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In a tearful address on Tuesday, President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions on gun control he hopes to implement in the new year.

Lucia McBath, mother of slain teen Jordan Davis, was one of the many parents in attendance who have suffered the loss of a child as a result of the gun violence epidemic in America.

On Wednesday, McBath joined Roland Martin on TV One’s NewsOne Now to discuss the press conference and Mr. Obama’s executive action to strengthen background checks for firearms purchases.

Obama’s executive order “clarifies that individuals ‘in the business of selling firearms’ register as licensed gun dealers” and would therefore narrow the “gun show loophole,” CNN reports.

While discussing the backlash from President Obama’s critics who oppose changes in existing gun laws, McBath told Martin, “Anytime there is a cultural shift or change, it takes years.”

“For those of us who were on the stage yesterday, we were deeply moved — we’ve been working, I’ve been working since Jordan died — behind the scenes, we’ve been mobilizing and pushing and lobbying and talking to our legislators and civic leaders and clergy about this very thing,” said McBath.

She added, “Our legislators failed to take responsibility and accountability for what’s happening in the country with gun violence — this was profound for us.”

McBath said that Mr. Obama’s announcement and implementation of his executive order “is just the tip of the iceberg.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan quickly responded to Obama’s announcement. The Associated Press quoted Ryan as saying, “No matter what President Obama says, his word does not trump the Second Amendment. We will conduct vigilant oversight. His executive order will no doubt be challenged in the courts.”

In response to Speaker Ryan’s remarks, McBath said, “It has never been President Obama’s means to trump the Second Amendment rights.”

“He absolutely believes in a person’s right to bear arms, to have guns. He knows that there are a lot of law-abiding gun owners, gun enthusiasts and hunters in this country, and those are not the ones that he is going after,” McBath said.

She added, “When our legislators have not been accountable to the citizens of the United States and keeping us safe and enacting safer gun laws — common sense gun laws, placed in balance with those Second Amendment rights — then he has to do what he’s doing at this point, because our legislators have not been accountable to us.”

Watch Martin, McBath, and the NewsOne Now panel discuss Obama’s executive gun control order announcement in the video clip above.

TV One’s NewsOne Now has moved to 7 A.M. ET, be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.

Subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

SEE ALSO: 

Obama Sheds Tears During Speech Announcing Executive Action On Guns

NewsOne Now EXCLUSIVE: Lucia McBath Discusses Obama’s Executive Action On Gun Control  was originally published on newsone.com