Obama asks Americans to help with gun law changes

A website set up by the White House to solicit petitions has been flooded in the wake of last Friday's gun massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, and today, President Obama issued a video response to petitioners, indicating that he hears the outpouring loud and clear.

"We hear you," said Mr. Obama. "Like the majority of Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms...It's encouraging that many gun owners have stepped up this week to say there are steps we can take to prevent more tragedies like the one in Newtown - steps that both protect our rights and protect our kids."

"This week I called on Congress to take up and pass common sense legislation that has the support of a majority of the American people, including banning the sale of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips."

The president also referenced the gun violence task force he created, chaired by Vice President Biden, that has been tasked with generating policy ideas about how to reduce gun violence.

• Obama sets up gun violence task force
• Obama: "These tragedies must end"

"I can't do it alone, I need your help," explained the president. "If we're going to succeed, it's going to take a sustained effort from mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, law enforcement and responsible gun owners, organizing, speaking up, calling their members of Congress as many times as it takes, standing up and saying 'enough' on behalf of all our kids."

Over 400,000 signatures have been collected on petitions related to gun violence since the tragedy in Connecticut - one of the petitions was the fastest ever to reach the 25,000 signature threshold that would compel a response from the White House. One typical petition urges the White House to "Immediately address the issue of gun control through the introduction of legislation in Congress."

"The goal of this petition is to force the Obama Administration to produce legislation that limits access to guns. While a national dialogue is critical, laws are the only means in which we can reduce the number of people murdered in gun related deaths," reads the petition. "Powerful lobbying groups allow the ownership of guns to reach beyond the Constitution's intended purpose of the right to bear arms. Therefore, Congress must act on what is stated law, and face the reality that access to firearms reaches beyond what the Second Amendment intends to achieve."

[Rodrigo_Girao]

The problem of banning "military-style assault weapons" is that the 2nd amendment is meant to do precisely this: should tyranny arise, the people must have the means to insurrect and overthrow the government.

[beltsr]

I agree that things need to change, but it is not "assault weapons" and high cap mags that are the blame here. And before you think i am just some crazy gun nut, here is a bit about me. I did five years active duty in the navy and am still in the reserves. I am a husband and a father. I currently work as an emergency medical tech going to school to get my paramedic.... I carry a self defense firearm everyday.

Gun Free Zones- Neon signs to would-be killers that he will not be met with equal force... at least not until it is too late.

Lack of firearms education- Even gun owners don't know about guns. I have to read a book, take a test, drive with my mom for six months and take another test to get a driver's license. But to own a gun, i need money. Get a license to own a gun, not just carry it. To get the license, you have to go through training.

Better security- again, gunmen will attack, regardless of the laws. If teachers and staff who wanted to be armed could be armed (after getting above license, plus addidtional courses to be armed in a school)then you would have an immediate response team available.

The president gets body guards 24/7 with all kinds of weapons... why can't our kids get the same? I understand the US president is more likeley to be attacked than a school... oh wait, no he's not becasue he is protected. last presidential assassination or attempted assassination... Regan? last school shooting?

the us media is filled with yellow jounalism pushing falsified numbers to get you scared and on thier side. go to FBI.gov for REAL numbers on gun violence. it is still bad and needs addressed, but it is far less than the media would have you believe.

my proposed fixes (instead of just complaining)is to have the licenses i mentioned above, with full background checks. close the gunshow/ swapmeet loopholes. have stricter storage laws to keep unauthorized people from getting hands on weapons. better education to go gun owners. better school security.

One last note. China has banned guns. 22 kids were slashed but not killed. If a teacher had a gun, far fewer kids would have been injured, but it seems that since they are only scarred for life, it's all okay... and still in china, 1000 people have been rounded up for spreading rumors.... do you want your government to have that kind of control over you. Take a look at history. a disarmed society is at the full control of its government.

[Ad_Lucem]

YES ! The NRA is HORRIFIED by these school shootings. They are terrified that this will create a negative impact on their own image. They don't care about the murdered children ... their only concern is that their "name" has been dragged through the mud and filth throughout all of this.

Hence, the NRA response (of course) is for "more guns...and armed guards at schools". It is hard to believe that the NRA, which symbolizes such filth and evil, still exists in the 21st Century.

[citizenstakecontrol]

The mother is clearly to blame....letting her fruit-loop son have unfettered access to guns.......The son stole the firearms and went on a shooting spree........When the firearms should have been in a gun safe.

we should have background checks on people who bring these idiots into the world......with that being said......I'll side with the NRA on this one.....and what Ronald Reagan said "Government is not the solution to your problems, Government is your problem".

