The President Speaks Out On Guns
This past Sunday, President Obama wrote an op-ed for Gabrielle Giffords' hometown paper, the Arizona Daily Star. Looking back on the tragic shootings in Tucson, he made it clear that we need to fix our nation's broken background check system and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people:
That's why our focus right now should be on sound and effective steps that will actually keep those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.
• First, we should begin by enforcing laws that are already on the books. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System is the filter that's supposed to stop the wrong people from getting their hands on a gun. Bipartisan legislation four years ago was supposed to strengthen this system, but it hasn't been properly implemented. It relies on data supplied by states - but that data is often incomplete and inadequate. We must do better.
• Second, we should in fact reward the states that provide the best data - and therefore do the most to protect our citizens.
• Third, we should make the system faster and nimbler. We should provide an instant, accurate, comprehensive and consistent system for background checks to sellers who want to do the right thing, and make sure that criminals can't escape it.
Porous background checks are bad for police officers, for law-abiding citizens and for the sellers themselves. If we're serious about keeping guns away from someone who's made up his mind to kill, then we can't allow a situation where a responsible seller denies him a weapon at one store, but he effortlessly buys the same gun someplace else.
This has been a long time coming, and I'd like to see the language bit stronger, but I can't say I am not pleased to see the President stepping up and addressing this important issue.
Already, Senator Chuck Schumer has laid out a plan, based upon a proposal by 550 mayors across the country who are part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (for whom I consult), to stop terrorists, criminals and the mentally unstable from accessing anything up to and including assault weapons and .50 caliber bullets--ones that can take down airplanes--without so much as a background check. The House is set to introduce a similar bill.
It is gratifying--in the wake of Tucson and police shootings that seem to only get worse every day--to see the President stand up and state his principles in the face of a debate that in the past has been dominated by those who are anti-law enforcement, and more interested in selling weapons than protecting the American people. The President has chosen the path that has the best chance of having an immediate impact in cutting down on the scourge of gun violence while taking into account the long-term safety and Constitutionally provided "general welfare" of the American people.
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We should also keep the anthrax out of the hands of right wingers who would use them to intimidate their counterparts in the Democratic party into signing historic and bill of rights killing legislation such as the so-called Patriot Act. We can't have that stuff going on and go unsolved.
I wish he'd speak out too on the torture of Pfc. Bradley Manning that's going on while the real criminals walk free.
I like a well armed populace when you have a government engaged in pre-emptive nation occupying agendas. Shock Doctrine politics are a real bitch.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
If the Libyans had guns they would be free now. *rolling eyes*
Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
That's probably exactly one of the things these idiots are thinking.
They come up with real bright ideas like one man a few towns away from me (Bakersfield) who after a young mom was kidnapped and murdered suggested that all women should be allowed to carry concealed guns because "imagine if [the murdered woman] had something more lethal than a Kleenex in her pocket." Never mind that chances are her killer had a better chance of getting the gun away from her and using it on her instead. Never mind that not all women are innocent angels and may use their "protection gun" to shoot someone in cold blood.
More guns are their "solution" to everything and all it accomplishes is more unintended deaths.
"The greatest tyranny is censoring information in order to be better able to control people." - Cristina Saralegui
To be fair, they've got plenty of guns now.
Yes, not sure but it looks like a lot of posts got deleted. Or i get alzheimer on a early age.
Edit: what i'm trying to say that my comment is out of context because of all the deleted posts.
Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
Who will the Dems run for POTUS in 2012?
Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
thats why he should shut up about this now.
do the heavy lifting second trem.
....the fools do not realize,a population that can ,..... not paticipate .............in the 'economy'...,can not keep it viable!..........."we are listening,.......and we're not blind.,......this is your life....this is your time."
Here's the truth about President Obama and the challenges we are all facing:
Lifting the Veil: Obama and the Failure of Capitalist Democracy [Full Film]
Help spread this independently made documentary. Be the media. Spread the news.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
this libertarian/right wing'documentary' an alex jones favorite.... glen beck loves it.
....the fools do not realize,a population that can ,..... not paticipate .............in the 'economy'...,can not keep it viable!..........."we are listening,.......and we're not blind.,......this is your life....this is your time."
Words fail me, but I love Chris Hedges. Read his book, Death of the Liberal Class....amazing. Thanks for this film, Geronimo...I'll send it on.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
I'm all for keeping guns out of the hands of the wrong people and keeping them safe as possible, but unfortunately, just like Bush, I can't listen to Obama talk about law n order given his record on supporting, protecting, continuing and expanding some of the worst of Bush's policies regarding the rights of people and torture.
