President Barack Obama once again renewed his push for “common sense” gun control policies, promising that reducing gun violence “will happen” — but he doesn’t think it will originate in Washington.
Obama spoke at the memorial service for the victims of Monday’s Navy Yard shooting. He honored those who lost their lives and expressed his belief that Americans could reach a solution to gun violence while preserving Second Amendment rights.
“It may not happen tomorrow, it may not happen next week, it may not happen next month, but it will happen,” he said on Sunday. “Because it’s the change that we need, and it’s the change overwhelmingly supported by a majority of Americans.”
He added that the change would not come from Washington — “even when tragedy strikes Washington” — but instead from the American people. The POTUS challenged listeners about whether or not they “care enough” to keep other families from experiencing the tragedy that the families of the Navy Yard victims are experiencing.
“Our tears are not enough,” he said. “Our words and our prayers are not enough.”
The President said the easy accessibility of firearms is what makes America more susceptible to mass shootings than other developed nations. He stressed the need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and criminals.
