President Joe Biden has taken aim at Republicans for not taking action after the latest Texas mass shooting that left nine people dead and again called on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban. He also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the shooting victims, as well as lowering the staffs at public government buildings throughout the U.S. and embassies and other military bases overseas.
Biden said that while the United States has made progress, more action is needed to address gun violence in the country. "The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence, and more than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives due to gun violence," he stated.
Following a mass shooting in Allen, Texas on Saturday which killed eight people and injured seven others, US President Joe Biden called on Congress to work quickly on a bill that would require safe storage for guns and enhance universal background checks for those seeking to buy firearms. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 199 mass shootings in America this year alone.
The United States' assault weapons ban expired in 2004 but since then at least ten states have passed their own version of an assault weapon ban.
In response to another tragic event – a shopping center massacre in Allen over this past weekend which resulted in nine deaths – President Joe Biden urged Congress once more: pass gun control legislation now or continue witnessing these senseless tragedies unfold before your very eyes.
"At least nine people were killed and seven were wounded during this horrific incident," Biden lamented. He pleaded with lawmakers from both parties - Democrats who want stronger restrictions aimed specifically against high-capacity magazines along with immunity termination granted towards manufacturers producing lethal weaponry; meanwhile Republicans argue mental health issues should take precedence when determining how best combat such atrocities occurring nationwide practically every week it seems without fail up until present day (and likely into future as well unfortunately).
Despite the President's passionate call for universal background checks and ending immunity for gun manufacturers, there seems to be little appetite among congressional Republicans for any additional laws. Instead, Texas Governor Greg Abbott suggests that taking away Americans' Second Amendment rights would not dissolve the issue of mass shootings, instead pointing to addressing the mental health crisis.
As politicians continue to debate the best course of action, many citizens are left wondering when or if a solution will ever be found in order to prevent further heartbreak caused by senseless acts of violence.