On Thursday, President Obama held a press conference addressing the tragic shooting that took place in Charleston, South Carolina.
At the press conference, he expressed his frustration at how many press conferences he has had to hold addressing a mass shooting in America. The president seemed to partially take off his diplomatic hat and take direct aim at the gun nuts who believe we need more guns in our society.
Here are some quotes from the president.
?Any death of this sort is a tragedy. Any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy,? said Obama.?There is something particularly heartbreaking about death happening in a place in which we seek solace and we seek peace.?
?I’ve had to make statements like this too many times,? Obama said in a televised statement at the White House.
?Mother Emanuel is, in fact, more than a church,? Obama said. ?This is a place of worship that was founded by African Americans seeking liberty. This is a church that was burned to the ground because its worshipers worked to end slavery. ? This is a sacred place in the history of Charleston and in the history of America.?
Here is the quote that will send the far right into 2nd amendment battle mode.
?We do know that, once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun,? Obama said. ?But let’s be clear: At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. It doesn’t happen in other places with this kind of frequency. And it is in our power to do something about it.?
The Shooting suspect has been caught, his name is Dylann Roof, 21. Roof allegedly opened fire on church members toward the end of Bible study. Roof had received a gun believed to be the murder weapon from his father as a birthday present.? According to one survivor, when the shooter was begged to stop his rampage he replied
?You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.?
Here are some quotes from the gun nuts reacting to the President Obama press conference from the YouTube page.
Time will tell if President Obama proposes legislation, if so it is unclear what kind of legislation he could propose. The alleged shooter, had been given the alleged murder weapon by his father as a birthday present. Guns are gifts that keeps on taking.”
It is still unclear what actions President Obama will take in the wake of this tragic shooting. But most Americans, like the president, are sick of these tragedies. I used to believe that tragedies like this and Sandy Hook were the price we paid for our freedoms, but now I think differently. Guns are not freedom, guns are the gifts that keep on taking.
Watch the following video to see the President address the shooting.
