Obama in Minneapolis: Gun Control is About Saving Lives

Speaking to a crowd of local dignitaries and law enforcement officers on Monday, President Barack Obama called on voters to pressure Congress to act on curbing gun violence.

"We've suffered too much pain to stand by and do nothing," he said. 

Adopting universal background checks, banning military-style assault weapons, limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and putting more police officers on the street are "common sense" measures to reduce gun violence, the President said. 

Several gun control measures echoing Obama's proposals are currently before the Minnesota Legislature.

Obama praised Minneapolis' efforts to reduce youth violence, citing a 40 percent decline in such incidents as a positive step. That drop, he said, meant more "parents whose hearts aren't broken, communities that aren't terrorized."

St. Louis Park gun control advocate Sami Rahamim, son of slain Accent Signage owner Reuven Rahamim, praised the president's speech in an interview with Patch following the event. Since late 2012, Rahamim has lobbied Minnesota's state legislators to pass a package of gun control measures. 

"It still takes a lot of effort, and there are lots of important conversations ahead," he said. "We do have common ground: we all have the right to be safe in our communities."

Related at St. Louis Park Patch:

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• Police Release Detailed Timeline for Minneapolis Workplace Shooting
• READ: 911 Transcript from Mpls. Shooting That Killed St. Louis Park Man
• Employees Say Accent Signage Will Continue After Shooting
• Sami Rahamim to Attend State of the Union With Keith Ellison