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On Sunday night, President Barack Obama spoke at a prayer vigil in Newtown, Connecticut to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and comfort the residents, letting them know that they “are not alone.”

PHOTOS: Victims Of Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre Revealed 

Obama addressed the crowd as the father of two little girls, telling them that America’s first priority should always be our children:

“This is our first task, caring for our children. Our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right.”

Expressing the nation’s grief, Obama’s 17-minute speech was an extension of his tear-filled address to the nation hours after the shooting, but his conviction to make sure this never happens again was evident:

“In the coming weeks, I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine,” Obama said.

VIDEO: President Obama Addresses The Nation Following Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting 

In the most poignant of declarations, Obama both pleaded and reprimanded the nation on our faults, telling the nation that we can “surely do better:”

“Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm? … I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer’s no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change.”

Before his speech, the President met with the families of the victims, letting them know that he would provide them with whatever comfort they may need during this time.

Among those family members were the granddaughter and daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, the elementary school principal who was killed on Friday. Cristina Hassinger, Hochsprung’s daughter, captured a photograph of Obama comforting her own daughter, writing this touching caption on her social networking page:

“My mom would be SO proud to see President Obama holding her granddaughter. But not as proud as I am of her.”

Obama also met with family members of 6-year-old victim Emilie Parker, posing with her two sisters, who looked strikingly similar to the little blue-eyed, blonde girl.

Underneath the pictures, which are posted on social networks, throngs of mourners praised Obama for handling the sensitive situation with genuine care as he offered his “love and prayers” to the distraught community and nation.

Newtown marks the fourth time the President has consoled the nation from a grieving community – the first three coming after shootings at Fort Hood, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Aurora, Colorado – events he mentioned in his speech.

Watch Obama’s full speech in the video below.

SOURCE: CNN/Huffington Post