Friday, January 04, 2013

White House prepares to overwhelm NRA and pass legislation to deal with gun violence. Oh, this is great news! Update!


Courtesy of TPM:  

The White House and gun control supporters are gearing up for a whirlwind month, with plans to pass reform legislation before outrage over the Sandy Hook massacre has a chance to fade. 

While the fiscal cliff has dominated Washington’s attention in recent weeks, lawmakers and activists are laying the groundwork for their big push. Vice President Joe Biden, tasked with heading a commission to investigate gun violence, has been quietly meeting with experts, interest groups, and public officials and is expected to release a set of recommendations within weeks. Boston mayor Thomas Menino, co-chair of Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns, told the Boston Herald this week that an optimistic Biden had assured him that Obama would sign legislation “by the end of January.” 

“We had been led to believe their report would come by end of January, but we’re hearing they may want to have something out by January 15, even quicker than expected,” Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, told TPM. 

House Democrats are moving ahead with their own plans as well. On Friday, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), chair of the newly created Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, announced the appointment of 12 vice chairs, including Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), the body’s leading voice on gun control. According to a Democratic aide, the group plans to release its recommendations in early February and is already organizing public hearings on the issue. 

Obama has personally identified an assault weapons ban and limits on ammunition magazine size as top priorities. Other possible reforms could include background check requirements for purchases at gun shows, a loophole that’s helped create a huge market of off-record arms purchases.

This is SUCH good news!

I had been worried that the attention span of the American people and Congress would prove to short for anything of importance to be done on this issue before we became distracted with other breaking news items or partisan political battles.

However I have also believed that this time things were different and that we would finally see some real impactful legislation passed to deal with what I think we can all agree is an out of control situation.

You know I believed the President when he said that hearing about the Newtown massacre was the worst day of his presidency.  I saw that man's heart breaking when he addressed the nation after that attack, and believed that he could not simply allow things to remain the way they are without doing something to protect our children.  I am glad to see that I was right to have faith.

Update: Gabby!

Courtesy of the New York Daily News:  

Limping slightly and leaning on astronaut husband Mark Kelly for support, Giffords smiled as she entered town hall and embraced Schools Superintendent Janet Robinson. 

“We’re so glad you came,” Robinson said. “Thank you.” 

“How horrible,” Giffords replied, holding on to Robinson for a beat longer. 

Then Giffords was ushered inside for a private meeting with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D—Conn.) and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.  

Giffords brought with her a perspective that only a select few share — that of a person who came face-to-face with the kind of madness that left 20 innocent children and six school staffers dead on a cruel December morning. 

You know I thought I was filled with hope after reading of the President's plans, but seeing Gabby in Newtown, and realizing that she will most likely lend her voice to this issue as well, increases that hope tenfold.

23 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:36 PM

    there was an article about the youngest newtown victim. it described some of his injuries. for example his jaw was blown off. everyone should have to read that article and i wish they would show the autopsy pics so people would have those images seared in their minds. then no memories would fade and neither would the resolve to make real changes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:10 PM

      The gun nuts don't care about photos of blown apart kids. They will just counter with their argument du jour, which is a good guy with a gun will trump the bad guy with a gun every time. Too many spaghetti westerns and Lone Ranger films in their past.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:18 PM

      Also, one of his little hands was mangles, his mother said. So heartbreaking.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous4:40 PM

    Gabby & Mark did meet with Mayor Bloomberg and others in NYC on Wednesday for a meeting on 'common sense gun safety' or whatever the name has been changed to as 'gun control' is one of the issues sending the Rethugs into tantrums.

    Remember -- when you say something like 'gun control' to a Rethug Bagger -- they see it as you taking their guns away. They have 'one dimensional' minds and you have to choose your wording. They don't have the ability to grasp two thoughts at one time so when you say 'gun control' they then can't comprehend what you then explain to them what it means -- they have a singular brain cell and you have to feed them in small doses.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous6:12 PM

      '''
      Remember -- when you say something like 'gun control' to a Rethug Bagger -- they see it as you taking their guns away. They have 'one dimensional' minds and you have to choose your wording. They don't have the ability to grasp two thoughts at one time so when you say 'gun control' they then can't comprehend what you then explain to them what it means -- they have a singular brain cell and you have to feed them in small doses. '''

      This is SO damn true.. They are just not intelligent.

      Delete
    2. Leland2:48 AM

      As long as you keep in mind there are millions of us legal gun owners who agree with you, I'm fine with your statement.

      Unfortunately, I appear to be the only one of my family who isn't a Repube Bagger and who doesn't scream bloody murder about "taking our guns away"!

      Before you ask, yes. I HAVE tried to talk rationally with them about it. The result? I am invited now ONLY to the MAJOR things in my family's home, like Christmas. Does it bother me?

