Biden appeals for tougher gun laws: 'How much more carnage?'
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} “Enough, enough,” President Joe Biden exclaimed over and over as he delivered an impassioned address to the nation imploring Congress to take action against gun violence after mass shootings he said had turned schools, supermarkets and other everyday places into “killing fields." The most recent shootings came close on the heels of the May 14 assault in Buffalo, New York, where a white 18-year-old wearing military gear and livestreaming with a helmet camera opened fire with a rifle at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood, killing 10 people and wounding three others in what authorities described as “racially motivated violent extremism.” “This time we have to take the time to do something," Biden said, calling out the Senate, where 10 Republican votes would be needed to pass legislation. Aware of persistent criticism from gun-rights advocates, Biden insisted his appeal wasn't about “vilifying gun owners" or “taking away anybody’s guns.” “We should be treating responsible gun owners as an example of how every gun owner should behave,” Biden said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is “encouraged” by congressional negotiations but the president wants to give lawmakers “some space” to keep talking.