President Biden on Sunday made a call for tougher gun laws on the anniversary of the Parkland school shooting massacre that left 17 dead, insisting that “the time to act is now”.
“In seconds, the lives of dozens of families and the lives of an American community have changed forever,” said Biden in a statement.
He urged Congress to propose and pass gun reform legislation, including the requirement for background checks on all gun sales and a ban on assault weapons.
“We owe it to everyone we lost and everyone left behind to make a change. The time to act is now, ”said Biden, who is spending the weekend at Camp David.
Biden’s appeal comes three years after a former student, Nikolas Cruz, opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The shooting killed 14 students and three employees, leaving another 17 injured.
“Over these three years, the Parkland families have taught us something profound,” said the president.
“Repeatedly, they showed us how we can turn our pain into purpose – to march, organize and build a strong, inclusive and durable movement for change.”
In addition to calling for background checks and a ban on assault weapons, Biden also pushed for lawmakers to ban high-capacity magazines and hold gun manufacturers accountable for the role their weapons play in violence.
“This government is not going to wait for the next mass shooting to answer that call. We will take steps to end our epidemic of armed violence and make our schools and communities safer, ”said the president.
The parents of those killed and wounded in the massacre are divided over gun control.
Ryan Petty, whose 14-year-old daughter, Alaina, died in the shooting, responded to Biden in a tweet Sunday.
“Sir. President, thank you for remembering the loved ones that were taken from us three years ago,” he wrote. “Alaina loved this country and the freedoms it guarantees. Common sense tells us that honoring her life does not require violating rights law-abiding citizens. ”
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was also killed, on Sunday promised to hold the new government accountable for passing gun laws.
“I will work with our new President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to ensure that we do everything we can to end this violence,” he wrote on Twitter.
“If it doesn’t, you and I together will continue to work to elect new people who want to do this. We work hard to elect those who are in place now and I hope this will be done or we will hold them accountable. “
Wired Poles