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A2   UP FRONT
                       Tuesday 31 May 2022
                                                                                                                                are  we  going  to  stand  up
                                                                                                                                to the gun lobby? Why are
                                                                                                                                we  willing  to  live  with  this
                                                                                                                                carnage? Why do we keep
                                                                                                                                letting this happen?"
                                                                                                                                Over  the  years,  Biden  has
                                                                                                                                been  intimately  involved
                                                                                                                                in  the  gun  control  move-
                                                                                                                                ment's  most  notable  suc-
                                                                                                                                cesses, such as the 1994 as-
                                                                                                                                sault  weapons  ban,  which
                                                                                                                                expired  in  2004,  and  its
                                                                                                                                most  troubling  disappoint-
                                                                                                                                ments, including the failure
                                                                                                                                to pass new legislation after
                                                                                                                                the 2012 massacre at San-
                                                                                                                                dy Hook Elementary School
                                                                                                                                in Newtown, Connecticut.
                                                                                                                                As president, Biden has tried
                                                                                                                                to  address  gun  violence
                                                                                                                                through  executive  orders.
                                                                                                                                He  faces  few  new  options
                                                                                                                                now,  but  executive  action
                                                                                                                                might be the best the presi-
                                                                                                                                dent  can  do,  given  Wash-
                                                                                                                                ington's  sharp  divisions  on
                                                                                                                                gun control legislation.
                                                                                                                                In  Congress,  a  bipartisan
                                                                                                                                group  of  senators  talked
                                                                                                                                over  the  weekend  to  see
                                                                                                                                if  they  could  reach  even
                                                                                                                                a  modest  compromise  on
            President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive at a memorial outside Robb Elementary School to honor the victims killed in a   gun  safety  legislation  after
            school shooting in Uvalde, Texas Sunday, May 29, 2022.                                                              a  decade  of  mostly  failed
                                                                                                               Associated Press  efforts.
                                                                                                                                Encouraging    state   "red
            Continued from Front         turning  this  pain  into  ac-  ware.  It  was  not  clear  if  focus on healing right now."  flag"  laws  to  keep  guns
            After  visiting  the  memo-  tion," he said.              the group included officers  Mckinzie  Hinojosa,  whose  away from those with men-
            rial,  Biden  attended  Mass  The  visit  to  Uvalde  was  who  were  involved  in  the  cousin Eliahana Torres was  tal  health  issues,  and  ad-
            at  Sacred  Heart  Catholic  Biden's  second  trip  in  as  immediate response to the  killed Tuesday, said she re-  dressing  school  security
            Church, where several vic-   many  weeks  to  console  a  shooting.                    spected Biden's decision to  and mental health resourc-
            tims' families are members,  community  in  loss  after  a  Biden  visited  amid  mount-  mourn  with  the  people  of  es were on the table, said
            and one of the families was  mass shooting. He traveled  ing  scrutiny  of  the  police  Uvalde.                    Sen.  Chris  Murphy,  who  is
            in attendance.               to  Buffalo,  New  York,  on  response.   Officials   re-  "It's  more  than  mourn-   leading the effort.
            Speaking  directly  to  the  May  17  to  meet  with  vic-  vealed Friday that students  ing,"  she  said.  "We  want  While  there  is  nowhere
            children  in  the  congre-   tims' families and condemn  and  teachers  repeatedly  change.  We  want  action.  near  enough  support  from
            gation,  Archbishop  Gus-    white  supremacy  after  a  begged      911   operators  It  continues  to  be  some-  Republicans  in  Congress
            tavo  Garcia-Siller  tried  to  shooter espousing the rac-  for  help  as  a  police  com-  thing  that  happens  over  for  broader  gun  safety
            assuage  the  fears  of  the  ist  "replacement  theory"  mander  told  more  than  a  and over and over. A mass  proposals popular with the
            youngsters,  some  appear-   killed 10 Black people at a  dozen  officers  to  wait  in  a  shooting  happens.  It's  on  public, including a new as-
            ing about the same age as  supermarket.                   hallway.  Officials  said  the  the news. People cry. Then  sault  weapons  ban  or  uni-
            the victims.                 Both  shootings  and  their  commander  believed  the  it's  gone.  Nobody  cares.  versal  background  checks
            "You  have  seen  the  news,  aftermath put a fresh spot-  suspect  was  barricaded  And then it happens again.  on gun purchases, Murphy,
            you  have  witnessed  the  light  on  the  nation's  en-  inside  an  adjoining  class-  And again."                D-Conn.,  told  ABC's  "This
            tears   of   your   parents,  trenched  divisions  and  its  room  and  that  there  was  "If there's anything if I could  Week"  that  these  other
            friends," he said, encourag-  inability to forge consensus  no longer an active attack.  tell  Joe  Biden,  as  it  is,  just  ideas are "not insignificant."
            ing  them  not  to  be  afraid  on  actions  to  reduce  gun  The   revelation   caused  to  respect  our  community  The  group  will  meet  again
            of life. "You are the best re-  violence.                 more grief and raised new  while he's here, and I'm sure  this  coming  week  under  a
            minders to us that the lives  "Evil came to that elemen-  questions  about  whether  he will," she added. "But we  10-day  deadline  to  strike
            of the little ones are impor-  tary  school  classroom  in  lives were lost because of-  need change. We need to  a  deal.  "There  are  more
            tant."                       Texas, to that grocery store  ficers  did  not  act  faster  to  do something about it."  Republicans   interested
            As Biden departed church  in  New  York,  to  far  too  stop the gunman, who was  Authorities  have  said  the  in  talking  about  finding  a
            to meet privately with fam-  many  places  where  inno-   ultimately  killed  by  Border  shooter  legally  purchased  path forward this time than
            ily  members,  a  crowd  of  cents  have  died,"  Biden  Patrol tactical officers.     two  guns  not  long  before  I have ever seen since San-
            about  100  people  began  said  Saturday  in  a  com-    The  Justice  Department  the  school  attack:  an  AR-   dy Hook," said Murphy who
            chanting  "do  something."  mencement address at the  announced  Sunday  that  it  style rifle on May 17 and a  represented  the  Newtown
            Biden  answered,  "We  will,"  University of Delaware. "We  will review the law enforce-  second rifle on May 20. He  area as a congressman at
            as he got into his car. It was  have to stand stronger. We  ment  response  and  make  had just turned 18, permit-  the time of the Sandy Hook
            his  only  public  comment  must  stand  stronger.  We  its findings public.           ting him to buy the weap-    shooting. "And while, in the
            during roughly seven hours  cannot  outlaw  tragedy,  I  "It's  easy  to  point  fingers  ons under federal law.    end,  I  may  end  up  being
            in Uvalde.                   know,  but  we  can  make  right now," said Ronnie Gar-   Hours  after  the  shooting,  heartbroken,  I  am  at  the
            Biden later tweeted that he  America safer."              za, a Uvalde County com-     Biden  delivered  an  impas-  table  in  a  more  significant
            grieves,  prays  and  stands  Biden also met with first re-  missioner,  on  CBS'  "Face  sioned  plea  for  additional  way right now with Repub-
            with the people of Uvalde.  sponders  before  the  trip  the Nation," before adding,  gun control legislation, ask-  licans and Democrats than
            "And we are committed to  back  to  his  home  in  Dela-  "Our  community  needs  to  ing:  "When  in  God's  name  ever before."q
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