Follow Up: What the President is doing and not doing on gun control

First of all what he is NOT doing:

  • The President is not going to order the Government come and round your guns up and take them away. This is being promoted by those who wish to make money on your fears. (See: Alex Jones)

What he is doing is this: (H/T Reuters)

Obama speaks on gun violence prevention:
• Obama proposes 23 “executive actions” on gun control
• Obama’s 23 actions can be implemented without Congressional approval
• Obama’s 23 “executive actions” costs some $500mil in FY 2014 budget
• Obama proposes requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales
• Obama directs CDC to conduct research into causes, prevention of gun violence
• Part of Obama’s CDC direction includes influence of video games
• Obama proposes ban on armor-piercing bullets through manufacture, import ban
• Obama proposes program to allow schools to hire 1,000 “school resource officers”
• Obama calls on Congress to pass new gun trafficking laws
• Obama calls for reinstatement of assault weapons ban
• Obama proposes 10-round limit on ammunition magazines
• Obama nominates Todd Jones to be director of ATF
• Obama urges Congress to confirm Todd Jones
• Document: See full list of Obama’s gun violence prevention proposals

One thing I need to point out here; you see where it says, “Proposes” and “Calls for?” This simply means that Obama wants Congress, that being the Senate and the House, to bring those items up for a vote. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT OBAMA CAN JUST DO THOSE THINGS BY EXECUTIVE ORDER! So, despite what Matt Drudge or Alex Jones might tell you; Obama is NOT, I REPEAT NOT, NOT, NOT coming from anyone’s guns anytime soon!

The worst thing that is going to come out of any of this, is that there will be a mandatory federal background check, including one’s mental health; made on those who want to obtain a gun permit; and in the opinion of this writer, that is not a bad idea. This will keep guns out of the hands of the whack jobs, like the kid who shot up that theater in Colorado.

The rest of this stuff will never pass the house in Congress at all. Do not believe me?

Here is Fox News’s report:

The story:

President Obama’s sweeping plan to address gun violence was met Wednesday with swift and stiff resistance by gun rights advocates and conservative lawmakers, setting up a tense debate that will be held on the airwaves, in congressional hearing rooms and in communities across America.

The package proposed Wednesday is the most comprehensive in decades. The president called for a new, tougher assault weapons ban and a 10-round limit on magazines, as well as legislation to bar the possession of armor-piercing bullets and require criminal background checks for nearly all gun sales.

Separately, he approved 23 executive actions while calling for additional funding to address mental health and school security.
The movement comes in the wake of last month’s school massacre in Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were killed.
“If there’s even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try,” said Obama, joined at the White House by four children who wrote to the president following the Newtown, Conn., tragedy.

But several lawmakers said the president’s proposals in large part would not have prevented a shooting like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They accused the president of glossing over potential factors like the entertainment industry and the country’s mental health system, making clear that the legislative proposals could face an uphill climb.

“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,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said. “Rolling back responsible citizens’ rights is not the proper response to tragedies committed by criminals and the mentally ill.”

So, as I say, nothing big is coming off here. Despite my initial fears; this is a bit of a nothing burger really.

However, I will say this; this will hurt the Democrats in the long run. The President’s party will pay for this little move in 2014 and 2016. You can bet on that one. Wherever the Democrats are easily routed in elections; they will be. Bank on that one.

Also too, just a little opinion; this from the NRA, did the gun right crowd no favors at all. What idiots. 🙄

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