President Obama addressed the nation today to talk about stiffer gun control measures, an issue that made him emotional. The POTUS shed a few tears as he spoke about the countless victims of mass gun violence, including the children killed when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
Obama spoke about a plan to expand background checks, amid a room of parent’s and family members of gun violence victims.“Every time I think about those kids it makes me mad,” he said wiping a tear.“And by the way it happens on the streets of Chicago everyday.”
Despite the tears, Obama still faces a major hurdle among Republicans who have criticized the call to action as an infringement on citizens’ rights. “The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they can’t hold America hostage,” he said. “Congress still needs to act. The folks in this room will not rest until they do.”
According to Bloomberg, stiffer background checks wouldn’t have helped stop the San Bernardino, Calif. shooting last month or Sandy Hook, since the firearms in each massacre were obtained legally.
Hit the flip for reaction tweets on both sides of the issue.
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Photo: screenshot
