President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden paid tribute to Orlando shooting victims as they placed 49 white roses at their memorial.
After several private chats, President Obama pronounced a speech in which he tried to address the underlying causes of the mass shooting. He mentioned resented killers motivated by Islamic State propaganda, which obtain their weapons through forgiving gun laws.
“The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass killers in Aurora, or Newtown. But the instruments of death were so similar” Obama stated.
A presidential visit for the victim’s families
Obama and Biden visited survivors of the attack and Pulse nightclub owners. Many of them had severe injuries, but many are on their path to recovery. The heads of state also met with law enforcement officials to express their gratitude for responding to last Sunday’s shooting.
As the administrative staff, including Republican Senator for Florida Marco Rubio, landed in Orlando, they were met by Governor Rick Scott. Mayor Buddy Dyer also reached out to the President and handed him a black t-shirt with a rainbow heart and an inscription reading #OrlandoUnited.
Obama clearly tried to address gun law as the main factor that allowed the massacre to occur. He commented that both terrorists and disturbed individuals were able to buy powerful weapons in a legal and accessible manner.
It was noted that the latest terrorist attacks on the U.S. were performed by U.S. citizens, specifically “deranged individuals.”
On his two terms, President Obama has visited at least nine mass shooting scenes, 3 of which occurred in 2015. Orlando’s Pulse nightclub fire has become the worst in U.S.’s history, resulting in 49 dead.
Delay in gun control and its consequences
It is expected that votes towards gun control law will be held next week. Many Republican politicians argue that gun control is not the solution, while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has claimed that he will meet the National Rifle Association (NRA) to propose not providing credentials to people on terrorism watch lists.
The President has previously tried to push gun law reform, specifically after the Sandy Hook shooting, but it was impossible due to Congress’ reluctance to ban assault weapons. President Obama proceeded to anoint the NRA as the primary cause of the delay in gun law reform.
Last October, as he visited the victims of the Oregon shooting, Obama confessed that “somehow this has become routine.” Many media sources are naming Obama ‘consoler in chief.’ President Obama has taken the time to visit and comfort the families of the victims in Arizona, California, Colorado, San Bernardino, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington D.C.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest addressed how important these meetings were, especially when it comes to the U.S.’s LGBT community. The acts of support performed by the President are greatly appreciated by the victim’s families, but many argue that it is just not enough. Obama himself has stated to be overwhelmed by the families’ pleas of “Why does this keep happening?”
Source: CNN