Biden says Americans should have ‘societal guilt’ because of gun violence inaction

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Americans should have “societal guilt” for taking too long to deal with gun violence.

“We have a moral obligation to pass and enforce laws that can prevent these things from happening again,” he wrote in a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting where 26 people were killed, including 20 children, aged 6 and 7.​​​​​​​

“We owe it to the courageous, young survivors and to the families who lost part of their soul ten years ago to turn their pain into purpose,” he said.

The president said he signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 with hopes of preventing future tragedies.

“We’ve cracked down on gun trafficking and increased resources for violence prevention,” he said. “Our obligation is clear. We must eliminate these weapons that have no purpose other than to kill people in large numbers.”

Biden attended an annual national vigil for gun violence victims last week at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., to show support for families and survivors affected by gun violence.​​​​​​​