Obama sets January deadline for gun proposals
WASHINGTON (AP) - Spurred by a horrific elementary school shooting, President Barack Obama tasked his administration Wednesday with creating concrete proposals to reduce the gun violence that has plagued the country.
"This time, the words need to lead to action," said Obama, who set a January deadline for the recommendations. He tasked Vice President Joe Biden with leading the effort and vowed to push for implementation of the policy proposals without delay.
The president, who exerted little political capital on gun control despite a series of mass shootings in his first term, bristled at suggestions that he had been silent on the issue during his first four years in office. But he acknowledged that the Friday's deadly shooting had been "a wake-up call for all of us."
Twenty children and six adults were killed when a man carrying a military-style rifle stormed Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Friday morning.
The president also called on Congress Wednesday to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and to pass legislation that would close the gun show "loophole," which allows people to purchase firearms from private dealers without a background check. Obama also said he wanted Congress to pursue the possibility of limiting high-capacity ammunition clips.
"The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing," Obama said. "The fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence."
The president's announcement Wednesday underscores the urgency the White House sees in formulating a response to the Newtown shooting. The massacre has prompted several congressional gun rights supporters to consider new legislation to control firearms, and there is some concern that their willingness to engage could fade as the shock and sorrow over the Newtown shooting eases.
Obama said it was "encouraging" to see people of different backgrounds and political affiliations coming to an understanding that the country has an obligation to prevent such violence.
Appealing to gun owners, Obama said he believes in the Second Amendment and the country's strong tradition of gun ownership. And he said "the vast majority of gun owners in America are responsible."
"I am also betting that the majority, the vast majority, of responsible law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war," Obama said.
Obama also tasked the Biden-led team with considering ways to improve mental health resources and address ways to create a culture that doesn't promote violence. The departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, along with outside groups and lawmakers, will all be part of the process.
Biden's prominent role in the process could be an asset for the White House in getting gun legislation through Congress. The vice president spent decades in the Senate and has been called on by Obama before to use his long-standing relationships with lawmakers to build support for White House measures.
The president challenged the National Rifle Association, the country's most powerful gun lobby and key backer of many Republican politicians, to join the broader effort to reduce gun violence as well.
"Hopefully they'll do some self-reflection," Obama said of the NRA.
The NRA made its first comments since the shooting on Tuesday, promising to offer "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
Obama said that while taking the necessary steps to reduce gun violence would take commitment and compromise, he said it could be achieved if Washington summons "even one tiny iota of the courage of those teachers, that principal in Newtown summoned on Friday."
"This time, the words need to lead to action," said Obama, who set a January deadline for the recommendations. He tasked Vice President Joe Biden with leading the effort and vowed to push for implementation of the policy proposals without delay.
The president, who exerted little political capital on gun control despite a series of mass shootings in his first term, bristled at suggestions that he had been silent on the issue during his first four years in office. But he acknowledged that the Friday's deadly shooting had been "a wake-up call for all of us."
Twenty children and six adults were killed when a man carrying a military-style rifle stormed Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Friday morning.
The president also called on Congress Wednesday to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and to pass legislation that would close the gun show "loophole," which allows people to purchase firearms from private dealers without a background check. Obama also said he wanted Congress to pursue the possibility of limiting high-capacity ammunition clips.
"The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing," Obama said. "The fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence."
The president's announcement Wednesday underscores the urgency the White House sees in formulating a response to the Newtown shooting. The massacre has prompted several congressional gun rights supporters to consider new legislation to control firearms, and there is some concern that their willingness to engage could fade as the shock and sorrow over the Newtown shooting eases.
Obama said it was "encouraging" to see people of different backgrounds and political affiliations coming to an understanding that the country has an obligation to prevent such violence.
Appealing to gun owners, Obama said he believes in the Second Amendment and the country's strong tradition of gun ownership. And he said "the vast majority of gun owners in America are responsible."
"I am also betting that the majority, the vast majority, of responsible law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war," Obama said.
Obama also tasked the Biden-led team with considering ways to improve mental health resources and address ways to create a culture that doesn't promote violence. The departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, along with outside groups and lawmakers, will all be part of the process.
Biden's prominent role in the process could be an asset for the White House in getting gun legislation through Congress. The vice president spent decades in the Senate and has been called on by Obama before to use his long-standing relationships with lawmakers to build support for White House measures.
The president challenged the National Rifle Association, the country's most powerful gun lobby and key backer of many Republican politicians, to join the broader effort to reduce gun violence as well.
"Hopefully they'll do some self-reflection," Obama said of the NRA.
