Obama: I believe in the Second Amendment

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a joint press conference with Mexican President Felipe Calderon March 3, 2011 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

/ Getty Images/Mandel Ngan

President Obama said Thursday that he believes that the Second Amendment protects Americans' right to bear arms - but added that it doesn't mean that the government can't work to keep guns from being sent to Mexico, where a violent drug war rages.

"The Second Amendment in this country is part of our Constitution and the president of the United States is bound by our Constitution," he said. "So I believe in the Second Amendment. It does provide for Americans the right to bear arms for their protection, for their safety, for hunting, for a wide range of uses. That does not mean that we cannot constrain gun runners from shipping guns into Mexico."

Mr. Obama made the comments during a joint appearance with Mexican President Filipe Calderon. He said his administration is "trying to work our way through more effective enforcement mechanisms to prevent straw purchasers from buying caches of weapons, transporting them across the border." (watch the answer at left)

He added that "we are very mindful that the battle President Calderon is fighting inside of Mexico is not just his battle, it's also ours." He referenced the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico as well as American demand for Mexican drugs.

Gun sales soared around the country after Mr. Obama was elected over fears that he would institute aggressive gun control policies - which he has not. Indeed, he has been criticized by gun control advocates for not taking a stronger stance in favor of gun control.

Then-candidate Obama was criticized during the presidential campaign for saying that some working class voters "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said in a speech to the National Rifle Association last May that Mr. Obama would ban guns and ammunition if he could.

More from the press conference:

Obama: Qaddafi has lost legitimacy and must leave
Obama: NFL should be able to work it out without me
Obama: Mexico has "full partner" in drug wars

[lh2010]

So the meeting is over and the MSM don't seem to be reporting that Obama and Co. have agreed to let Mexican Trucks into the U.S. These trucks are dangerous. They do not conform to U.S. safety standards, emmissions and more importantly many don't maintain insurance. This doesn't even take into consideration the fact of their lax drivers license requirement or lack of background checks for the people who will be barrelling down our roads. But hey I'm sure they will be packed with illegals just dying to be given amnesty so they can vote for Obama right?! And that I guess is the plan. Funny thought that the Unions who are so concerned about their jobs don't seem to mind that they will now lose many to Mexican truck drivers. I bet Obama is working that under the table!!!

[thanksgreed]

Pander away...your base has given up on you and the GOP hates you.

It's quite obvious he cares ONLY about getting reelected...

4 more years with a doormat...

[Dr_Pangloss]

Why is Obama such a wimp about gun control? Does he still imagine he'll ever get the Joe Bob vote?

[tsigili]

If they don't get the guns in the US (where it is simply convenient, since they are already in the country, because no one stops them from coming), then they will get the guns from other sources.

Calderon must recognize, that the source of guns is not the real issue, as there are many, many arms dealers, around the world. The issue is the cartels themselves, and the crimes being committed within Mexico, which extends into the US from Mexico.

[jimbom121]

Buts its easier to get them from us...especially after the rule to limit how many guns one can buy at one time was rejected.

[Jaeger1121]

Jimbom it's even easier when the BATF refuses to do it's duty. The dealer reported the attempted purchase to ATF. ATF told the gun dealer to follow through and deliver the weapons. Between our government assisting in the smuggling of weapons to Mexico and Mexican soldiers selling/giving their US made weapons to the cartels, it's not a surprise so many US weapons are found there.

[Jaeger1121]

Agents of BATF allowed purchases of guns, knowing they were being bought illegally and allowed them out into the public. BATF could have stopped these weapons from being used because ATF agents watched the purchases. Subsequently, weapons BATF allowed to be moved were used to kill TWO US federal agents.

Mr Obaba says his administration is "trying to work our way through more effective enforcement mechanisms to prevent straw purchasers from buying caches of weapons, transporting them across the border."

The truth is, his administration ALLOWED these weapons to leave the country, over the objections of some BATF agents. His administration did NOTHING to stop these weapons from going to Mexico. His administration is directly responsible for the murder of 2 federal employees that we know of. how many innocent people were also killed or wounded with weapons moved to Mexico through "Project Gunrunner"?

