Less than twenty-four hours after the worst mass shooting on American soil since the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, President Obama sat down with members of his national security team today and addressed the nation.
The president was flanked by Vice-President Joe Biden, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Susan Rice.
Obama opened his remarks my stating, “Our first order of business is to send our thoughts and prayers to the victims’ families.” He went on to say that he hope the injured would have a speedy recovery and be reunited with their loved ones.
The president stressed that the motives and plans of the couple are unknown at this time but that authorities will get to the bottom of it. He stated that the investigation is now in the hands of the FBI.
The San Bernardino Police Department released the names of the couple that were killed in the black SUV on last evening as Syed Rizwan Farook 28 years-of-age and his wife Tashfeen Malik 27 years-of-age.
Obama was hesitant to label this incident as being motivated by terror by adding that it could simply be a workplace incident. Either way he asserts that it is too easy for individuals to get access to guns and that the number of incidents in this country is unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
The opened-ended question that Obama left us with is actually what did he mean when he said, “We’re going to have to search ourselves as individuals.” Of course, we can pray for the victims as we always do, or was he alluding to the possibility of a public outcry to change gun laws in this country?
Only time will tell if this incident will be the spark that generates a public outcry. The world’s news outlets are reporting this as just another day in American life. Searching ourselves would have to imply that we must decide if we want to live in a society where everyone is armed to protect themselves or will legislators enact laws that will promote “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” for its citizens.
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