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Tell Us What You Think About President Obama’s Gun Control Proposal

President Barack Obama presented a wide-reaching proposal for the country’s gun control policies on Wednesday.

 

President Barack Obama presented a comprehensive gun control proposal to the country on Wednesday, about one month after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The Huffington Post reports that the proposal includes four major sections, focusing on topics like law enforcement, mental health, school safety and the availability of dangerous weapons. Many of these measures would require congressional action and could cost up to $500 million. 

The president also announced more than 20 executive orders that can go into effect immediately, the New York Times reports. These include having the attorney general review the categories of people who are not allowed to have guns, reviewing safety standards for gun locks and safes and providing training on armed attacks to first responders and school officials. Visit the New York Times for a full list

The full text of the president’s plan is available on the White House website, along with a list of the main components.

For more on the proposals — as well as what it would take for the president to get them through Congress — check out the Huffington Post article.

What do you think about this proposal? Are there parts that you support? Portions that you think go too far? Tell us in the comments. 

Related Topics: President Obama and gun control

Rod Taylor

1:47 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013

I think Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said it well enough to quote him.

"...I expressed my hope that President Obama and our elected leaders would take a sober look at how we can prevent such heinous murders in the future. Doing so would require addressing the underlying causes of these evil acts, and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill without curtailing the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Nothing the President is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook. President Obama is targeting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens instead of seriously addressing the real underlying causes of such violence. Rolling back responsible citizens’ rights is not the proper response to tragedies committed by criminals and the mentally ill. Making matters worse is that President Obama is again abusing his power by imposing his policies via executive fiat instead of allowing them to be debated in Congress. President Obama’s frustration with our republic and the way it works doesn’t give him license to ignore the Constitution.
Guns are not the problem; criminals with evil in their hearts and mentally ill people prone to violence are. Rather than sweeping measures that make it harder for responsible, law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms, we should focus on the root causes of gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill."

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Wilburforce

7:09 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Sen. Rubio disagrees with anything Obama has to say on any subject so....
As a life long hunter, gun ( short and long ) owner for over 50 yrs and a believer in the second amendment ...as is Obama ....common sense would suggest our attempts to keep guns out of the hands of Evil doers is very poor.

It's time to stand up to the NRA/ Arms Merchants and have reasonable accountability ......

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Ruth Phillips

4:20 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Yes our record isn't very good, what is in place is not working.

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Myron Holley

8:01 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Remember Democracy is 3 wolfs and a lamb voting on what is for dinner. Freedom is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. I am the N.R.A. Do not think that a leftist group who agrees with abortion that kills millions each year cares too much about children. However the left has an agenda on disarming the U.S.A. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF.

Dave Mail

8:47 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Passing laws and administrative policies that only law abiding and non-problem causing folks will follow will make these policies about as effective as the war on drugs. Many drugs are illegal and yet is seems that they exist in abundance in part of the population. Do NOT infringe the rights of the law abiding. Enforce the laws that exist and much of the problem will go away with the type of perp who already flaunts the law.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

9:28 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013

When I read through the President's executive orders, I hear "Cha-CHING!" in every line. These orders are about funneling more money (money released quickly and without accountability to meet the urgency of this "crisis") to the most highly favored bureaucrats and industry cronies with the ultimate goal of bankrupting the United States post haste.

Now that the AFA and EPA are in place, there is nothing outside the realm of the President's control: everything on the land, in the air, in the water and inside each US citizen is now under the administration of the US government.

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Thomas Collins

12:08 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

all these comments about how we should do nothing make me sick. The status quo cannot stay the laws of this land, and anyone who thinks they are to be left as is says that knowing that kids will die.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

12:31 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

I can't imagine why you might think that if all these changes are instituted, children won't die.

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Tiffany Jones

1:19 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

@ Laurel, No one knows if these steps will prevent any future horrific events. We do know that the current state of things has not prevented past events. Would you assume that changing nothing could suddenly bring about prevention? Or perhaps that we are helpless to stop these crimes?
Either way, I am proud to live in a country that will not stand by and bow to special interest groups hell bent on preserving their profits as well the obviously flawed status quo, but will instead change and change again until the change until improvement is seen.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

3:08 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Tiffany & Thomas:

If you are referring to the status quo of greedy capitalists as the root of the problem, you might look at the entertainment and insurance industries, not the gun industry. Among the edicts issued by the President, there is an underlying recognition that we really have no idea why violence is increasing. Solid research into this question is the only reasonable measure the President suggests, but there will be no reason in the research if, as you suggest, we are determined to employ interventions no matter whether those interventions will or will not prevent or reduce future attacks.

