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Obama Tucson Speech: President Urges Nation to Honor Christina Taylor Green, Youngest Arizona Shooting Victim

Christina Green AP

TUCSON, Ariz. (CBS/AP) During President Obama's speech yesterday in Tucson, he urged the nation to embrace the idealistic vision of democracy held by 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, the youngest Arizona shooting victim.

PICTURES: Arizona Shooting Victims

Speaking to an arena audience of about 14,000 and even more in a nearby football stadium and at homes across the country, Obama drew on themes of unity, patriotism and heroism as he tried to help the nation make sense of a tragedy that unfolded as citizens were exercising their most basic of rights, meeting with their congresswoman (full text of speech).

Christina and five others were killed and 13 injured Saturday in a shooting rampage as a crowd waited to meet Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head and left gravely wounded.

Obama focused on memories of the victims and the heroism of those who sprang to their aid after the gunfire. He steered clear of the political tit-for-tat that has consumed much of the dialogue since the massacre while acknowledging the "sharp polarization" that has gripped the country.

He reminded the audience that the third-grader's neighbor had brought Christina, a Little League player and newly elected student council member, to meet Giffords because of her budding interest in democracy.

"She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted," he said. "I want to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it."

The funeral for Christina, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, was set for Thursday. It is to be the first of several planned in the coming days for the victims, including a federal judge with nearly 40 years of service and a Giffords aide who was about to be married.

Obama bluntly conceded that there was no way to know what triggered the shooting rampage and cautioned America to avoid dwelling on the role of incendiary rhetoric that could sully the memory of the victims.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE ARIZONA SHOOTING FROM CBS NEWS

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