The school killings

In his usual way President Obama has found the right words to respond to a shocking event. Both in his initial, anguished TV speech to the nation and when speaking to the people of Newtown at a memorial service on Sunday he showed his compassion for those affected by the school shootings. All that he said was carefully and correctly judged in the immediate aftermath of the children's slaughter but anxiety is already showing as to whether the President is really going to tackle the abomination that is America's toleration of random gun killing.

No one pretends it will be easy given the power the gun lobby wields in Congress and the outdated but extant provisions of the Second Amendment to the Constitution on bearing arms. But Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, is already urging the President not to delay in taking the initiative in rallying public opinion behind the need for urgent action rather than prolonged debate.

For Barack Obama, faced with a major domestic financial crisis and continuing concern over events in the Middle East, the prospect of taking on the formidable National Rifle Association and its supporters must be daunting. In his speech on Sunday he ended with this question: “Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage?” The answer is No and he must act on it.