When your family is in crisis, do you stand there screaming, "Do something; do something!" then follow through by doing whatever comes to mind, or do you assess the situation and enact measure that will truly have a positive outcome?

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Myron Holley

8:02 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Yet you kill millions of children each year with abortions.

Thomas Collins

1:10 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

No, YOU know that if something is not done different what the results will be. why do you want to continue a path that leads to where we are?

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Myron Holley

8:04 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Every law that is passed is taking a little bit more freedom away.

Pat

2:36 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Have any of you been to a gun show. People from all walks of life can purchase any kind of gun. I believe making gun dealers to require a national check for there guns is a good thing. To many mental ill people are now buying guns and for what purpose??? This is the best way to start dealing with the problem.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

3:12 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Pat:
I mainly reference the Presidential orders, since those can be enacted immediately and without congressional review. Measures such as universal background checks are under the authority of the Congress. The President will have little opportunity to affect the outcomes there.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

3:23 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

I'm for Congress enacting universal background checks as long as they don't institute universal gun registration.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

3:24 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

...as I would be opposed to Congress enacting universal registration of citizens' houses of worship...

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Laurel Myers Hurst

3:25 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

...or citizens' choices of media outlets (Oops! I guess we already lost on that measure with the Patriot Act).

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Myron Holley

8:05 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

Wrong here. To purchase a weapon at a gun show you have the same laws and rules as a dealer in his or her store.

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Very pro 2nd amendment!

11:10 am on Sunday, January 20, 2013

Pat, have YOU ever been to a gun show? I have, plenty of times. Before you start passing half truths, get the facts: There are a bunch of guns sold at gun shows. It does NOT require a background check to for a person to sell their firearm to a dealer there. The gun shows have always been watched by the law. YOU MUST COMPLETE A BACKGROUND CHECK TO PURCHASE A FIREARM FROM A DEALER. There are private sales too but no one wants to get caught with the crime, I assure you.
The law also states that FFL dealers do reserve the right to DENY selling to anyone in question. Most dont want that guilt nor the chance of losing their license.
I have no idea where you get your ideas from but what I say is from the law. The reality is that Americans were granted the 2ND amendment. There is a reason it was #2 on the priority list. Guns have always been here! All shooting take place in places that ban weapons. Kinda see the trend..........

Tiffany Jones

3:36 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

If my family is in crisis I would do something, hoping it will work. if it doesn't I would do something again and again until my family is safe. Would I think about it first? Sure. Would I keep thinking all the while? Yep. (example: house on fire, I try to open a door, seems like a good option, but doorknob is hot, so I try a window, it works. Should I have instead gotten on the internet to verify the fire retardant properties of hollow core doors , and then checked some studies on evacuation sucess/survival rates via second vs first story windows and then ordered that dang fire preparedness video I always meant to?)

Did President Obama and Vice President think before acting? Yep. Did they consider a multifaceted approach and critically consider many different aspects? Yes Did they include in the discussion only the gun industry? No. Did they include the entertainment industry (and the many facets therein)? Yes. Do they know for certain these changes will fix everything? No. Is that a reasonable condition? No.

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Myron Holley

8:07 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

This is a agenda to disarm the AVERAGE CITIZEN AND NOTHING MORE.

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Tiffany Jones

3:25 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

@MYRON, That type of flagrant sensationalism is irresponsible. None of the measures mention DISARMING. To limit the type of weapons, types or amounts of ammunition, change background check protocols etc. is simply not the same thing. Did the assault weapon ban that expired September 13, 2004 "disarm the average citizen"? Unless we stop spouting propaganda and start using critical thinking skills this conversation is pointless.

Laurel Myers Hurst

3:55 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

We have long-standing, copious data that indicates a direct correlation between observing violent crimes in the media and the increased likelihood those viewers will commit violent crimes. Do broadcast programs, video games or Hollywood productions reflect that empirically-gathered data? Are they called into account for their production values? Because this administration so clearly denies the proven roots of violence and the death-culture (the media being one among many) in the United States, I don't trust this is anything more than political maneuvering and financial pandering.

