President Biden on Sunday called for stricter gun laws to commemorate the massacre at Parkland School in which 17 people were killed, and insisted that the “time to act is now.”
“Within seconds, the lives of dozens of families and the lives of an American community have changed forever,” Biden said in a statement.
He called on Congress to propose and pass legislation on arms reform, including the required background checks on all arms sales and the ban on assault weapons.
‘We owe it to all who have lost us, and to all who are left behind to grieve to make a change. The time to act is now, ”said Biden, who is spending the weekend in Camp David.
Biden’s plea 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.
At gunpoint, 14 students and three staff members were killed, while 17 others were wounded.
“During these three years, the Parkland families have taught us all something profound,” the president said.
“Each time, they showed us how we can turn our sadness into a goal – to march, organize and build a strong, inclusive and lasting movement for change.”
In addition to the request for background checks and a ban on assault weapons, Biden also urged lawmakers to ban high-capacity magazines and hold gun manufacturers accountable for the role their weapons play in violence.
‘This administration will not wait for the next mass shooting to heed that call. “We will act to end our gun violence epidemic and make our schools and communities safer,” he said.
Parents of those killed and wounded in the massacre are divided over gun control.
Ryan Petty, whose 14-year-old daughter Alaina was killed during the shooting, responded to Biden in a tweet Sunday.
“Mr. President, thank you for remembering the loved ones who were taken from us three years ago,” he wrote. “Alaina loved this country and the freedoms it guarantees. Common sense tells us that the rights of law-abiding citizens are not required to honor her life. ”
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was also killed, on Sunday vowed 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 in our power to stop this violence,” he said. posted on Twitter.
‘If that does not happen, you and I will continue to work together to select new people who want to do it. We have worked hard to select those who were in place now, and I expect that to be done, or we will hold them accountable. ”
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