CNN)President Barack Obama grew
emotional Tuesday as he made a passionate call for a national "sense of
urgency" to limit gun violence.
He was
introduced by Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was killed in the 2012 massacre at
Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Obama circled back to that
shooting in the final moments of his speech.
"Every
time I think about those kids, it gets me mad," Obama said, pausing to
wipe away tears.
He
added: "And by the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every
day," referring to his hometown where he began his political career.
The
White House is introducing a new requirement that would expand background
checks for buyers. The measure mandates that individuals "in the business
of selling firearms" register as licensed gun dealers, effectively
narrowing the so-called "gun show loophole," which exempts most small
sellers from keeping formal sales records.
Former Congresswoman and gun
control advocate Gabby Giffords, who was seriously injured in a 2011 mass
shooting, was also in attendance at Tuesday's event and was greeted with a
standing ovation from the White House audience.
No comments:
Post a Comment