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| For Obama, a Dual Role as Consoler and Advocate | For Obama, a Dual Role as Consoler and Advocate |
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| WASHINGTON — President Obama honored the victims of the Navy Yard shooting during a memorial service on Sunday, serving once again as the nation’s consoler after a mass killing. | |
| The service was held at the Marine barracks down the street from the Navy Yard, where, the authorities said, a naval contractor armed with a shotgun killed 12 people and wounded a dozen more last week before being killed by the police. | |
| It has become an all-too-familiar role for Mr. Obama, who has presided over similarly grim services for the victims of shootings in Newtown, Conn.; Tucson; Aurora, Colo.; Oak Creek, Wis.; and Fort Hood, Tex. | It has become an all-too-familiar role for Mr. Obama, who has presided over similarly grim services for the victims of shootings in Newtown, Conn.; Tucson; Aurora, Colo.; Oak Creek, Wis.; and Fort Hood, Tex. |
| At each event, the president has sought to find the right balance between the sadness of a nation and the anger of its citizens. On Sunday, he once again tried to help the families of the victims find some peace after an unexplainable event. | |
| But the memorial services have also served to provide Mr. Obama with the emotional power to fuel his gun-control efforts. During each event, the president has urged the nation to pass laws that would keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and mentally ill people. | But the memorial services have also served to provide Mr. Obama with the emotional power to fuel his gun-control efforts. During each event, the president has urged the nation to pass laws that would keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and mentally ill people. |
| That message reached a fever pitch after the service for the 20 children who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Mr. Obama denounced the repeated memorial services he had attended as president and vowed to do something to reduce the cycle of violence. | That message reached a fever pitch after the service for the 20 children who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Mr. Obama denounced the repeated memorial services he had attended as president and vowed to do something to reduce the cycle of violence. |
| “Surely we can do better than this,” Mr. Obama said. “If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town from the grief that has visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try.” | “Surely we can do better than this,” Mr. Obama said. “If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town from the grief that has visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try.” |
| He added: “In the coming weeks, I will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens — from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators — in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.” | He added: “In the coming weeks, I will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens — from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators — in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.” |
| That promise led to an effort by the administration to push through aggressive gun restrictions, including an expanded background-check system that would have closed loopholes that allowed guns to be sold without a check. | That promise led to an effort by the administration to push through aggressive gun restrictions, including an expanded background-check system that would have closed loopholes that allowed guns to be sold without a check. |
| But months later, that effort failed when the Senate could not pass a compromise background-check bill amid fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association and lawmakers who favor gun rights. | But months later, that effort failed when the Senate could not pass a compromise background-check bill amid fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association and lawmakers who favor gun rights. |
| In recent days, Mr. Obama has repeated his call for Congress to act to reduce the availability of guns to criminals and those who are mentally ill. Aaron Alexis, who is suspected of being the gunman in the Navy Yard shooting, had a history of mental health problems. | In recent days, Mr. Obama has repeated his call for Congress to act to reduce the availability of guns to criminals and those who are mentally ill. Aaron Alexis, who is suspected of being the gunman in the Navy Yard shooting, had a history of mental health problems. |
| In a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus on Saturday night, Mr. Obama said the country must not give up the gun-control effort despite the legislative setbacks. He said mass shootings like the one at the Navy Yard, as well as the increasing gun violence in places like Chicago, demand action. | In a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus on Saturday night, Mr. Obama said the country must not give up the gun-control effort despite the legislative setbacks. He said mass shootings like the one at the Navy Yard, as well as the increasing gun violence in places like Chicago, demand action. |
| “We fought a good fight earlier this year, but we came up short,” he told the lawmakers. “And that means we’ve got to get back up and go back at it. Because as long as there are those who fight to make it as easy as possible for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun, then we’ve got to work as hard as possible for the sake of our children. We’ve got to be the ones who are willing to do more work to make it harder.” | “We fought a good fight earlier this year, but we came up short,” he told the lawmakers. “And that means we’ve got to get back up and go back at it. Because as long as there are those who fight to make it as easy as possible for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun, then we’ve got to work as hard as possible for the sake of our children. We’ve got to be the ones who are willing to do more work to make it harder.” |
| But in Washington, there is little evidence that lawmakers’ positions on gun violence have shifted much in the past several months. And with Congress locked in a bitter fight about the debt and the budget, there appears to be little appetite on Capitol Hill for another battle over guns. | But in Washington, there is little evidence that lawmakers’ positions on gun violence have shifted much in the past several months. And with Congress locked in a bitter fight about the debt and the budget, there appears to be little appetite on Capitol Hill for another battle over guns. |