Video: Barack Obama sets out overhaul of US gun laws Flanked by schoolchildren at the White House, one month after the massacre of 20 young pupils at a primary school in Connecticut, Mr Obama told political opponents: "We can't put this off any longer." "This time must be different," he said. This time we must do something to protect our communities and our kids. Declaring the protection of America's children to be "our first obligation as a society," Mr Obama added: "This is how we will be judged." The president called for a ban on the sale of "military-style assault weapons" such as the rifle used at Sandy Hook elementary on December 14, noting that former President Ronald Reagan, the hero of today's Republican Party, urged Washington to prohibit their manufacture in 1994. After several high-profile massacres involving 30-round ammunition cartridges, Mr Obama also proposed a ten-bullet limit. He also called for comprehensive criminal background checks on Americans trying to buy firearms, and for new gun-trafficking laws to reduce the spread of weapons across the US.