Biden on gun safety: No more excuses

Vice President Joe Biden gestures as he speaks at the Winter-Spring meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, in Washington. / AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Continuing an ongoing campaign on behalf of the administration's gun safety agenda, Vice President Joe Biden today took his message to the nation's attorneys general, urging them to use their "moral suasion" and "clout" to advise him and help in perfecting and building support for his plan.

Biden, speaking to the National Association of Attorneys General this morning, outlined the series of proposals for reducing gun violence that he presented to President Obama last month. The vice president, who has advocated stronger gun safety laws for years, presented a vehement defense of his various proposals, including the implementation of universal background checks, the reinstitution of the assault weapons ban, and ending restrictions that allow people to do research on the subject of gun violence.

He noted that he met with 229 different groups - "every possible stakeholder" - in devising his proposals, and that a general consensus emerged supporting his points. As to the opposition, he argued, "they're not actually looking for answers."

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"They're looking to build roadblocks," Biden said. "They say it isn't about guns - they're just wrong, it is about guns."

The White House plan faces significant opposition from the gun lobby and Republican members of Congress, and skepticism remains surrounding the measures that will be able to make it through the GOP-led House of Representatives.

Biden argued, however, that the public is on his side - particularly in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings, in which 20 children were murdered at their elementary school.

"We have to speak for them and their families. Enough is enough. We have an obligation to act," he said.

The vice president presented as evidence a congressional special election in Illinois last night, in which a pro-gun control Democrat beat out several other Democrats who were targeted in the media for past pro-gun positions. Thanks to several liberal advocacy groups, which aired television ads on the subject, the issue of gun safety became a prominent one in the campaign.

"The voters sent a message last night not just to the NRA but to the politicians around the country," Biden said. "The public mood has changed. The excuse that it's too politically risky to act is no longer acceptable. We cannot remain silent."

[BigMykul]

Alright;
Put the issue out before the voters and let them decide. Special election in 2014. See then what the populus wishes. Of course for that vote, Voter ID must be required. None of the previous hanky-panky that Does occur.

[myth1958]

When talk of Sandy Hook is brought up, folks tend to mention the 20 kids murdered - sometimes they say "26 killed". But 28 people died that day, including Adam Lanza's mother and himself. Guns kill lots of people each year - close to ten thousand - and half of them are suicides like Lanza. The easy availability of guns and mountain of them out there bring too many into contact with the wrong hands. The Second needs amendment to reflect today's realities - unforeseeable two hundred years ago.

[highlndr55]

The 2nd does not need amended. It was written so that the citizens of this great Country would be able to protect themselves from a tyranical government. There are so many ways for people to commit suicide. With your argument, cars, knives, baseball bats, pills, etc. need to be legislated.

[zmonkee]

I just find it interesting that biden told housewives/moms to go out and get a shotgun instead...that shotguns are a lot easier to shoot-- Have you ever seen a woman-(most...not all) shoot a shotgun?? it knocks them on their arses, then they sometimes drop it--- GEE, that won't cause any add'l accidental shootings??

[BigMykul]

Last time my wife shot a shotgun, she didn't hold it tight enough and it shot out of her arms backwards and slammed into a tree.

[trout-fish]

You go, Joe!

Tell those NRA fools how it is!

[0LDTIMETRUTH]

The liberals and progressives are highly intelligent. They know if they beat the emotional drum on any issue long and hard enough, the masses will go along with them. Smart, very smart!

[seabass6251]

Hitler used the same logic.

[buckn]

Biden is so full of cr-p that he doesn't even realize how much he stinks. I am one of those American people that he speaks of, and I can tell you right now that my opinion, and what Biden says my opinion is, isn't even close. Biden is nothing more than a spineless liberal who is using Sandy Hook as a platform to further his own political agenda and ambitions.

[T_Grijalva]

Let's suppose that Brother Biden gets his wish. Does anyone know what the penalties will be for those who fail to implement the law, e.g., those private citizens who fail to perform the necessary background check during their private transactions?

[seabass6251]

Or the Sheriffs who choose not to enforce it...

[highlndr55]

Biden is an idiot if he thinks the Country will give up the Semi-Automatic weapons. The Administration knows that this is a fight they can not win. It is a distraction for some other reason. Instead of working to fix the economy and curtailling spending they have wasted their time with this gun control lunacy. They do not know how to fix the economy so they might has well distract the Country with this drivel.

[hypnotoad72]

http://www.z-answers.com/question/ihxykhk-do-americans-really-believe-gun-control-will-lead-to-socialism-or-communism.html


EXCERPT:
********
Many Americans have a perverse notion of "Liberty", they revere their constitution and always mention the second amendment when gun control is brought up. Regardless of how much harm is caused by guns or if the population want to reform gun laws they are constitutionally prohibited from doing so and they think this is liberty? In Britain our politicians govern by consent and are elected by the people, the British people wanted tighter gun controls after the tragic shooting in Dunblane and the government changed the gun laws. In Britain the government did what the public wanted on gun control, in America the population are controlled by a piece of paper from 1791, yet they strangely think Brits envy their "freedoms".
@ That Guy You say we don't have a constitution but seeing the way Americans are bound by theirs and revere it I am glad of that, Britain does however have Magna Carta written in 1215 and largely plagiarized in many constitutions including the US one (see link below), I suppose you would think that rather than British people compelling politicians to make the changes we want we should be controlled from beyond the grave by a 1000 year old document? That is freedom to you?
Also how is the Patriot Act working out? Your politicians think very little of you, they knnow you are stupid enough to swallow anything if you think it makes you patriotic.

********

[dreggie]

Freedom is what our big media companies tell us it is. They tell us they went off and did a few surveys, that none of us were a part of, and tell everyone they must be weird if they don't agree with the results of their magickal survey.

Obama governs with emotion, not logic as he robs everyone to give to the poor. When the rich are all robbed, who will he throw to the rabid masses?

[tenbender]

Big cities might elect a president but the whole country has a say on gun laws. Get the Senate to put it to a vote Joe !