In defending his actions, Obama made an argument that could and should shift the conversation from one focused exclusively on gun owners’ rights to one that balances all citizens’ rights – including the rights to peaceful assembly and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that are stripped from victims of gun violence.
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While formally announcing his executive orders, President Obama said that “Second Amendment rights are important, but so are other rights” such as freedom of religion and freedom of assembly that have been cut short by gun violence.
The president said that even if he wanted to take away Americans’ guns, it would be an impossible endeavor.
Cooper:… now, let me just jump in here, is it fair to call it a conspiracy…
The White House is expected to make gun reform a key point of President Obama’s final State of the Union address on January 12.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), a presidential hopeful, sent a fundraising email to supporters that said “Obama wants your guns” and featured a doctored image of Obama in riot gear. Now, up at Camp David, we’ve got some skeet shooting, so on a fairly regular basis, we get a 12-gauge and – I’m not making any claims about my marksmanship. The President: I grew up mostly in Hawaii, and other than hunting for wild pig – which they do once in a while – there’s not the popularity of hunting and sportsmanship with guns as much as there are in other parts of the country.
“Part of the reason, I think, that this ends up being such a hard issue is because people occupy different realities”, Obama added, noting the difference in perceptions on gun ownership between those who live in the inner city compared to people in rural settings.
He called on Congress to set up a system that is “efficient” and doesn’t inconvenience lawful gun owners to create a background check system that would stem at least some illegal gun activity.
It became clear to Obama advisers that lawmakers would not move to reduce gun violence and that the president’s response would be the only one for a while.
“The National Rifle Association sees no reason to participate in a public relations spectacle orchestrated by the White House”, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told CNN. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was injured in an assassination attempt in 2011, and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who is now a gun control advocate, were there. In an opinion piece published in the New York Times late Thursday, Obama said he would not campaign for or support any politician in either party who does not support “common-sense gun reform”.
CNN, which broadcast the event, said it invited the gun group, but the NRA declined.
The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, used the town hall as a fundraising and recruiting tool, tweeting out, “Obama’s gun control policies bypass Congress & infringe on your #2A right”.
“There is a reason why the NRA is not here”, said Obama. “He doesn’t support the individual right to own a firearm”.
The president visited that community in October to console family members.
In the article and during the live forum, Obama advocated research into new gun technologies that could make it possible for a gun to be fired only by its owner, not a criminal or a child who accidentally picks up a loaded weapon. “I would get rid of gun-free zones on my first day”.
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“The fact is I’m just excited that he’s keeping up with this, that he’s continuing to speak out”.
