Obama comforts Connecticut town, hints at new gun laws
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Washington -- US President Barack Obama, in offering condolences at a vigil Sunday night for the 26 victims of an elementary school shooting, said a society's first responsibility is to protect its children from harm.
He said in Newtown, Connecticut, the site of Friday's shooting that he would use all his power to prevent such tragedies in the future, and while not saying specifically that he would seek stronger gun laws, he hinted strongly at it.
"Can we honestly say as a nation that we are meeting our obligation?" Obama asked. "The answer is no. We're not doing enough." Noting that this was the fourth time in his presidency that he has comforted a grieving community after a mass shooting, Obama said, "We can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end." While acknowledging that "no single law or set of laws can eliminate evil," Obama suggested that he may nevertheless attempt to pursue them.
"Surely, we can do better than this," he said, two days after 206- and 7-year-olds were gunned down.//DPA
