Time for a Gun Law Change

It's not surprising in the wake of the Virgina Tech shootings that gun laws have become a hot-button issue again. While McCain and other Republicans do not believe a change is needed, Democrats have taken the opportunity to speak out and re-address concerns over current laws. They argue the current laws make it too easy to acquire a gun, and with a new Congress in town, maybe now is the chance to finally do something about it. Obama said the shooting highlights serious shortcomings with gun control.

"We're still selling handguns to crazy people," Obama said during a campaign stop at a Nashua senior center on Friday. "We're supposed to have a system that these people are screened out. What's clear is the background check system in this case failed entirely."

Obama is not a hunter, and while he has said he will not take away hunters' or sportsmen's rights, he did say there must be a reasonable balance between those rights and public safety.

"(Cho) had a semiautomatic weapon with a clip that allowed him to take 19 shots in a row," Obama said. "I don't know any self-respecting hunter that needs 19 rounds of anything. The only reason you have 19 rounds is potentially to do physical harm to people. You don't shoot 19 rounds at a deer. And if you do, you shouldn't be hunting."

In an interview with the syndicated radio program "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" Obama said gun laws have to change to prevent the type of killings seen this week at Virginia Tech and on a daily basis in urban areas. The senator says "some common sense" changes are needed, among them, he wants gun laws changed for those who are mentally ill.

Watch what he had to say on the day of the shootings.