PBS über alles! Now that's a government initiative I could support.

In the words of the Honorable Mayor Jackson, "It's not that we don't know what the problems are. We've known them for years. It's not that we don't know what the solutions are. We've known those for years. The problem is we haven't done anything about it."

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Laurel Myers Hurst

4:01 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

The increase in violence in our country is due to our rejection of human equality, the devaluing of human life from conception to grave, and the public display of everything heinous the human mind can conceive. Check the data.

Tiffany Jones

4:07 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

No one, not the President, nor his administration have denied that there are many aspects that can be "blamed" for the increase in gun violence in this nation but I think it is insane to not acknowledge there is also "a direct correlation" between guns and gun violence. I will also quote the words of the Honorable Mayor Jackson, "It's not that we don't know what the PROBLEMS are. We've known THEM for years It's not that we don't know what the SOLUTIONS are. We've known THOSE for years. The problem is we haven't done anything about it." because he definitely is not speaking or thinking so singularly.

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Laurel Myers Hurst

4:28 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013

I'll take your accusation of "insanity" as a clear signal that you're not willing to look at or deal with the facts.

Where gun ownership is on the increase, there is not always an increase in gun violence. Where guns ownership is on the decrease, there is not always a decrease in violence. Therefore, there may be a direct correlation between guns and gun violence, but it might not be the one you're hoping for.

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Tiffany Jones

3:25 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I said the correlation between guns and gun violence is undeniable or in my EXACT wording that "I think it is insane to not acknowledge there is also "a direct correlation" between guns and gun violence". That is where the insanity reference came from. Please do not alter my words or meanings to suit your own purposes. The facts and statistics you (vaguely) reference, may indeed be inconclusive and can be adapted to suit which ever "side" you are supporting, However the undeniable truth is that "guns" are a necessary component of "gun violence". The solution is not easy to pinpoint, b/c guns do and will continue to exist and humans are and will continue to be capable of horrific levels of violence. To minimize this is our challenge and one that will not be met without changing something.

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Matt Fredmonsky

9:41 am on Friday, January 18, 2013

Comments were removed for violating Patch's terms of use. http://kent.patch.com/terms

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Carla Worthington

12:22 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013

Trying to be objective, I find reading through everyones commentary to be viable concerns and opinions. There are so many underlying issues, but the one that everyone appears to not address is the fact that society today is allowing much more violence to be integrated and tolerated in our everyday lives. Step back a moment and think how these same horrible events in the schools were to happen a decade or two ago. Yes, there has been violence throughout history, but not like this. The events would have been unherd of. Our children were not as exposed to violent movies, video games, and general violence you see through the media everyday and we as a society allow it. I am sadden to see that there also was not any mention of addressing the media, film industry and especially video games, etc.

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Helen Flint

3:59 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013

As citizens of the United States, we should know what all 23 proposals on the gun
laws are. The president is making decisions that we don't know anything about and
hiding them among other "proposals". Little by little, our freedoms are being taken
away. Wake up America the Beautiful!!

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Mars

11:10 am on Sunday, January 20, 2013

Jackson Women's Health Organization, Jackson Mississippi. There go more constitutionally protected rights, right out the window.

Helen Flint

3:59 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013

Little by little, our freedoms are being taken away. Wake up America!

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Mars

10:33 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Wow, shootings as gun shows by "responsible, law abiding citizens". Haha. How perfect. Yeah, safe, responsible gun owners shooting each other on "accident". Guns!
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/19/us/north-carolina-gun-show-shooting/index.html

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Laurel Myers Hurst

11:35 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Your glee reflects the true root of the gun problem, as I suggested above.

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i love doughnuts

3:25 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

the irony of it all does make me gleeful - added to my glee over president obama's inauguration yesterday, i'm absolutely, 100% gleeful!! did your family enjoy the ceremony laura?

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Very pro 2nd amendment!

9:42 am on Wednesday, January 23, 2013

MaLoBrRe, it was a police officer that pulled the trigger at the gun show. Please dont just report what you want to believe, post the truth

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