Obama on Ks. Shooting: ‘Real Tragedy Is the Degree to Which this Becomes Routine’

On media coverage of shootings: ‘It’s gotta change’

"I do what to say a few words about yet another mass shooting that we had endured. As some of you may heard, yesterday a gunman murdered three people and injured 14 others in Hesston, Kansas, and this morning I spoke with Mayor Kauffman and expressed our deepest condolences for the victims, their families and for the communities as a whole. 

This comes after last week's rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan where six more innocent Americas were gunned down. And these acts may not dominate the news today but these are two more communities in America that are thorn apart by grief, and I felt it is important for me to say something today because somehow as I've said before this becomes routine, these sorts of mass shootings that are taking place.  

We cannot become numb to this. Anybody who says they want to keep American people safe has to care about this because it is happening in far too many towns, and affecting far too many innocent Americans. And there are some  things we can do about it. 

And right now this Congress may not have any appetite to do something about it but we need the one that does. As long as I hold this office I will keep bringing this up, even if it is not getting the same attention that it should. And I wish I didn't have to keep talking about this. Lord knows I wish I didn't have to make these phone calls and comfort families. 

The real tragedy is the degree to which this has become routine. So I hope all of you pay attention to this. I hope the media pays attention to this. Once a week we have these shootings and that doesn't dominate the news. That's gotta change." 

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