Obama joined military leaders and an estimated on-site audience of 4,000 at a memorial service Sunday evening for the 12 victims who were killed at the Washington Navy Yard last Monday.
Speaking at Marine Barracks in Washington, Obama said he had witnessed five violent mass shootings during his time in office, and was worried that there has been a "creeping resignation" among the public that nothing can be done against "an epidemic of gun violence."
He noted that unlike countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia which acted after mass shootings, the United States has not done enough to stop gun violence.
"And yet here in the United States after the round-the-clock coverage on cable news, after the heartbreaking interviews with families, after all of the speeches and all of the punditry and all of the commentary, nothing happens," said Obama.
"What's different in America is that it is easy to get your hands on a gun," said the president, acknowledging that "the politics are difficult."
"And that's sometimes where the resignation comes from, the sense that our politics are frozen and that nothing will change," said Obama, "Well, I cannot accept that."
Obama stressed that reducing gun violence is clearly "the change that we need" and overwhelmingly supported by the majority of Americans.
The shooting incident occurred on Monday morning inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard that serves as the headquarters of the Naval Sea System Command. A total of 12 people were killed in the incident, excluding a suspect killed in the engagement with police and later identified as a 34-year-old navy contractor employee.
Gun control is one of Obama's second-term legislative priorities. The Obama administration have tried for months earlier this year to build momentum for gun control reform at the national level, including inviting parents of the victims in last year's Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting to lobby for the measures.
However, key measures of the comprehensive gun control package, including banning assault weapons and expanding background checks for gun purchasers were defeated in Senate, dealing a major blow to gun control efforts led by the president.
相关新闻：美国总统奥巴马２２日晚出席为美国海军设施枪击惨案１２名遇难者举行的悼念活动，呼吁美国人付诸实际行动抵制泛滥的枪击暴力。
主办方统计，包括奥巴马、美国防部长哈格尔及军方官员在内，当天约有４０００人出席活动。奥巴马致辞说，他就任总统以来已见证了美国５起造成重大伤亡的枪击惨案，枪击惨案如此频繁犹如“枪击暴力流行病”，他对此“无法接受”。
奥巴马说，英国、澳大利亚等国在发生单个枪击惨案后就觉醒并采取实际行动。美国显得如此“与众不同”，其原因并非美国人更具暴力倾向，而是这里的人们太容易接触到枪支，在于美国拒绝采取最基本的措施以防范枪支落入罪犯和危险人物之手。而人们之所以对控枪失去信心，恰是因为这个议题始终在政界寸步难行。
奥巴马还说，１２名枪击案遇难者不应只是统计数据，这些家庭所承受的悲剧理应震撼整个美国并引发某种改变，降低枪支暴力是美国社会需要的改变，也是大多数美国人支持的改变。
位于华盛顿的海军海洋系统司令部１６日发生枪击案，１２人遇难，另有一名作案嫌疑人在与执法人员交火中被击毙。
控枪改革是奥巴马第二任期大力推动的立法重点之一。今年初以来，奥巴马政府曾推动一系列面向民众和国会的宣传及公关活动，为加强控枪立法大力造势。然而，包括攻击性武器禁令、扩大枪支购买者背景核查等重要提议接连在国会受挫，奥巴马政府及民主党阵营的控枪努力也随之陷入低潮。
