This morning, President Obama, sent the message below to the White House email list, explaining why he asked Francine Wheeler to deliver the Weekly Address. If you didn't get the email, be sure to sign up.
Hello, everybody —
Each week, like many presidents before me, I sit down to record a short address to the nation. It's something I take very seriously because it offers a chance to bring focus to an issue that needs to be part of the national dialogue.
But today, I've asked someone to take my place.
Francine Wheeler is a mother. She and her family live in Newtown, Connecticut. Four months ago, her six year-old son Ben was murdered in his elementary school, along with 19 other children and six brave educators.
Joined by her husband David, Francine shares her perspective about the steps we can take to reduce gun violence and prevent the kind of tragedy she understands all too well.
It's a message that every American should hear: