WASHINGTON — After waiting with the rest of the nation for the outcome of the massive manhunt in Boston Friday, President Obama delivered remarks aimed at capping off what had been an eventful five days in American history.
"All in all, this has been a tough week," he said. "But we've seen the character of our country once more."
Obama thanked law enforcement after the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing was arrested Friday, and praised the people of that city and the state of Massachusetts for their "resilience" through the five day aftermath of Monday's bombing. The bombers were not able to break the city's spirit, Obama said.
"Whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not, cannot prevail," Obama said. "Whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they've already failed. They failed because the people of Boston refused to be intimidated. They failed because as Americans we refused to be terrorized. They failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that define us as a country."
After warning Americans not to "jump to conclusions" about who was responsible for the Boston bombings and urging "staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong like no other country in the world," and mourning the dead in Boston, Obama turned his attention to Texas. To the residents of that state still digging out after a massive fertilizer plant explosion this week, the president said their plight is still on the nation's mind.
"We've also seen a tight-knit community in Texas devastated by a terrible explosion," Obama said. "And I want them to know that they are not forgotten. Our thoughts, our prayers are with the people of West Texas."