Barack Obama Renews Plea for 'Long Overdue, Common-Sense Gun Safety Laws'
The former president shared his thoughts on the recent tragedy.
In addition to plenty of other supporters and Hollywood figures, former President Barack Obama took to social media to express his sadness over yesterday's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, also calling for stricter gun control across the country. "We are grieving for Parkland," he tweeted. "Caring for our kids is our first job."
Stricter gun control laws are something Obama tried to bring about during his own 8-year presidency, but was unsuccessful. During his tenure, horrific incidents like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School, with some victims as young as six years old, was one of the many that would fuel his attempts at strengthening gun control laws. His efforts were almost always thwarted by Congress.
In 2016, the then President put through a series of executive orders that required firearm sellers to have a license and do background checks on potential buyers.
Of course, this is quite the opposite of current President Donald Trump's message about the shooting, which acknowledged the tragedy but failed to mention gun control. "In times of tragedy, the bonds that sustain us are those of family, faith, community, and country," his tweet said, linking to a video of his public address.