The NRA made its first comments since the shooting on Tuesday, promising to offer "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
Obama said that while taking the necessary steps to reduce gun violence would take commitment and compromise, he said it could be achieved if Washington summons "even one tiny iota of the courage of those teachers, that principal in Newtown summoned on Friday."
I doubt the gov. can do much to limit access to these weapons.
After spending a hour search on the net I found many sites that can supply complete weapons or the parts to build one. If that's not enough, I found many sources of documents that describe how to build other implements.
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If a person is determined they don't need a automatic weapon, a back pack filled with pipe bombs can do the same damage. From the research I did they are quite simple to construct..
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The states need to focus more on the mental health aspects of the problem.
And speaking of the wrong people getting guns, and failure to secure them....
We have an ATF agent's *personal* firearm showing up at a Fast & Furious murder scene.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57560107-10391739/atf-agents-personal-weapon-found-at-mexican-beauty-queen-cartel-crime-scene/?tag=socsh
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Obviously, that's a government agency just chock FULL of professionals.
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Clarification: the agent bought it, and claims he sold it, but declined to provide details on who it was sold to. Uh-huh.
Face this simple fact. The people of the United States Of America are protected under this document called The Constitution. Period. Our Second Amendment has laid down the laws regarding guns, and a majority of American households OWN firearms. We're not some third world country where five families would have to share ONE gun. Our government doesn't have the firepower to take away neither our guns, OR our rights, and they SURE don't want another Civil War, which is what they will get if they try to disarm law abiding Americans, and leave guns in the hands of criminals. To all of the anti gun wingnuts? Grab your butterknives, lawyers, sticks, stones.......whatever. Come and get em. We LAW ABIDING gun owners are withing OUR rights to own our guns, and you're NOT gonna take that away without the biggest fight of your life.
 @Wolfen Has there been ANYONE who has said anything about 'taking away your guns'? That has not been the conversation, and if you would read beyond the headline, you would know that. REGULATION--that is the key word in all of this. If a law abiding citizen wants a gun--they can get it, but at least make it as difficult as getting a drivers license! We simply need to weed out as many mentally/emotionally unstable as possible from getting guns, and try to limit the ease with which criminals can get guns. It will not be easy to decide how to actually accomplish that, but that has to be the goal. NOT taking away the guns of law abiding citizens.Â
@chickysgirl, what? Selective hearing? I don't own a semi-automatic rifle, but what don't you understand about Obama calling for the ban of "assult rifles"? These are simply semi-automatic rifles that look like their military counterparts. A Ruger 10-22 is semi-automatic. Is that going to be banned? Sounds like a gun ban to me.
 @factchekr So you care not at all about the principle of the thing? That it's based on ignorance? That is would likely ban an AR15, but allow a Ruger Mini14, even though they are both the same size and weight, shoot the same cartridge, and have the same magazine capacity? That they can tell you what cosmetic features your firearm can have? (which ALSO means they can then 8change* that list of features at any time)...
Even if it is, nobody is going to come and take it away from you! That's not even being discussed. I have a Ruger 10/22, and I'm not worried. Mainly because I don't need another one. Heck, I don't NEED this one!
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There will still be plenty of guns for everyone to buy.
Lets make a fort out  of the schools then the kids will be safe until 3:00 when school gets out and you have 1000 kids all leaving at one time then what? We need to think this out a little better don't we? I hate stupid programs like they did with the airlines like getting rid of nail clippers that did no good and made it a pain in the behind to fly.  No one will ever take over a plane with a box cutter agin so quit banning my swiss army knife on the planes then I might fly agin. A bic ballpoint pen because it could be a weapon in the trained person.Â
Law abiding citizens taking the heat for the action of the criminals. Unconstitional! Second Admendment is there so we have the ability to fight back against our Government. If the Government has High Capacity Clips the Citizens have equal rights.
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Ask the people of Syria how thier Rocks and Sticks are working for them as they fight for their Freedom. Against their Government that is using Semi-Auto High Capacity Assult Rifles, Tanks, Missiles, Granades and other Weapons that the people are banned from having.
Buy more lower capacity clips. Problem solved.
 @factchekr Less convenient, particularly for disabled folks for whom changing mags is a problem.
 @DinkorSink It's kind of impressive that you just got a bunch of pro-Israel conservatives to agree with your anti-Israeli post, just because they are desperate to support guns even more than Israel.Â
Better late than never.
Approximately 32000 Americans are killed in automobile accidents every year with about 2000 of those being children. Where is the outrage? Why are we not banning automobiles? Kids should not be allowed in an automobile with out full body protection. OMG we need more laws and regulations for automobiles....Fact of the matter is most of us just hop in the old jalopy without even giving it a thought. Just putting things in perspective.... This whole gun control thing is being blown way out of proportion.
