President Barack Obama joined a nationwide moment of silence on Friday to mark the passing of one week since the Newtown school massacre.
Obama took part in the unofficial national day of mourning at the White House and his wife, Michelle Obama, sent an open letter of support for the survivors.
Connecticut State Governor Dannel Malloy first called on residents to stop and reflect in silence at 09:30 am (1330 GMT), the minute on December 14 that 20-year-old Adam Lanza burst into the Sandy Hook Elementary School and began slaughtering 20 six- and seven-year-old children and six staff.
‘Let us all come together collectively to mourn the loss of far too many promising lives,’ Malloy said.
‘Though we will never know the full measure of sorrow experienced by these families, we can let them know that we stand with them during this difficult time.’
Malloy asked for churches and government buildings to ring bells 26 times, symbolizing each of the victims in the school. In Newton, bell rang as people on the street stood in a cold, driving rain.
His appeal was quickly matched by state governors from Hawaii to Florida, who called on residents to observe their own moment of silence at 09:30 am local time in solidarity. Houses of worship around the country also embraced the week's anniversary. The National Council of Churches said that thousands of churches would ‘observe a minute of silence and at 9:30 am (local time) on Friday sound their bells 26 times in memory of the victims who died in the school.’
JOE BIDEN HOLDS FIRST MEET ON GUN CONTROL PROPOSALS
US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday held the first meeting of his task force to formulate concrete proposals on gun control in the aftermath of a heart breaking school tragedy, though the White House recognised that it would not be possible to completely stop gun violence. The Biden-led task force, which was set up by US President Barack Obama on Wednesday, held its first meeting with the Vice President saying the group would work to find ‘a comprehensive way in which to respond to the mass murder of our children that we saw in Connecticut’.He said he felt it was important to launch the effort with a ‘frank’ discussion among those who saw the aftermath of gun violence on a daily basis.
‘You have a much more holistic view about how to deal with violence on our streets and in our country,’ said the Vice President. ‘The President is absolutely committed to keeping his promise that we will act, and we will act in a way that is designed -- even if, as he says, we can only save one life, we have to take action,’ Biden said in his remarks in which he referred to ban on assault weapons.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference that though it was not possible to completely eliminate gun violence from the country, there was an imperative to reduce it. ‘We’ll never stop all gun violence in America, but we need to reduce it,’ the White House said.
Obama took part in the unofficial national day of mourning at the White House and his wife, Michelle Obama, sent an open letter of support for the survivors.
Connecticut State Governor Dannel Malloy first called on residents to stop and reflect in silence at 09:30 am (1330 GMT), the minute on December 14 that 20-year-old Adam Lanza burst into the Sandy Hook Elementary School and began slaughtering 20 six- and seven-year-old children and six staff.
‘Let us all come together collectively to mourn the loss of far too many promising lives,’ Malloy said.
‘Though we will never know the full measure of sorrow experienced by these families, we can let them know that we stand with them during this difficult time.’
Malloy asked for churches and government buildings to ring bells 26 times, symbolizing each of the victims in the school. In Newton, bell rang as people on the street stood in a cold, driving rain.
His appeal was quickly matched by state governors from Hawaii to Florida, who called on residents to observe their own moment of silence at 09:30 am local time in solidarity. Houses of worship around the country also embraced the week's anniversary. The National Council of Churches said that thousands of churches would ‘observe a minute of silence and at 9:30 am (local time) on Friday sound their bells 26 times in memory of the victims who died in the school.’
JOE BIDEN HOLDS FIRST MEET ON GUN CONTROL PROPOSALS
US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday held the first meeting of his task force to formulate concrete proposals on gun control in the aftermath of a heart breaking school tragedy, though the White House recognised that it would not be possible to completely stop gun violence. The Biden-led task force, which was set up by US President Barack Obama on Wednesday, held its first meeting with the Vice President saying the group would work to find ‘a comprehensive way in which to respond to the mass murder of our children that we saw in Connecticut’.He said he felt it was important to launch the effort with a ‘frank’ discussion among those who saw the aftermath of gun violence on a daily basis.
‘You have a much more holistic view about how to deal with violence on our streets and in our country,’ said the Vice President. ‘The President is absolutely committed to keeping his promise that we will act, and we will act in a way that is designed -- even if, as he says, we can only save one life, we have to take action,’ Biden said in his remarks in which he referred to ban on assault weapons.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference that though it was not possible to completely eliminate gun violence from the country, there was an imperative to reduce it. ‘We’ll never stop all gun violence in America, but we need to reduce it,’ the White House said.