Clinton says 'we have not forgotten' at memorial

MONDAY SLIDESHOW
SUNDAY SLIDESHOW
JEFFERSON COUNTY - About 1,000 people gathered in Clement Park on Monday evening to mark 10 years since 12 students and one teacher were killed at Columbine High School.

The ceremony was held not far from a permanent memorial to the victims who were killed on April 20, 1999.

Former President Bill Clinton gave a taped speech during the ceremony.

"I wish I could be there with you again as you mark the 10th anniversary of a day that has changed us forever. It's changed you, your community, all your fellow Americans, and indeed people who care about the welfare of children all around the world," Clinton said. "Ten years have passed, but we have not forgotten their names."

Clinton then listed all of the names of the victims: Cassie Bernall, 17; Steven Curnow, 14; Corey DePooter, 17; Kelly Fleming, 16; Matthew Kechter, 16; Daniel Mauser, 15; Daniel Rohrbough, 15; Rachel Scott, 17; Isaiah Shoels, 18; John Tomlin, 16; Lauren Townsend, 18; Kyle Velasquez, 16; and teacher William "Dave" Sanders, 47. About two dozen other people were injured before the gunmen killed themselves.

"And you have not forgotten the impact they had on your lives, their smiles, their laughs, the things that made them who they were. And I have certainly not forgotten your stories. There's not enough time in the world for these things or enough answers to fill the spaces in our hearts," Clinton said. "Ten years, 20 years, for many of you it will still always feel like yesterday."

Clinton thanked the families of the victims for continuing to "show the stories of the incredible people who aren't with us any longer."

"I want to thank you personally for giving Hillary and me a chance to be with you in a difficult time and for giving me the chance to help you build your lasting memorial to them," he said.

The crowd gave a standing ovation at one point during the ceremony when staff member Lee Andres paid tribute to Frank DeAngelis, who was the principal 10 years ago and is still the principal today.

"Frank, I've said this before and I will say it again: thank you. Thank you for your leadership, friendship, strength and determination," Andres said. "We know that we are still Columbine because of you."

The applause continued until DeAngelis stood and acknowledged the crowd. He had tears in his eyes.

At the close of the ceremony, DeAngelis spoke and read the names of the victims as white doves were released into the sky.

"To the class of 1999, I worry the most about you, because you were only together for a short time after the tragedy and we sent you to travel life's next journey," he said. "You have always been in my thoughts and in my prayers and I will continue to be here with you and I love you dearly."

"And to the classes of 2000, 2001 and 2002: we struggled together, we cried together, we healed together," DeAngelis said.

"In my office, I have a wall that I refer to as the wall of '99 and people ask me how can I look at the pictures, the names of the 13, the mementos and not be consistently reminded of that horrendous day and I tell them that the memories of the 13 give me strength and inspiration and when I need them most, they are always with me," he said.

Dawn Anna, whose daughter Lauren was one of those killed, began her remarks by thanking the other families of the victims for letting her be their spokesperson.

"It's a position I don't take lightly. You are beautiful, strong people," she said. "Together we have worked to glorify the good and not perpetuate the evil; to remember our 13 as they lived and not only the last moments of their lives here on Earth."

"I know you don't have to think hard about how you felt 10 years ago. Could it have really been 10 years? It seems like yesterday, it seems like forever," Anna said.

After Clinton's speech, Steven Cohen, who was a student at Columbine during the shootings, performed a song he wrote called "Ten." In 1999, Cohen and his brother, who were both teenagers at the time, frequently performed "Friend of Mine," a song paying tribute to the victims.

"It has been a journey of 10 years that we have been on together," Rev. Stephen Poos-Benson with the Columbine United Church told the crowd near the beginning of the ceremony.

"The world has come to know the word 'Columbine' in a different way than we do. The word 'Columbine' has become a part of the human vocabulary. When people hear that somebody was caught planning a 'Columbine,' the world knows what that means," Poos-Benson said. "But we who live here know something different about this word, 'Columbine.'"

"For us, the word 'Columbine' means healing. For us, the word 'Columbine' means transformation. For us, 'Columbine' means thriving. For us, 'Columbine' means life," he said.

"To this very day you continue to show the world that we can rebuild, with the belief that the best of common humanity will always triumph over the worst of human nature," Clinton said. "The strength and resolve of your small community has been a beacon of hope and a model for a love that has inspired people the world over in their own times of darkness and despair."

"People did change because of Columbine, and that's the attitude and the commitment to which we must return now," Anna said. "If we are to truly honor you [the victims], we will honor you by being honorable."

