Posted on 12/24/2012 9:59:27 PM PST by Red Steel
With President Obama’s announcement of a commission to study and recommend ways to reduce gun violence, the two most important Democrats in government — Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — have both indicated a desire to slow the momentum toward gun control in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut school shootings. The president’s decision to appoint a blue-ribbon panel — the classic Washington ploy to defuse and delay consideration of an issue — along with Reid’s inaction on the gun question will undoubtedly frustrate many in their party who want immediate action.
Obama seemed to anticipate that frustration when he announced the creation of the commission, to be headed by Vice President Joe Biden, in the White House briefing room Wednesday morning. “This is not some Washington commission,” Obama said. “This is not something where folks are going to be studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside.” To stress his determination, Obama said the Biden Commission must report its findings in January. Its task, he said, is “to pull together real reforms right now.”
Obama’s move will likely dissipate the energy behind gun control advocacy on Capitol Hill. It’s unlikely that even the most pro-gun-control Democrats would want to get out in front of the Biden Commission and pass specific measures. And the political world, and the emotional intensity behind the gun issue, could be quite different even a month from now. So Obama is stopping Democratic momentum, and he knows it. Republicans know it, too. “The creation of a commission is by definition an effort to freeze in place whatever object it seeks to examine,” says one senior Republican Senate aide.
Reid apparently wants the same thing. Meeting reporters Tuesday, Reid made clear that he does not intend to do much of anything on the gun issue. Asked “what gun control measures would you support going forward?” Reid’s answer was a study in saying nothing:
REID: I watched the prayers, I watched everything that took place in Connecticut Sunday night. No one law can erase evil; that’s what the president said, and he’s right. But we need to accept the reality that we’re not doing enough to protect our citizens. I’m very happy that the president’s going to do everything he can administratively. We must engage on a thoughtful debate about how to change laws and culture that allow violence not continue to grow. Every idea should be on the table as we discuss how best to keep our children safe.
QUESTION: Can you speak specifically [about any] particular gun control measure?
REID: No. No, I’ve been very clear here. I think we have to have a full discussion.
Reid is not alone among Democrats. Although there has been much press coverage of some in the party, among them West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who appear to have softened on gun legislation, there are others who most definitely have not. “I’m going to be one of the more cautious (ones) about doing anything on new gun laws,” Alaska Democratic Sen. Mark Begich told the Anchorage Daily News. “I want to be careful that we just don’t start throwing new laws on the books, driven by emotion, when we need to refocus on this whole issue.” Begich told the paper he preferred to concentrate on the mental illness involved in recent shootings.
In the days since the Newtown killings, many Democrats and their supporters in the press have expressed a desire to enact “meaningful” gun control as soon as possible. In two brief statements, President Obama and Harry Reid have poured some very cold water on those hopes.
We are harvesting the violence we have planted
By: Bill Schmidtgall, Morton, IL.
It’s the heart, not the tool.
Yes the murders in Connecticut were tragic for those shot and the misguided shooter.
The solution is not more gun control. That isn’t even the issue. The issue is how to change hearts. It was the person and our derailed culture who committed this tragedy with a tool.
Consider:
1. How many would be alive today if the young man had been treated for his behavioral problems? We know how to do that, but the pressure to mainstream places a high-risk on reporting same, especially for school officials.
2. How many would be alive today if those brave souls who ran to the chaos were armed and trained?
3. Under free speech, we allow financial reward videos, songs, movies that present murder, chaos, hate as normal, no consequences, and lots of fun, which desensitizes kids and creates copycats.
4. So what is the big deal about killing when adults murder babies and call it pro choice? How many abortions were committed on the same day? I do not condone what he did, but how was it different?
5. What is needed is God-changed hearts, not more man made laws. Without changed hearts, those who intend harm, who wish to make a statement, will find the means. How did prohibition work? Not so well.
6. Hearts will only change when we acknowledge God, as our forefathers did when they wrote the constitution. We tell kids there are no absolutes, no moral code, what is right for you is right for you. We defile marriage, downplay responsibility, and develop entitlement programs that perpetuate single-parent families so kids lack role models.
And we wonder why this is happening?
We are harvesting what we have been planting for decades.
I happen to find this article in the Peoria Journal Star, December 24 issue under letters to the editor. It is always refreshing to find that there are still some clear thinking, common sense individuals left. The problem is that they are becoming outnumbered and a dying breed.