Give up my right to protect myself from Lanza and the likes of his family.....of idiots.......No thanks

[pleaseletitbeso]

I think that population wide, "annual mental health screenings" would be a viable tool to help eliminate these horrendous acts, makes at least as much sense as a couple of the ideas I see being tossed about, and much better sense than most.

Initiate this program about the age of 8 should do it, that should be early enough to catch 99% of the monsters before they acquire any firearms.

Another method that would work even earlier would be " Genetic Profiling " just gotta locate the monster gene and then douse the pool with chlorine.

Just trying to help out.

[pleaseletitbeso]

Well he)) man, if you think that ones legit we could try it the way Germany thought it should work in WWII, population wide forced sterilization at an early age or some such nonsense, then just issue a permit to have children but only to those parents that prove their intent and ability to weather the rigors of time to raise a respectable child.

Just throwing out ideas that make as much sense as alot of the other stuff I see here.

[Think4times]

I considered that I risked getting called on my own posturing tough talk, T4T...but how else am I going to get that silly bugger to challenge me to another fist fight?
____________________________________

Of course Slow and Ranger have a longer history than Ranger and I do.

Notice too that Slow doesn't come at me about Ranger, and I don't come at Slow about him and Ranger, and Ranger doesn't come at either of us about the other.

So with respect to the history that you and Ranger have that I don't know about, I'll stay out of it from now on, and apologize for misinterpreting your intentions in the moment.

[Think4times]

Oops.. That is for Michael.. I seem to have left that out.

[Think4times]

1stlttightwad replies:

I think it was Benjamin Franklin that said, " Those that would give up a little freedom for a little security..DESERVE NEITHER."
I ain't giving up EITHER and NEITHER are 80 million gun owners.
____________________________________________________

So if ever a man should ask you for your business or your name Tell him to go and f**k himself, tell his friends to do the same 'Cause a man who'd trade his liberty for a safe and dreamless sleep Doesn't deserve the both of them and neither shall he keep

FRANK TURNER - SONS OF LIBERTY

[zongongo]

The reason for the second amendment;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAU9AJfttls

[parasingh]

You Americans that actually want gun control have never been the victims of race riots, religious violence, police brutality, murder by the hand of police and those sworn to protect you, you've never felt the pain of a pogrom and have never felt the pain of genocide. You've never spoken to a rape victim. You've never spoke to victim of violence. You don't live in the real world. Did you know that your gun control laws have racist origins? The first law that was passed in California in the 60's was to prevent the Black Panthers from organizing and protecting themselves from the police that would beat them down and kill them. Hey, New Yorkers! Did you know that the Sullivan Act had nothing to do with crime? It was targeting Italian Immigrants and blacks because they weren't white enough to own guns. Yeah, real proud of gun control huh? Get rea

[Think4times]

michaelamsterdam replies:

I for one would have absolutely no qualms about prying your weapon from your cold, dead hands...
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michaelamsterdam replies:

Prety tough talk from a motor-mouth who could probably be easily spit to death by a Girl Scout eating Saltine crackers, RAT-Ranger!
______________________________

Looks to me like YOU started the "Tough Talk" michael.

Huff Huff RAWR!

[logictoo]

Michael does seem to be tough but tough talk don't mean squat. "Walk softly but carry a big stick". I think Ranger served his 6 year military obligation to his country as did I.

[michaelamsterdam]

Unfortunately guilty, T4T...

But in the case of the RAT-Ranger, I most certainly was NOT the one who started this...

I've been calling him on his BS war stories and macho, self-aggrandizing posts for a year now (I once read a WWII paperback from the tiny library on board a troop ship decades ago...that he tried to pass off on this board as an experience of his own...almost verbatim)

I usually remember most of what I read...but the RAT-Ranger can't even recall what BS he has inflicted...and upon whom. (Pretty dicey behavior when you boast so much on line)

I considered that I risked getting called on my own posturing tough talk, T4T...but how else am I going to get that silly bugger to challenge me to another fist fight?

As if he actually would have shown up last time...

Last Memorial Day, I implied that his "big Harley" was actually a Honda-matic 250 that he used to pick up young boys...and he took umbrage...go figure!

I don't really approve of myself when I sink to intentionally baiting clowns...even one such as RAT-Ranger...but it's been a very rough week...and my ability to suffer fools gladly has been severely compromised...26 times

But when I get this way...were anyone to check, they would see that my targets are invariably those whose hateful, mean- spirited, dismissive posts I object to...far more than their opinions

HAR!