(The Root) — In his State of the Union address tonight, President Obama made an emotional appeal to Congress to vote on proposed measures to reduce gun violence, invoking the victims of the Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., shootings, Gabby Giffords and 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was gunned down in a Chicago park just a week after performing at his inauguration.
Referencing "commonsense reform," including background checks and legislation to prevent the purchase of guns for resale to criminals, Obama insisted, "Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress."
Describing Pendleton, whose parents attended the address as guests of the first lady, the president emphasized that she was killed just a mile away from his Chicago home. "She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend," he said. "Hadiya's parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote."
Check out The Root's David Swerdlick's State of the Union "must-do" list for the president and see how the actual remarks measured up.