Obama: ‘It is easier for a teen to buy a Glock’ than a book

It is easier for teenagers in certain communities to buy a gun than purchase a book, according to President Obama.

“We flood communities with so many guns, that it is easier for a teen to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book,” he said Tuesday during a memorial service in Dallas for five slain police officers.

A gunman ambushed law enforcement agents in Dallas last week shortly after an anti-police brutality demonstration had concluded. The shooter, 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, a former U.S. Army reservist, reportedly said he wanted revenge for the recent deaths of two unarmed black men at the hands of police officers.

Johnson, an African-American, was eventually cornered and killed by authorities early Friday morning.

On Tuesday, the president used the occasion of the slain officers’ memorial service to decry racism and gun violence, and urged Americans to unite together for the common good.

“I understand how Americans are feeling,” he said. “But Dallas, I’m here to say we must reject such despair. I’m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we’ve come against impossible odds.”

“Now, I’m not naive. I have spoken at too many memorials during the course of this presidency,” he added. “I’ve seen how inadequate words can be in bringing about lasting change. I’ve seen how inadequate my own words have been.”

The president continued, and said words must also be followed by actions.

“If we’re to sustain the unity, we need to get through these difficult times. If we are to honor these five outstanding officers who we lost, then we will need to act on the truths that we know. That’s not easy. It makes us uncomfortable, but we’re going to have to be honest with each other and ourselves,” he said.

Obama also said the tension between police officers and minority communities stems from the fact society asks too much of the law enforcement community.

“As a society, we choose to under-invest in decent schools. We allow poverty to fester so that entire neighborhoods offer no prospect for gainful employment. We refuse to fund drug treatment and mental health programs,” he said.

He continued, adding, “And then we tell the police, ‘You’re a social worker; you’re the parent; you’re the teacher; you’re the drug counselor.’ We tell them to keep those neighborhoods in check at all costs and do so without causing any political blowback or inconvenience; don’t make a mistake that might disturb our own peace of mind. And then we feign surprise when periodically the tensions boil over.”

So long as people refuse to acknowledge these truths, “we will never break this dangerous cycle,” the president said.

Related Content