Yet our President has a solution. We're going to make sure every railroad car moving south is checked for weapons. he is "very mindful that the battle President Calderon is fighting inside of Mexico is not just his battle, it's also ours."

He should be mindful of that. The deaths of those 2 agents can be laid directly at the feet of people who report directly to him.

[Jaeger1121]

Purchasing a weapon for someone else has been against the law since 1968. ATF has run an active campaign about straw purchases since 2000. Your claim that straw purchases are "perfectly legal" is either ignorance or deception on your part.

[Jaeger1121]

Agents of BATF allowed purchases of guns, knowing they were being bought illegally and allowed them out into the public. BATF could have stopped these weapons from being used because ATF agents watched the purchases. Subsequently, weapons BATF allowed to be moved were used to kill TWO US federal agents.

Mr Obaba says his administration is "trying to work our way through more effective enforcement mechanisms to prevent straw purchasers from buying caches of weapons, transporting them across the border."

The truth is, his administration ALLOWED these weapons to leave the country, over the objections of some BATF agents. His administration did NOTHING to stop these weapons from going to Mexico. His administration is directly responsible for the murder of 2 federal employees that we know of. how many innocent people were also killed or wounded with weapons moved to Mexico through "Project Gunrunner"?

Yet our President has a solution. We're going to make sure every railroad car moving south is checked for weapons. he is "very mindful that the battle President Calderon is fighting inside of Mexico is not just his battle, it's also ours."

He should be mindful of that. The deaths of those 2 agents can be laid directly at the feet of people who report directly to him.

[Mobrien05]

What we need is better boarder control. Listen to this link below. We might have more people on the boarder now, but we either ignored the issue in the past or it is a much bidgger problem then it was 20 years ago. What is it going to take before the National guard is posted all along the boarder and given full commard as if they were in Afganistan or IRAQ?

Also pasted from the article at the link:

In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico--which sits across the Rio Grande River from El Paso, Texas-3,111 civilians were murdered in 2010. In all of the territory of Afghanistan, where U.S. forces are at war with Taliban insurgents, there 2,421 civilians were killed.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/one-us-mexico-border-town-had-more-civil#

ICE Director: U.S.-Mexico Border is Secure As It Has Been in 20 Years
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/crime-part-life-america-and-border-secur

[Dr_Pangloss]

What we need is better boarder control. Listen to this link below. We might have more people on the boarder ...

Why are you concerned about a person who rents a room in someone's house?

[afmcalax]

REGISTRATION ..REGISTRATION .. REGISTRATION !!!. Register the guns from point of manufacture through gun shop to all owners and you will eventually find out who is actually supplying the guns to criminals and terrorists. It is really that simple.

Making people register their guns in not against the Constitution and would not in any way impare a person from buying and owning as many guns as their heart demands. But once a gun is used in a crime, then law enforcement could easily see who last legally owned the gun and then the question would be if they are not the criminal then how did that gun leave their possession? If stolen, why did they not report it. If sold, why did they not report it? Eventually the crooked guns shops and the front people that buy guns for criminals would be exposed. The gun enthusiasts would not be impacted and society would be much better off.

Why would any rationale person be against this? What possible reason would the NRA have to oppose this unless they have a reason to protect illegal gun sales?

[Jaeger1121]

BATF watched the straw purchasers of weapons used to kill 2 federal agents in Mexico and did nothing to stop it. Requiring registration of weapons would have done nothing in this case, especially since BATF made the decision to allow those weapons into Mexico and, according to some reports, actually facilitated that smuggling.

[Scot_Irish]

"Registration" is worthless and depending on it, solely, can lead to the arrest of the wrong person. There is no constitutionally sound way to use a so-called registration to solve gun trafficking crimes. Mr. Obama would make a better point if he would just concentrate on securing America's borders.

[Henri_Rochard]

""So I believe in the Second Amendment. It does provide for Americans the right to bear arms for their protection, for their safety, for hunting, for a wide range of uses..."

If President Obama really believes this, then we have at least one thing we can agree on.

[Zann-Zel]

He has been President 2 years and we still have our guns - I'd say he believes it!