But Paul Bastean, owner of Ultimate Defense Firing Range in St. Peters, Missouri, said every time Obama talks about guns, sales go up. “And by the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every day”, Obama said referring to his hometown where he began his political career.
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The shooters at Sandy Hook and San Bernardino used weapons bought by others, shielding them from background checks.
He detailed gun control as the last great civil rights challenge of his generation and poured focus onto the young children whose lives had been taken in previous mass shootings.
“These are important first steps in fighting the epidemic of gun violence that has engulfed our nation, and they consist of reforms that are widely supported by the American people”, Reid said.
“Tremendous, literally tremendous”, said Bob Irwin, owner of The Gun Store in Las Vegas, shortly after Obama delivered a speech on expanding background checks. “I reject that thinking”.
“We know we can’t stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world”, Obama said. “But maybe we could try to stop one act of evil, one act of violence”, he added.
Taking on Republicans and the National Rifle Association directly, he decried the pro-gun lobby’s grip on Washington.
“If we can set it up so that you can’t unlock a phone unless you’ve got the right fingerprint, why can’t we do the same thing for our guns?”
“We have no agenda whatsover of impinging or infringing upon the rights of American citizens for their second amendment rights”, said Sullivan. But the Justice Department is warning sellers that courts have convicted people for dealing without a license even when they’ve sold as few as two guns. States that have gone beyond federal background check laws have seen less gun violence, he said. He noted that numerous actions he’s calling for can only be imposed through legislative action.
Obama has often said his toughest time in office was grappling with the December 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. “The folks in this room will not rest until Congress does”.
Many if not all of these executive actions, some of which will require help from Congress regarding funding, will be met with stern opposition, most notably from those seeking the Republican nomination for president.
“Instead of more executive overreach, the President should work with Congress on bipartisan legislation, like the bill I previously voted for that improves the background check system, encourages states to submit relevant mental health records into the system, and increases prosecutions of those who illegally seek to obtain firearms while protecting Americans’ constitutional rights”, Ayotte said.
Obama just needs to prove he’s not a lame duck by doing something – anything – about those dreaded guns.
IN lawmakers are responding to President Obama’s announcement today of executive actions on gun control.
Hillary Clinton, at a rally in Iowa, said she was proud of Obama’s efforts, but warned that the next president could easily undo his changes.
The number of background checks done for people wanting to buy guns has more than doubled this year, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
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“I don’t believe that non-law abiding people, criminals, gang members, they don’t purchase firearms through legal means, and this is not going to have any impact on them getting, possessing, and using firearms”, said Thomas. “His words and actions amount to a form of intimidation that undermines liberty”. A caption read “Obama Wants Your Guns” next to a fundraising appeal.
