Following the massacre of at least 18 children and an adult in a Texas school shooting on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden urged Americans to stand up to the gun lobby and pressure members of Congress to implement sensible gun regulations.

An 18-year-old gunman opened fire at an elementary school in south Texas, roughly 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of San Antonio, before being shot and killed by police officers, according to authorities.

In the aftermath of the elementary school shooting, Biden demanded action on Tuesday night, but he did not specify what actions he intended to take, nor did he call for a specific vote in Congress or policy.

“I hoped that when I became president, I wouldn’t have to do this again,” Biden said, deeply saddened by the deaths of “beautiful, innocent” second, third, and fourth children in “another atrocity.”

Biden, who has experienced personal sorrow, stated that the parents in Texas “will never see their child again, never have them jump in bed and cuddle with them.”

He urged Americans to combat the sense of helplessness that comes with seeing yet another mass massacre.

“As a nation, we have to ask when in God’s name we’re going to stand up to the gun lobby, when in God’s name we do what we all know in our gut needs to be done,” Biden said, his voice rising to a crescendo. “I am sick and tired. We have to act. And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on this carnage.”

In the United States, mass shootings are frequently followed by public protests and requests for action from Democratic politicians, but federal gun safety legislation such as background checks, which are prevalent in other countries, have failed due to Republican resistance.

According to the FBI, there were 61 “active shooter” incidents in the United States last year, up substantially from the previous year and the greatest number in almost 20 years.

Also Read

Ukraine’s Armed Forces destroy 17 of Russia’s 90 BTGs engaged in the Ukraine war

In Russia's war against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already destroyed...