US President Barack Obama took his gun control message Friday to his violence-plagued home of Chicago, again urging Congress to vote on his proposals to tighten US gun laws, DPA reported.
Obama cited the school massacre in December in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were killed. The shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School has been followed by a national debate violence and whether tougher gun regulations are needed.
Obama noted that last year in Chicago there were 443 murders committed with firearms, and 65 of the victims were 18 or younger - the equivalent of a Newtown massacre every four months, he said.
"That's precisely why the overwhelming majority of Americans are asking for some common-sense proposals to make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun," Obama said.
Obama acknowledged that gun ownership is different in urban areas than it is in rural areas, and he said improving community conditions, educational opportunities and family life would help reduce violence. The legislation before Congress calls for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips and universal background checks on people seeking to buy a gun.
"These proposals deserve a vote in Congress," Obama said.
Earlier Friday, Obama honoured 10 US citizens including the six educators slain in Newtown, at a White House ceremony for the recipients of the Citizens Medal, the highest honour a civilian can receive.
The six educators were honoured posthumously for giving their lives to protect pupils at the school. The other winners devoted themselves to volunteer causes helping veterans, the parents of gay people, women with disabilities and volunteering in America.