I hope he's successful, but I can't listen to him anymore.
Fuck that POS.
Handheld lethal force should be well considered and carefully placed.
The number of shootings and gun related deaths are insane.
The truth is we have to do something.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
In the middle of all this other shit?
Thanks, dude.
on something, he just couldn't remember what it was. Perhap he could have wrote about WI an the union busting plans of the republcans. But I guess that must just be too bipartisan.
The issue apparently wasn't ripe enough when the referenced shooting occurred. And now it can be a nice distraction from the rest of the country's ills.
Besides, it's not like anything is going to get done on the gun problem in this country, so the president can meekly opine all he wants.
Rationality and common sense manages to elude this American debate, like most others. One can, after all, support the Second Amendment, the general right to keep and bear arms, and still support common sense regulations that do not infringe upon that right.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
Did Wayne LaPierre write this column for the spineless one? He should have since all the toothless suggestions in it are his favorite lines of bullshit.
This is another example of Obama parroting GOP talking points. He's fucking hopeless.
he did not say ONE WORD about outlawing the 31 shot magazine clips--when if the killer in AZ had only had the 11 bullet clips, probably at least 4 people would be alive today and many more not injured. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THIS MAN?!!
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
copy/paste: "Senator Chuck Schumer has laid out a plan,to stop terrorists, criminals and the mentally unstable from accessing anything up to and including assault weapons and .50 caliber bullets--ones that can take down airplanes--without so much as a background check"
Question:
how the hell can you find out if someone is a terrorist, criminal or mentally unstable... "without so much as a background check?
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Monitor their faux news intake.
Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
Whistleblower: ATF allowed gun smuggling to Mexico
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/rep...
Agent: I was ordered to let U.S. guns into Mexico
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/03/eve...
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Refuckathins = talk abortion prohibitions to get elected.
Demassocrats = gun regulations to get elected.
Prohibitions, regulations, is there a difference?
Hey assholes, where are the jobs? Some one, any one please correct me.
"No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master." - Hunter S. Thompson
Guns in the hands of people who HAVEN'T made up their minds to kill -- in the eventuality of self-defense or defense of others -- are worse than useless. They are actually very dangerous to themselves and others. As my pistol instructor says, you have to make all your decisions before you even move your hand towards the gun. A hesitant person is only going to make things worse for everyone.
Problem: most humans have never killed anyone, and killing is not a natural act. Jared Lee Loughner worked himself up, writing in his journal and talking to his camera, for months before the shooting because killing is not easy. This is why police and military forces around the world invest so much effort into training their recruits to shoot a human-shaped target on command or cue.
So it is only the trained civilian shooter -- your well-regulated militia -- who can be of any use with a gun. The notional criminal attacker has all the advantages over the untrained shooter. In that sense, no gun belongs in the hands of anyone who hasn't "made up his mind to kill."
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Oh, no. That socialist. First he'll take your guns, and then... he'll take God. Run for the hills.
far left loon >.<
... New York City has the strongest gun laws in the nation and is a shining example of how useless strict gun laws work. You can ban all guns and magazines completely and it will not stop the criminals from getting them. The only thing it does is raise the cost to the honest people of which anti gun people don't give a rats ass while they continue to use their cellphones and text messaging in their car killing hundreds of people... but that's OK... give me a break.
I can say that with certainty as it is well known the use of cellphones in cars is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Yet the penalty is very lop sided... the anti gun "society" would go batshit if their cellphone use in cars demanded the same loss of license or years in jail as drunk driving... as it SHOULD be.
From a political perspective it not bad enough the Rethugs are taking control of the congress and the approval rate of Obama, the last thing the Democrats need is an anti gun program. The last time they tried that the Rethugs took over the congress, the senate and the presidency. So be careful what your asking for as you may get it.
to the gun banners: All murderers were abused as children. If you want to put a stop to gun killings then get off of your lazy asses, stop abusing your children, and start confronting those who do abuse.
just to post them?
In the general course of things to be afraid of, guns are on the list I suppose, but pretty far down the line. One thing we do know, the more gun control laws you have, the more guarantee you'll have that the folks with them are either bad guys, cops or soldiers. Nobody with true larceny in their heart is stopped by something so simple as a law. The Obama presidency is like a 3 card monte game on Times Square....he gets the liberals looking left, the right wing looking right and only the corporations know exactly where he is going. Abortion--,gun control----gay marriage-----Boom drone at the wedding party.....Guantanamo-----etc.
It's all such a scam anymore.
bys1955
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