Members of the Sikh Communityjoined President Barack Obama as he sought to spur lawmakers into actionagainst gun violence in the wake of tragedies like the Newtown massacre in Decemberthat killed 20 first-graders.
"We need everybody to remember how we felt 100 days ago and make sure thatwhat we said at that time wasn't just a bunch of platitudes, that we meantit," Obama said at a White House event Thursday on a National Day ofAction by supporters of tougher gun laws.
"We've cried enough" and it is time now for Americans to pressuretheir elected leaders to pass a package of laws proposed by Senate Democrats, asombre and angry Obama told the audience, which included family members ofNewtown victims.
Also invited were four prominent members of the Sikh community to represent thefamilies of the victims of the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, gurdwara shootout lastAugust when six Sikh worshippers were killed, besides others related to victimsof gun tragedies or working for gun control.
Proposals ranging from expanded background checks to tougher laws against guntrafficking and improving safety at schools have been recommended in theaftermath of the Newtown tragedy.
But they have all come to naught so far in the face of fierce opposition led bythe influential National Rifle Association and conservative politicians.
"There are some powerful voices on the other side who are interested inrunning out the clock or changing the subject," the president said, addingthat "their assumption is that people will just forget about it."
If that happens, Obama said, then "shame on us if we've forgotten."
Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE),who was among the invitees, said later in a statement: "People inspired byour faiths must work towards making our society safe for all people, andespecially for our children."
"We cannot afford another Newtown, Oak Creek or Aurora type of tragedieswhich tears apart families and communities with senseless violence."
Prabhjot Singh Kohli, Chairman of Guru Nanak Foundation of America (GNFA) saidthe Sikh community was "actively supporting the control of guns going inthe wrong hands" as it feared more such tragedies as the one at theWisconsin gurdwara.