Obama Calls on Congress to Act on Gun Control

 WHITE HOUSE — Acting¹ less than a week after the massacre² of 26 people, including 20 young children and six adults, in a school in Newtown, Connecticut, President Barack Obama has ordered creation of a government-wide task force to come up with solutions to gun violence.

Obama is taking advantage of continuing national horror over the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School to push forward what he called a "re-emerged" national discussion about gun violence, and to seek solutions.

Vice³ President Joe Biden will lead the effort involving members of the president's Cabinet, and outside organizations. Obama wants their recommendations no later than January and vows⁴ to act on them without delay.

"This is not some Washington commission, this is not something where folks are going to be studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside.  This is a team that has a very specific task to pull together real reforms, right now," the president said.

Obama has spoken with lawmakers in Congress, including gun-rights advocates from both parties who indicated they could support new restrictions⁵ on military-style rifles and large ammunition⁶ magazines.

He said the fact that solutions to gun violence involves complex issues, including mental health and education, as well as passions on all sides should not be an excuse for inaction.

"The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing.  The fact that we can not prevent every act of violence does not mean we can not steadily⁷ reduce the violence and prevent the very worst violence," Obama said.

Obama and gun control advocates face obstacles because of the power of groups such as the National Rifle Association.

The NRA called the shootings "horrific and senseless" and said it is prepared to offer "meaningful contributions" to make sure similar incidents do not happen again.

Obama called for a "thoughtful approach" that preserves Second Amendment⁸ rights to gun ownership, but gets serious about gun safety.

Kathy Kiely is managing editor of the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks political contributions from the National Rifle Association to politicians in Washington and nationwide.

“I think what has kept the NRA powerful and what has kept gun control out of the debate is they are still, within Washington by politicians, a feared organization.  They are feared because they can turn out the vote and they can turn on lots and lots of campaign contributions either to support a politician or oppose a politician,” Kiely said.

At a recent demonstration⁹ by gun control advocates outside the White House, Colin Bortner and Linda Hoffman voiced impatience¹⁰.

"I just think there has been a failure in leadership on gun control laws, and I am hoping that will change," Bortner said.

"We need some practical legislation.  It does not have to be, it is not something that is against the Second Amendment, but preventing people from buying these magazines that shoot 20 and 30 rounds," said Hoffman.

President Obama says there is a need for all to "reflect" how to prioritize what is done in Washington, he said the Connecticut shootings should be a wake up call to "get right" the need to keep our children safe.

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

7 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

8 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

9 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

10 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。