrink]

5. Union

[Fire1]

13. Ditto! n/t

[lunatica]

4. I'm so glad you posted these!

Jackeens, you are a treasure!

[Botany]

6. Barack Obama makes me proud.

thanx for posting the pictures

[Dappleganger]

7. Thanks for posting this. nt

[lamp_shade]

8. The photo of Joe kissing the woman's forehead really choked me up.

[Clio the Leo]

16. Joe is uniquely qualified to know how she is feeling isn't he?

We joke about the Vice President is only around to go to funerals ... but I know if *I* had lost a spouse or a child tragically, he'd be someone I'd take comfort in speaking to about it.

(see here with his sons and late wife, Nelia)

[tabatha]

9. Thank you, Jackeens.

Appreciate it.

[Phx_Dem]

10. That was a beautiful service. Thanks Jackeens.

:cry:
:grouphug:

[Skittles]

12. Obama does us proud, unlike bush

[Clio the Leo]

15. I wonder if the signed helmet is the one the little boy had....

..... I can imagine him asking the President to sign it.

And it's always interesting to see how people in the backgrounds of these photos of the President are behaving. Like in photo #2.

[JDPriestly]

18. For me, photos 3, 4 and 5 are the most moving.

Obama is wholly focused on the little boy carrying the helmet.

Clinton used to say, "I feel your pain." Obama doesn't way it. But you can tell from his eyes, from his body language that he feels the pain of that little boy.

Obama demonstrates genuine compassion and humility in so many ways.

If you think back on the many presidents who have served our countries, over and over, it is those who genuinely feel and demonstrate the most compassion and humility for ordinary people and their ordinary problems who are the most successful and the most loved. Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy -- one day we will remember Obama in the way we remember them -- except that I hope that Obama serves two full terms.

We need a president with compassion, and Obama has it. Think back to 2001-2008. Compare the president in those years with Obama. This Fall, we need to remind voters of the gift that Obama is to our country.

I don't think our country will survive if we get a Republican majority in Congress.

[h9socialist]

17. Very moving . . . thank you for sharing.

[meegbear]

19. K&R

[dmr]

20. So much heartache and compassion in that room

Can't help but crying looking at these pictures.
:cry:

[Irishonly]

21. Thank you

Your pictures say so much more than any words could.

[RT Atlanta]

22. So touching and so sad

I hope the President was able to offer some small form of comfort to the families of the victims.


Edit: Jackeens thank you for continuing your wonderful/touching image compilation posts.

[JNelson6563]

23. So beautiful, so human.

And I enjoyed reading all of the thoughtful replies in this thread, I agree with everything you all wrote.

:grouphug:

[Cha]

24. Thank you, Jackeens~

I missed everything yesterday and these are very welcome to be able to see the Memorial. :(

[Hekate]

25. Thanks as always Jackeens

In #11 both Obama and Biden seem to have tears in their eyes, and by the time I was done looking at your photo gallery, so did I.

Now the work of government must begin: restoring OSHA, hiring a full complement of inspectors, putting the force of law behind OSHA regulations.

Hekate