Pledging to work hard despite what he expects will be a difficult process, on Wednesday President Barack Obama introduced a plan to reduce gun violence in the wake of a deadly December school shooting in Connecticut.
In front of an audience that included family members of the victims of the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Obama signed executive orders initiating 23 separate actions to move the plan forward.
“We can’t put this off any longer,” he said.
He also called on Congress to take action to pass specific proposals right away that will assist with his proposals.
Obama’s actions were spurred by the Newtown shooting, which took the lives of 20 school children and six school staff and faculty.
In introducing the president, Vice President Joe Biden noted that he had “never seen a nation’s conscience so shaken” as the United States’ had been by the Sandy Hook Elementary killings.
Biden and Obama’s cabinet members have been leading the effort to come up with next steps to curb gun violence. In doing so, Biden said they had met with 229 groups.
In a statement reacting to Obama’s plan, the National Rifle Association said keeping children and society safe is its top priority.
“Attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation. Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy,” the group said.
Congressman Mike Thompson, whose district includes the southern portion of Lake County, was appointed last month to chair the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
“The president and our task force agree that we need a comprehensive approach to reduce and prevent gun violence,” Thompson said in a written statement. “Executive action can and should be part of the process, and many of the executive actions announced today will have a positive influence on reducing gun violence. Now it’s time for Congress to step up and do what needs to be done to save lives. Many of the policies that will have the greatest impact on reducing gun violence will require Congressional action.”
Thompson said that during the next several weeks the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force will examine the president’s proposals and the proposals of others.
“We will continue meeting with stakeholders on every side of this issue. And we will develop a comprehensive set of policy proposals that both respect peoples’ Second Amendment rights and help keep our communities safe from gun violence,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said Obama’s “common-sense steps” are a “fitting tribute to the victims of gun violence.”
She added, “The president also rightly called on Congress to do its part to help prevent guns from getting into the hands of the mentally ill and criminals, keep weapons of war and high-capacity magazines off our streets and protect our children while they are at school.”
The plan’s points
Key provisions of Obama’s plan include requiring universal background checks for all gun sales, 40 percent of which don’t have such checks, reinstating the ban on military-style assault weapons and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.
The president also proposes to create serious punishments for gun trafficking and help communities across the country keep 15,000 cops on the street.
There would also be a return to research on gun violence, including its links to video games and violence in the media, Obama said. “We don’t benefit from ignorance.”
Other important aspects of the plan include making schools safer by putting 1,000 more school resources officers and counselors in schools, and ensuring those schools have emergency plans.
Obama also pledged to improve mental health services, including making sure that students and young adults get the treatment they need.
In his speech Obama said 900 people have died from guns in the month since the Connecticut school shooting.
“Every day we wait, that number will keep growing,” he said.
Obama acknowledged that making the necessary changes will be difficult.
“The only way we can change is if the American people demand it,” he said.
Obama’s full proposal can be read below.
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