Obama on gun violence petitions: ‘We hear you’

President Barack Obama on Friday told hundreds of thousands of people who have signed White House petitions urging him to do more to battle gun violence: “We hear you.” Obama also pleaded with Americans to mount a “sustained effort” to press Congress for action.

The president, in a rare video response to an outpouring of calls for action in the aftermath of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., vowed to push to “steps that both protect our rights and protect our kids” but asked the public for help.

“I will do everything in my power as president to advance these efforts, because if there’s even one thing we can do as a country to protect our children, we have a responsibility to try,” he said. But “I can’t do it alone. I need your help.”

“If we’re going to succeed it’s going to take a sustained effort from mothers and fathers daughters and sons law enforcement and responsible gun owners, organizing, speaking up, calling their members of congress as many times as it takes, standing up and saying enough on behalf of all our kids,” Obama said.

“You started something and now I’m asking you to keep at it.”