Obama says we can't accept this level of gun violence

Elizabeth Weise | USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — President Obama made clear in remarks to U.S. mayors on Friday that he's not fatalistic about the chances of bringing meaningful gun control laws to the United States, saying he refuses to accept the level of gun violence as "the new normal."

He spoke to civic leaders gathered for the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in San Francisco.

Obama said he won't "pretend that it's simply sufficient to grieve, and that any mention of us doing something about it is somehow politicizing the problem."

On Thursday, Dylann Roof, 21, allegedly shot nine people to death during a Bible study group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.

The tragic shooting and others like it are becoming "far too commonplace," Obama said, noting few people understand the toll that gun violence takes as mayors do.

It tears at the fabric of communities, he said. "It costs you money, it costs this country dearly. More than 11,000 Americans were killed by gun violence in 2013 alone."

If Congress had passed what Obama termed "commonsense" gun safety, "reforms that 90% of Americans supported," then the assembled mayors might have had to attend fewer funerals, he told them.

While this wouldn't have prevented every act of violence, which Obama acknowledged no reform can guarantee, "we might still have some Americans with us."

"At the very least we should be able to talk about this as citizens, without demonizing gun owners who are overwhelmingly law abiding," he said.

The nation has to be able to discuss gun control without it being immediately tagged as a "wild-eyed plot to take everyone's guns away," Obama said.

Changing this will require moving public opinion because that's what will change Congress, he said.

"That's how we honor those families" who have lost loved ones, he said.

Obama's call to action on guns came the day after remarks at the White House that seemed to leave little hope on gun legislation during his presidency. He said Thursday that "the politics in this town foreclose a lot of those avenues right now."

"I remarked that it was very unlikely that this Congress would act," Obama told the mayors Friday. "And some reporters, I think, took this as resignation. I want to be clear — I am not resigned. I have faith we will eventually do the right thing. I was simply making the point that we have to move public opinion. We have to feel a sense of urgency. Ultimately, Congress will follow the people."

Obama's visit was his 20th to San Francisco.

He also thanked the 280 or so mayors assembled for getting things done and not waiting for Congress to move on important issues like climate change.

"Mayors understand that if there's a conflict between ideology and reality, you should opt for reality," he said to applause.

Tech issues loom large at the conference, which continues through Monday, with a theme of Cities 3.0.

The ride-hailing service Uber is a sponsor of the conference and a tour of its downtown San Francisco headquarters is scheduled for Monday.

The San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance plans to protest outside the office while the mayors are there.

Contributing: Gregory Korte in Washington D.C.