President Obama on Wednesday unveiled what is being called the most ambitious gun control agenda in decades, initiating 23 separate executive actions aimed at curbing what he called “the epidemic of gun violence in this country,” according to The Washington Post.
According to the White House fact sheet, Obama’s proposals include:
- reinstating and strengthening the assault weapons ban,
- restoring a 10-round limit on ammunition magazines,
- getting rid of armor-piercing bullets,
- ending a freeze on research into gun violence,
- providing additional tools to prevent and prosecute gun crime
- calling on Congress to pass a $4 billion proposal to help communities keep 15,000 police officers on the streets, as well as new gun trafficking legislation that would “impose serious penalties on those who help get guns into the hands of criminals".
- Making schools safer by giving communities the opportunity to hire up to 1,000 school resource officers and school counselors.
Connecticut political reaction came quickly:
Governor Dannel P. Malloy released the following statement:
“In the hours after the worst of our fears were confirmed, in the midst of the grief and sorrow over the loss of 20 innocent children and six dedicated educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there was one question on the minds of people across Connecticut and around the nation: How do we make sure this never happens again?
“Today the President took the critical first step toward answering that question. The common sense measures he proposed today are something that we should all be able to agree on, and I want to commend him and the Vice President for their work on this issue.
“I have no doubt that, state by state, we will deal with the issue of gun violence. Over the coming months, I will do everything in my power to make sure that Connecticut is a national leader in preventing gun violence. We will take steps to make sure that our gun laws are as tight as they are reasonable, that our mental health system is accessible to those that need it, and that our law enforcement personnel have all the tools they need to protect public safety, particularly in our schools.
“But we can’t go it alone. We need leadership at the federal level, and for the first time in a long time, we have it.
“We will not be able to stop gun violence completely, but we can make our country and our children safer. We owe it to them, and to all those lost in Sandy Hook, Aurora and every other city that has lost someone to gun violence, to try.”
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) released the following statement:
These are strong recommendations, and Congress should act on them now—before another mass tragedy occurs. If assault weapons and high capacity magazines were not so readily available, I am convinced there would be more little boys and girls alive in Newtown today. If background checks were universal, our city streets would be safer. There are no longer any excuses for inaction. If the horror of Sandy Hook doesn't move Congress to act on common sense gun laws, I have no idea what will. I’m so appreciative of the leadership of President Obama and Vice President Biden on this issue, especially their willingness to involve the Sandy Hook parents and families in this effort. Now, it’s time to get to work.
You are just mad because Obama won and your guy Romney lost! Sore loser! Tee hee hee! Obama is gonna do whatever he HAS to do to fix this country. He can do whatever he wants and if you disagree then you should go to jail too like all those terrorists! The constitution is just a little piece of paper! Obama can do whatever he wants and he will, you just wait and see! LoL don't even get me started on how much I love the NDAA for all those nasty conspiracy theorists and people who are hating on my bro Obama! I hope Obama takes all the guns away. He's cool with me just as long as I keep getting my $30k from him and $20k tax free under the table. Free healthcare woo hoo! (SW)
By the way, Operation Fast and Furious is the truth. Research it. The truth hurts. You are right. Obama will try to do what ever he wants. It is called being a dictator. Not a government by the people, for the people. You should move to China or some other communist country. See if they give you money for doing nothing.
By the way, Operation Fast and Furious is the truth. Research it. The truth hurts. You are right. Obama will try to do what ever he wants. It is called being a dictator. Not a government by the people, for the people. You should move to China or some other communist country. See if they give you money for doing nothing.
The best gun control is to hit whatever you aim at.
"In 2011, almost 13,000 people were murdered with a weapon. 1,700 were killed with knives. 728 were killed by another's bare hands. Hammers, bats, and clubs killed almost 500 people. Rifles killed 323 people. Just 2.5 percent of all weapon-related murders involved a rifle."
Reasons for the near silence on this topic can possibly be attributed to three major factors: first, the privacy or HIPAA laws about disclosing the medical history of suspects, secondly, that pharmaceutical companies are a major advertiser and thus indispensible to the corporate media and lastly, the conflict of interests created by the FDA’s dependence on their money.