      HELL NO!

      In fact, the advantage is I don't have to listen to their ignorant, uneducable fanatic Repube discussions!

      Delete
  3. Anonymous4:54 PM

    The Brady Bill needs to be amended....no automatic weapons, period.

    I don't know of one person who was not shaken by Newtown. Unfortunate that it took this tragedy to finally get action of some kind.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:03 PM

    Bristol Palin's alleged stalker mails her engagement ring, knife, report says

    http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/01/04/bristol-palin-alleged-stalker-mails-her-engagement-ring-knife-report-says/

    knife not a gun?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anita Winecooler8:16 PM

      LoL it's fox news - it was probably a plastic knife anyway!!!!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:19 PM

      I call bull shit on this. Stalking with an engagement ring was not enough so Bristol and company added a knife? Sorry, not buying it.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous5:09 PM

    The White House must address this. We the majority of Americans that voted for Obama deserve this; we voted for a man that shares our best interests (well, I don't condone the drone wars, but hopefully once we stop killing so many of our own we will stop killing those outside our borders, indiscriminately).

    Most Americans don't own arsenals.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:09 PM

    I admit, I let my passport lapse as I refuse to travel to the US anymore. My last trip was Christmas 2008 as I frequently cross-border shopped as I'm only just over an hour from a border and spent holidays whether by flying and quite often driving. I just can't do it anymore as I don't feel safe. I'd be afraid to even bump into someone these days as you seriously have no idea. As a 'visitor' it's not that you can 'carry' for your own protection. A visitor is truly defenseless.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous7:18 PM

      Heck, if you "almost" live here then I'd say keep your passport and visit other wonderful places; South Pacific, Australia/New Zealand, Europe. There are lots of better places to vacation if you are a Mexican or Canadian (not sure which border you are close to, North or South). Anyway, if I didn't live in America and have family here I certainly wouldn't vacation here, except maybe for Alaska and Hawaii, those are pretty special.

      Delete
    2. Anita Winecooler8:13 PM

      Anonymous 7:18 - shhhhh!!! Let them stay away, a little fear is a good thing!

      Delete
  7. I must admit I was worried when I read this week that the President said that immigration would be his next priority and that they were starting on it now.

    My first thought was....what about the guns? What about Sandy Hook? Have they forgotten already? Because if they leave it until after immigration reform nothing is going to happen. Immigration will take as long or longer than the affordable healthcare act.

    But this is very good news. I hope this time it will be an effective step in the direction of controlling guns, ammo, clips and the rest of the paraphernalia.

    ReplyDelete
  8. emrysa7:52 PM

    this IS excellent news. let's hope it happens.

    americans need to get over their love of guns. the love of guns - and the second amendment - are both completely irrational in the context of modern day life in 2013.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anita Winecooler8:30 PM

    Gabby is such an inspiration to me. She's not a "Victim", she's not letting what happened define her, and that takes conviction and courage. She's the perfect spokesperson for Gun Control!

    I was listening to "Liberally Speaking" on Current, and this gun owner called in with a Great Point. He said that if people READ the second amendment, it says "A well regulated militia", meaning there are many regulations on legal use of guns already, and that having an "Assault Weapon Ban" IS following the letter of the law.
    We need responsible gun owners to join us in this fight.

    This is excellent news!!! I had a sinking feeling that Gabby would pay a visit then everything would go on the back burner due to all the other stuff in current events.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Most hunters, I.E. the sane and responsible gun owners, are all for the regulations being proposed. Because they don't pertain to hunters. Hunters don't need grenade launchers or assault weapons with 30 round clips to bag a deer.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous11:16 PM

    The first order of business will be to find a way to shrug off violent crime and gun crime statistics that show a steep decline in the face of liberalized gun laws and right to carry laws.

    Just flies in the face of the anti-gun lobby doesn't it?

    http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous8:13 AM

    Really?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jrJjlPH1dqo

    ReplyDelete
  12. jcinco9:23 AM

    another three mowed down by gun man in Aurora, CO...sweet home colorado, when did we become over run with buybull thumpers and gun nuts? I don't know that I want to continue to live here...our governor is useless...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous10:19 AM

    Gun hating liberals certainly live in a dream world. If this useless "assault weapons" ban passes nothing will change in the real world except a demand by the gun haters for more restrictions. There is no such thing as "common sense" gun laws!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous10:51 AM

    Too bad the regime got caught laying out it's plans for total prohibition on guns with that memo the A.P. is denying at the same time they admit it came from theWhite House. Yes, The dims are trying to disarm the civilians. Obama is a fascist and you people are his accomplices.

    ReplyDelete

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