Ruth Feldman spoke before the crowd and talked about how her son and his friend watched the shootings begin outside.

"And they literally ran for their lives across the field commons with bullets passing so close to them as they ran they told me they sounded like bees whizzing past their ears. They scaled a fence to find safety," Feldman said.

Her daughter barricaded herself in an English teacher's office for five hours.

"She was able to call us, so at least we knew where she was and that she was safe. But the time between each phone call seemed like an eternity," Feldman said.

Valeen Schnurr, one of those injured during the shootings, said, "The physical injuries are a part of me now. They have helped me to remember that I have been blessed at a second chance at life, though taking that second chance is not an easy task."

Families affected by the shootings at Virginia Tech University two years ago flew to Colorado to attend the memorial on Monday. Before they left Virginia, they made ribbons to give to Columbine families and offer some comfort.

In the days after the Virginia Tech shootings, Columbine families traveled to Virginia to help that community cope with its loss.

The high school was closed Monday to remember the victims of the attack.

At the Capitol

The governor ordered that flags be flown at half-staff over the Capitol and other government buildings on Monday. A giant blue ribbon also memorializing Columbine hung from the outside of the Capitol's gold dome.

"Columbine was a watershed event in Colorado and United States history," Gov. Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) said. "It is a moment that will continue to live in our memories, as people to this day remember exactly where they were when they first heard about the tragedy unfolding in Jefferson County."

On Monday, lawmakers passed a resolution titled "Triumph Over Tragedy" to mark the occasion.

Ritter was to address the Legislature in the House chamber Monday, but his speech was cancelled at the last minute because House Speaker Terrance Carroll declined to suspend the rules.

"Traditionally, the governor doesn't come on the floor unless it's the State of the State speech, and I'm not inclined to change that precedent," said Carroll. Both Carroll and Ritter are Democrats.

A "lie-in" to push the case for gun control had the support of dozens at the Capitol. Tom Mauser, father of victim Daniel Mauser, spoke at the event.

"They did not kill their spirits. They did not kill ours, either," Tom Mauser told the crowd.

Thirteen people representing the victims lay on the pavement at the west steps of the Capitol with blue and white ribbons draped around their necks, the official colors of the school. The names of each of the victims were read aloud and the names of the 23 injured in the attack also were read.

Monday's event was sponsored by Colorado Ceasefire, a gun control group. A top priority is requiring background checks at gun shows nationwide.

Also there was Mallory Sanders, granddaughter of slain teacher Dave Sanders.

Betty Shoels, whose nephew Isaiah Shoels was killed at Columbine, thought about lying down to represent one of the 13. But she said it was too emotional.

"When I go to these things, I can still see the position Isaiah was in. He's still my loved one," she said.

Sunday night memorial

On Sunday night, an observance was held at the Columbine Memorial in Clement Park next to the school.

"It is a time for the community to come back together again as they did following the shootings 10 years ago," Kirsten Kreiling, president of the Columbine Memorial Foundation, said Sunday.

There were no speakers or formal program.

"We decided to leave it unformatted so people could pay honor to the memories of the victims," Kreiling said.

A steady stream of visitors, mostly alone or in pairs, moved slowly around the memorial as the sun settled behind the Rocky Mountains.

Wildflowers or bouquets rested on each of the tablets bearing the victims' names.

The event left Shelly Jenkins, 25, conflicted. She said she was in the cafeteria that day but escaped unhurt when she and other students were told to take cover by teacher Dave Sanders, who died in the shootings.

"Happy about them being remembered the way they should be, but sadness that it happened at all," Jenkins said.

Denise Rucks, 53, who was visiting from Parker, said she felt reverence and peace during the event. She was teaching at Chapparal High School in Douglas County that day.

"You get so many different memories, both as a parent - you look at it from that perspective - as a teacher. What if it had happened at my school? Would I have been able to protect my students?" Rucks asked.

The Columbine Memorial is a broad oval nestled into a hill that overlooks the school. An outer wall, called the Ring of Healing, includes a fountain and quotes from survivors and others, including former President Clinton.

A smaller inner circle, called the Ring of Remembrance, includes tablets devoted to each of the 13 victims and inscriptions written by their families. A ribbon reading "Never Forgotten" is etched on the walkway in the inner circle.

The memorial cost about $2 million, including about $400,000 in donated materials and services. Clinton, who was president at the time of the shootings, was a major supporter of the memorial, making two trips to Colorado to raise money for the project and donating $50,000 himself.

It was dedicated in September 2007 with a ceremony that included the release of 213 doves. Sunday's observance was the first such vigil at the site, Kreiling said.