I agree, you're blowing it way out of proportion.
 @CaptainD Ironic that you used the phrase "blown way" = )
It's not the guns. It's our culture. What else can you expect of a society where the most dangerous place in the world for a baby is in its own mother's womb? Where people are disposable? Where individual impulses trump individual responsibility? You reject life for everyone? Well, OK, there you are. Don't act surprised.
I know lots of kids that did just fine in their mother's wombs. Where else do you want them?
What do most of these instances have in common, the shooter did not own the gun, someone else did and the shooter was able to get thier hands on it. That is problem #1. Resolution to problem # 1 as follows:
Update the gun data base to include safe, safe size, type of guns safe holds, number of guns safe holds
Require all gun owners to own a safe prior to purchase of guns
No safe no sale of a gun until you purchase the safe.
Safe on file full, no new gone to add to your collection until you buy another safe.
No you can't force someone to use the safe, but, you can state, if someone comes into your home and steals your gun and the gun is stolen because it was not in a safe you can no longer own guns.... Would that make you think twice about having multiple guns lying around? I have guns, sleep with one at the bedside, but the rest of them are in my safe! Where they should be!! That way they can't be used against me, they can't be stolen etc.Â
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Problem # 2 Mentally ill people getting thier hands on guns. The paperwork for a gun should ask, does anyone living in your home have a mental illnes? If yes, no guns allowed to be purchased. Sorry they all seem to have mental illness too.Â
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Problem #3 Countless times I have heard the phrase from a mother about a mentally ill child "I want to give my child a sense of normalcy so I think he/she should go to public school and participate in everything else all the other kids do." When are you going to realize that your sense of normalcy is not thiers and forcing them into your normal makes them feel like less of a person, more of a failure and uncomfortable to where they snap and do these types of things. Love your kid enough to give your kid what they need, give them thier sense of normalcy, accept their world, go into thier world, understand it, understand thier needs better, and you will have a happy child mentally ill or not that will function better, maybe in society, maybe not in society maybe you need to accept a place that will take care of that child better with others like him/her a home that specializes in thier sense of normal.
 @trulyloved Uhhh, sorry, you nor the gov't is going to know exactly how i store my guns or where they are...sorry pal..
They don't need to know where your safe is, just that you own enough safes for the guns you purchase to keep them out of hands of criminals and or children. You don't want your guns stolen right? So why not lock them up when you are not around.
Some kid will be getting hold of one of your guns one of these days and take it to school. Then it will be our business.
 @Cheetoh734  @TruthinAdverts I hate this commenting system - it doesn't even handle threading right - took me a second to realize you were not replying to me, then another few to figure out who you were most likely to reply to.
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Why, KOMO, WHY?
 @Cheetoh734 ; )
SargeMCc I was calling Cheetoh734 irrisponsible, not you, that was directed completley at Cheetoh.Â
You are not the one responsible, I did not say that. I said the only way to keep the guns out of the hands of irrisponsible individuals is to lock them up if not in your person or in your sights. Too many people don't secure thier guns or know where they are at or who is near them. You and I take care of our guns, too many others do not. If we are talking lesser evils of what has to happen for some type of change, better to require a safe, than ban assult rifles, don't you think? I bet a lot of kids would no longer have accidents with guns if the parents locked them up and kept an eye not just on thier guns but their kids. Unfortunatley there is no one size fits all answer to this, this idea is the least harmful to the gun owner, and the responsible gun owner already has a safe.
 @TruthinAdverts oh really? come and see for yourself... ;)
 @trulyloved There is a difference between "responsible" and making a criminal's shopping list.... What, you mean you think such a centralized government list will never be hacked, stolen, sold, abused, or otherwise made available to folks that don't have the gun owner's best interest at heart? Really? Not much of a student of history or crime, are you?
@trulyloved Safes with guns get carried away everyday. Good thinking altho I disagree. It's a good deterrrent; doesn't solve the issue but it may make the theif pick an easier victim. I think stricter punishment and a mental health reform is a better place to start. I lock my guns up. I have a few antique wall hangers that are operational, if you can find the proper ammo.
@trulyloved, Very presumptive of you. All my guns are locked away but a couple custom black powder rifles. I do not own any semi-automatic rifles save for one .22, which is kept locked up. My semi-auto pistol is locked up when it isn't on my person, and I have never had a firearms accident. My father has a picture of me shooting a .32 Special, (old rifle, for the uninitiated), when I was three years old and I'm now 50. I have a completely clean record, not even a speeding ticket in the last 18 years. And I'm irresponsible, you pompous nit?Â
 @trulyloved I am ever vigilant as to where my guns are and how they are secured....However, it is none of your business....nor the gov'ts...
