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Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 3:55 AM UTC

Obama’s speech ends with an emotional note on gun violence

Those whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence "deserve a vote" on gun violence prevention, Obama said VIDEO

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Topics: Video, Gun Violence, State of the union 2013, Newtown school shooting, Barack Obama, Gun Control,

Obama's speech ends with an emotional note on gun violence (Credit: CNN)

President Obama’s State of the Union address struck its most emotional chord when he called for Congress to pass gun control measures, and referenced the more than “two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence” who were present at the speech. “They deserve a vote,” Obama said. “Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence — they deserve a simple vote.”

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Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com. More Jillian Rayfield.

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

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