Once again this is my take Saintgermaine
The rumblings of impeachment and a coup d’etat must be registering.
Maybe King Barry can talk about gun control next quarter, too, and then brag about how strong the economy is.
You can bet the surge of gun sales made the quarter look a lot better than it would have otherwise so I suspect we’ll be seeing more on this subject whenever it looks like there will be disappointing retail sales figures on the way.
A GUN CONTROL THIRD PARTY, which will be “disgusted with Obama and the Democrats” for not pushing gun control!
That would be WONDERFUL, huh?
SPLIT THE VOTE LIBS!
ping
We’ll see.......
Noe that’s a third party I could get behind.
Does this mean we’ll start seeing .22 LR bullets on store shelves again? They seem to be somewhat in demand since November 6.
There are plenty of Obama voters and Democrats rushing out to buy guns weapons so they can be armed for self defense and against various crazies. The could care less what the original intent of the Second Amendment is, to guard against tyranny. They just want “something” and they have some common sense
You have people who voted against their self interests. They voted for Democrats, socialists and redistributionists. They voted for a Kenyan and his mooching wife. But they still want their guns and are out buying more right now same as the Romney voters are
The thesis of the article is ridiculous. Saying that “Obama is stopping Democratic momentum” by distorting a couple of sentences smacks of desperation. Right now, momentum, public sentiment and the MSM are on the Democrat’s side, all the stories of shootings in the news are being framed as examples of how dangerous guns are, the NRA did such a terrible job in 2012 it is being called “weak” and “a paper tiger” on the Sunday morning talk shows, and Wayne LaPierre is being ridiculed domestically and internationally, and Biden has hinted at running in 2016 — a successful gun control agenda would be a rallying point for liberals and left-leaning independents.
If Republicans and the NRA don’t do a better job of messaging, they will lose the support of independents and the next 4 years are going to be long and ugly.
Notice that Obama did not say "which" January! He knows full well that no Blue Ribbon (bi-partisan) panel in Washington can meet and suggest changes to any law in 30 days. Typical "kick-can" Washington speak.
The fear is not Gun Control it is Politicians whom fear they will lose their control over the masses. This is why Odumbo and Reid are backing away - overreached with “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Odumbo and Reid have too many crisis situations going on and each crisis situation is blowing up beyond their control. Strive to defuse one just creates another!
The ghetto doesn’t want gun control.
Who places the highest value on owning a firearm? Criminals. Who is least likely to fear being prosecuted for violating the law? Criminals. Who is most likely to have access to illicit dealers? You guessed it.
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You left out.... Who is most likely to vote for Obama?
I think they would be pretty supportive with fewer armed targets enforced by law.
“Hmmmm?”
As predicted by me almost, immediately after the shootings.
The Dems know this issue is political suicide for them, and it looks like they got their polling and focus group data in to confirm it (they were stalling the first few days while that was going on).
They have ONE GOAL the next two years, and that is to take back the House, and as they learned in 1994, being on the wrong side of gun control loses seats in the House, by the dozens (and it’s worse now, with more gun owners). They WILL NOT repeat the mistake of 1994, even if it means having to step over 20 dead kids on the way to that goal (at least from their viewpoint).
They are focused like a laser on the big prize (the House) and nothing else, at all, will be allowed to get in their way.
What the MSM isn't letting on their networks is that the American people don't want to be further disarmed, and only those who will let the media tell them they don't believe what they believe will be swayed. Most people who own firearms aren't willing to give them up--they know why they bought them, they value them for hunting, self-defense, they have sentimental or historical value, or they are an investment. Whatever the reason, people who own them are not likely to relinquish them willingly, nor are they likely to support anything which requires them to in order to follow the law.
The 8,000 new members per day that were joining the NRA must have caught someone’s attention. And speaking of attention the numbers signing the petition to deport Piers Morgan is still climbing. It’s past 60,000 now. Morgan may have spoken too soon when he commented that not many had signed. Running the petition into the hundreds of thousands might also be regarded as indocating that gun control is still one of the third rails of American politics.
We need to take over the Senate in 2014. It’s looking like Rockefeller from WV will retire and possibly be replaced by a Republican now in the House. We need to start identifying which Democrat Senators are vulnerable.
A finer example of argle-bargle will not be found...
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