A responsible gun owner keeps the guns locked up and away from those who should not be near one. Anyone who is not responsible or smart enough to realize that keeping guns out of the hands of children and criminals and the mentally ill is a good idea is not a person responsible enough to own a gun and should have all their guns taken away. You sound very irresponsible to me and irresponsible is what gets kids killed. So grow up, have one gun always on your person and in your view if you canât do that than you should not own a gun. I have all my other guns locked in a safe with the exception of the one I carry on my person at all times with a concealed permit.
Because its no ones GD business that's why...i don't ask you how you store your cans of chili or your cell phone do I? leave us alone! its not a difficult concept...worry about yourselves before you come knocking on my door, and i'll do the same...
Some better first steps: - Commit a crime with a firearm - Life sentence - Apply terrorism charges to anyone using a firearm to commit a crime in presence of children - Apply terrorism charges to anyone using multiple firearms to commit a crime - Apply terrorism charges to anyone using a firearm to commit a crime against multiple persons - Death sentence for criminals convicted of terrorism
 @November_Delta Wouldn't have stopped Newtown...
And just a month ago some liberal idiot said that Obama wouldn't try to take away anybodies guns. Some passive liberal with dreams of Nirvana and an avatar with a cute little cartoon girl. Guess what? You were wrong, you silly little twit. Now go away and let the grown-ups talk. Â
Nothing wrong with the laws we have now. Crooks will always get guns just like they can get anything else they want. And the problem is not the guns. Look at every mass shooting we've had in the past couple years. Every single one of these people were on prescription psychotropic drugs. The guns don't fire themselves. Its a mental health issue and always has been. Quit giving these people psychotropic drugs and get them professional help instead.
Just keep the hand guns,ban the Assault rifles,we don't need them !
 @scychan speak for yourself....man people are quick to tell other people what they need....I wonder if we could do this with things like food, heat, or clothing? You don't need that steak, you get a bowl of cereal instead....Why? Well because I believe you don't...
 @scychan YET!!Â
don't be too fast to give up your rights and freedoms this could be you next..
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2250218/Angel-Ashley-Dobbs-suing-Texas-troopers-shocking-BODY-CAVITY-search-caught-tape.html
Yeah. YOUR, not Americas, President wants to take our guns away, so that his gestapo can do whatever they want and get away with it. Just like Adolph Hitler, Stalin, and Mussilini. Take guns out of the hands of the law abiding citizens, and the criminals will be the only ones with guns. You honestly think that making gun ownership illegal will make this country safe? Then hang a sign saying STUPID around your neck. Criminals will get them off the streets.
The President has said nothing about taking away your guns, just stopping the further sales of such guns. Calm down!
 @Nuclearian I have not seen or heard anything from the president about taking away your guns--and you haven't either. Its all about trying to figure out how to keep the guns out of the hands of little children who end up killing their brother/sister/neighbor kid. Its all about trying to figure out how to keep them out of the hands of mentally unstable people. Its all about trying to figure out how to keep them out of the hands of criminals. We can't ever accomplish that if we just keep saying--'its society's problem, not a gun problem'. Well, the only place to start is with the guns. But you people are getting your undies all bunched up because Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck said the president wants to take your guns away. If you are a responsible gun owner who does everything necessary to prevent your guns from getting into the hands of someone who isn't responsible--you won't have a problem. But if you're one of the idiots who doesn't lock them up, doesn't have all the proper paperwork, or you don't know how to handle a gun safely--then you might feel the pinch of tougher regulations. But get off this kick about the president taking away your guns--it makes you sound like a real dope.
 @chickysgirl  @Nuclearian Of course he won't say it in so many words. He'll have his proxies say it, then he can just say, "well, the experts keep telling me..." But based on his Chicago past, he's absolutely for as much of a restriction on gun rights as he can possibly get.
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Any other explicitly enumerated constitutional rights you want subject to regulation, paperwork, testing, fees, restrictions, and extra expenses?
 @Nuclearian get. out. of. our. country. now.
 @tufa23  @Nuclearian Actually..MY country has the right to bear arms! Not sure where you live.
Why is it that the liberals can't/won't face the truth?
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Our country is effed up due to the mentality they espouse, and they keep proposing ways to fix it that have no bearing on the underlying problem. Punish the law abiding, give slack to the perps, and blame someone else.
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Welcome to the 'new world'. Utopia is right behind your freedom. Sign up while ya can as places are limited.
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 @bobalouie but look at that cute lil kitten face!!!!