US President Barack Obama on Thursday voiced his anger and sadness after the country's latest deadly shooting, this time at an Oregon community college, and made another impassioned plea for gun control legislation.
"Somehow this has become routine," Obama said at the White House in reaction to the shooting by a 20-year-old gunman at Umpqua Community College in rural Roseburg, which left up to 10 dead.
"We can actually do something about it, but we're going to have to change our laws," said a stony-faced Obama. "It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun."
The president reiterated his frustration at the failure of the Republican-controlled US Congress to back new gun control measures, and threw down the gauntlet to lawmakers.
"To allow this to happen every few months in America, we collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction," Obama charged.
"Prayers are not enough," he said. "This is a political choice we make."
"This is not something I can do myself. I have to have a Congress and state legislatures and governors who are willing to work with me on this."
US President Barack Obama on Thursday voiced his anger and sadness after the country’s latest deadly shooting, this time at an Oregon community college, and made another impassioned plea for gun control legislation.
“Somehow this has become routine,” Obama said at the White House in reaction to the shooting by a 20-year-old gunman at Umpqua Community College in rural Roseburg, which left up to 10 dead.
“We can actually do something about it, but we’re going to have to change our laws,” said a stony-faced Obama. “It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.”
The president reiterated his frustration at the failure of the Republican-controlled US Congress to back new gun control measures, and threw down the gauntlet to lawmakers.
“To allow this to happen every few months in America, we collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction,” Obama charged.
“Prayers are not enough,” he said. “This is a political choice we make.”
“This is not something I can do myself. I have to have a Congress and state legislatures and governors who are willing to work with me on this.”
