Posted on 10/18/2012 3:34:57 AM PDT by marktwain
Guest post by: Andy Pelosi, who has worked on the gun violence issue for 15 years and is the director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence and The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus.
For those of us working to reduce gun violence in America, we have been wondering when, and if, President Obama and Governor Romney would speak about the issue that most elected officials continue to run away from: guns. Last night, the question, in a narrow form, came up with respect to a federal ban on assault weapons (which expired in 2004).
Each year in America, at least 30,000 people are killed by guns, while another 100,000 people are injured. Unfortunately, as communities around this country continue to suffer the plague of gun death and injury, most elected officials prefer to wrap themselves around the protective coating of the 2nd Amendment, stick their heads in the sand and pledge allegiance to the gun lobby as their response to America’s homeland tragedy.
Las
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Governor Romney promised not to push for more infringements on Second Amendment rights than already exist in current law, while pointing out the hypocracy of the current administration who sanctioned running thousands of guns to drug cartels in Mexico for political purposes.
It is amazing to watch the old media spike a scandal where the Obama administration sanctioned a policy designed to result in the deaths of hundreds of Mexican for political gain.
Governor Romney was willing to give President Obama the opportunity to explain what the purpose of opperation Fast and Furious was. He was willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt, but could not see any purpose to the policy.
The fig leaf that this policy was to somehow “arrest the big fish” in the drug cartels is laughable on its face. The only plan was to have the Mexican government discover hundreds of weapons at crime scenes in Mexico, then to inform them that the weapons had been purchased illegally in the United States.
They were found at crime scenes! It was illegal for the drug cartels to possess them! It was illegal to commit murder with them! To claim that this somehow made arresting drug lords more likely is insane.
To have an administration that is willing to facilitate mass murder for political purposes, then to go to great lengths to cover up the malfeasance, is a scandal that would be front page news if it were any other administration than a Democratic one.
Gunwalker / Murdergate ping.
Let's not forget that Obama also mentioned handgun violence in his hometown of Chicago.
His disdain for firearms covers a lot more than just one class of firearms.
Each year in America, at least 30,000 people are killed by guns, while another 100,000 people are injured.
The two statements seem disconnected. Surely the relevant point is how many people are killed/injured by "assault weapons."
If Romney really has no idea about the purpose of F&F he’s a willing idiot.
andy pelosi? satan made a bunch of them I guess.
LLS
“I will not make any new gun laws”.
Mitt Romney
You’re right, Obama is against handguns, also. These are Obama’s actions prior to the White House.
Obama:
In 1996, signed issues statement supporting banning all handguns
In 2000, co-sponsored a bill to restrict buying handguns to 1 per month.
In 2004, voted against a bill protecting a homeowner if they had to use an illegal gun to defend against a home invasion
In 2005, voted against a bill protecting gun manufactures and dealers from civil liability for guns later used in crimes.
In 2008, supported the D.C. handgun ban argued in Heller vs. D.C.
http://www.ontheissues.org/2012/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm
Romney:
Endorsed by the NRA. Also backed by GOAL, the Gun Owners Action League in Massachusetts who states:
“During the Romney Administration, no anti-Second Amendment or anti-sportsmen legislation made its way to the Governor’s desk. Governor Romney did sign five pro-Second Amendment/pro-sportsmen bills into law. His administration also worked with Gun Owners’ Action League and the Democratic leadership of the Massachusetts House and Senate to remove any anti-Second Amendment language from the Gang Violence bill passed in 2006. A summary of this legislation follows.”
(The “assault weapons ban” that Romney signed as Governor was actually BACKED by the gun lobby there because it LOOSENED the existing restrictions.)
http://www.goal.org/newspages/romney.html
Good morning, Tamzee. For months, (actually since Romney was dubbed the Republican front runner last year) I was anti-Romney because of his 2nd Amendment policies in Massachussetts. After reading his pointed interview in “American Rifleman” and endorsement reasons by the NRA, my doubts were removed. He staked out some solid, sure, and dependable positions on gun ownership/use. Personally, I no longer consider him as someone who wants to take my handguns or long guns (regardless of variety). If he wavers, he should be able to be snapped back to his commitments. Unlike the President, he seems to be a man of integrity.
Gwjack
Of special interest:
“Governor Romney was then given the same question and said he was not in favor of new legislation (to ban assault weapons). He then took the opportunity to deflect the question and try to hammer President Obama on the ‘Fast and Furious’ operation where guns were sent to Mexico as part of a large gun trafficking investigation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, calling it ‘the greatest failure we’ve had with regards to — to gun violence’.”
“Really? Our greatest failure regarding gun violence is the Fast and Furious operation? It would appear to me that our greatest failure comes from elected officials continuing to pander to the gun lobby and refusing to discuss ways to strengthen our guns laws to reduce gun death and injury.”
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pelosified BS.
The author, Andy Pelosi, writes like he’s in tenth grade.
He is smart enough to know that without ironclad proof (which Obama is withholding by claiming executive priviledge) he would be crucified in the MSM if he made the direct accusation.
I believe that he strongly suspects what we assume, but this was the best way to bring the issue forward.
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