US Presidency
2013

Obviously, the elected leaders did an extraordinary job moving it forward, but it couldn't have happened if they weren't hearing from people in their respective districts, people all across the state. That's the power of your voice. And, by the way, Connecticut is not alone. In the past few months, New York, Colorado, Maryland have all passed new, softheaded gun safety reforms as well. These are all states that share an awful familiarity with gun violence, whether it's the horror of mass killings, or the street crime that's too common in too many neighborhoods. All of these states also share a strong tradition of hunting, and sport shooting, and gun ownership. It's been a part of the fabric of people's lives for generations. And every single one of those states including here in Connecticut decided that, yes, we can protect more of our citizens from gun violence while still protecting our Second Amendment rights. Those two things don't contradict each other. We can pass softheaded laws that protect our kids and protect our rights. So Connecticut has shown the way.