Barack Obama: We all bear responsibility to reduce gun violence


The White House: .The President Announces Commonsense Steps to Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands

President Barack Obama outlines some of the actions he will be taking as he calls on the nation to help reduce gun violence:
On Tuesday, I announced new steps I am taking within my legal authority to protect the American people and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people. They include making sure that anybody engaged in the business of selling firearms conducts background checks, expanding access to mental health treatment and improving gun safety technology. These actions won’t prevent every act of violence, or save every life — but if even one life is spared, they will be well worth the effort.

Even as I continue to take every action possible as president, I will also take every action I can as a citizen. I will not campaign for, vote for or support any candidate, even in my own party, who does not support common-sense gun reform. And if the 90 percent of Americans who do support common-sense gun reforms join me, we will elect the leadership we deserve.

All of us have a role to play — including gun owners. We need the vast majority of responsible gun owners who grieve with us after every mass shooting, who support common-sense gun safety and who feel that their views are not being properly represented, to stand with us and demand that leaders heed the voices of the people they are supposed to represent.

Get the Story:
President Barack Obama: Guns Are Our Shared Responsibility (The New York Times 1/8)

Also Today:
Obama Pleads for Stricter Gun Laws and Faces Tough Questioning (The New York Times 1/8)
Obama’s Gun Initiative Seen as Having Limited Effect on Unlicensed Dealers (The New York Times 1/8)
G.O.P. Senator Summons Loretta Lynch to Testify on Legalities of New Gun Measures (The New York Times 1/8)
As Obama tries to bridge divide on guns, it seems as wide as ever (The Washington Post 1/8)

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