Barack Obama says the US is not cured of racism and uses n-word to prove his point
Barack Obama says that the United States has not yet overcome its history of racism and used an offensive racial slur to highlight his point.
In an interview on a US podcast, the United States President added his views to the debate over race and guns after the racially motivated murder of nine church-goers during a bible study class in Charleston, South Carolina.
ITV News correspondent Robert Moore reports:
Mr Obama, speaking to comedian Marc Maron on the show said:
The president said attitudes towards race have changed in his lifetime, but the legacy of slavery "casts a long shadow and that's still part of our DNA that's passed on."
Mr Obama also said he was frustrated that the grip the National Rifle Association has on Congress is "extremly strong" and prevents any advances in gun control after the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre.
Mr Obama also said it's important to respect that hunting and sportsmanship are important to a lot of gun-owning Americans; "The question is just is there a way of accommodating that legitimate set of traditions with some common-sense stuff that prevents a 21-year-old who is angry about something or confused about something, or is racist, or is deranged from going into a gun store and suddenly is packing, and can do enormous harm."
Alleged gunman and white supremacist Dylann Storm Roof, 21, faces nine counts of murder in connection with last week's shooting.