Politics takes a back seat as Obama, Boehner appeal for unity after shooting

Politics was put aside for a day as President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner both called for the nation to come together in the wake of the Colorado movie theater shooting Friday that took the lives of 12 people and wounded dozens more.

“Even as we come to learn how this happened and who’s responsible, we may never understand what leads anyone to terrorize their fellow human beings,” Mr. Obama said in his weekly address broadcast on Saturday. “Such evil is senseless — beyond reason. But while we will never know fully what causes someone to take the life of another, we do know what makes that life worth living.”

The president, while saying federal officials are working with local officials in investigating the shooting, called on Americans to set aside time for “prayer and reflection.”

“Our time here is limited and it is precious,” Mr. Obama said. “And what matters in the end are not the small and trivial things which often consume our lives. It’s how we choose to treat one another, and love one another. It’s what we do on a daily basis to give our lives meaning and to give our lives purpose.”

Mr. Boehner, delivering the Republicans’ official response, acknowledged he has originally planned to discuss the economy before learning of the Colorado shooting.

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