Oregon Shooting Draws Obama’s Outrage on Gun Laws

[SecularMotion]

WASHINGTON — President Obama, speaking hours after a gunman killed a student and wounded a teacher at an Oregon high school, said Tuesday that his failure to push through stricter gun laws was the greatest frustration of his presidency, declaring, “We’re the only developed country on earth where this happens.”

Speaking in blunt and bitter terms about a bloody trail of shootings in the last month, Mr. Obama said: “Our levels of gun violence are off the charts. There’s no advanced, developed country on earth that would put up with this.”

While the president said he had undertaken several executive actions to tighten existing regulations, the failure to require a background check for buyers of guns left the nation vulnerable to an unending series of mass shootings. “The bottom line is, is that we don’t have enough tools right now to really make as big of a dent as we need to,” Mr. Obama said to a young audience at a White House question-and-answer session sponsored by the social media site Tumblr.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/us/troutdale-oregon-reynolds-high-school-shooting.html?hp

[spin]

1. I believe we could have made significant progress in improving our national gun laws ...

if Dianne Feinstein hadn't pushed for another assault weapons ban.

I wish the Democratic Party would simply ban the use of the word "ban" when it comes to gun control.

[otohara]

11. If Only Democrats Didn't Care

about our daily death by guns problem.

Why can't we be more like the GOP and not give a shit?

[spin]

12. You have to remember that many elected Democrats come from gun friendly states. ...

They were elected to represent their voters who do not agree with legislation such as an assault weapons ban.

Democrats from the large urban areas of our nation that are not gun friendly tried to get these Senate Democrats to "vote their conscious" but they wisely refused. Many probably are familiar with the gun culture in their states and may even own and use rifles that would qualify as an assault weapon and saw no value in passing legislation such as an assault weapons ban. The evil looking black rifles that would have been effected by the law are basically semiautomatic rifles and operate just like common hunting rifles with wood stocks. They are also excellent target rifles, ARE used for hunting and can serve as an excellent home defense weapon in a rural environment.

However the fact that gun owners oppose another assault weapons ban does not mean that they all would be unwilling to pass some truly reasonable legislation that would help insure that violent criminals and those who who have been adjudged as suffering from serious mental illness can not legally buy a firearm. Gun owners do not approve of the straw purchase of firearms or smuggling weapons into the inner cities to be illegally sold and would accept stricter laws to help curb such activity. Many would accept a law that says a buyer has to show proof of firearms safety training before he can buy a firearm or ammunition.

There are many ways our national gun laws could be improved that the majority of gun owners would agree with and accept.

But gun owners strongly oppose any legislation that would require all firearms to be registered or bans on certain weapons as they fear such laws could lead to further bans and the eventual confiscation of almost all firearms in our nation.

If such suggestions are taken off the table we might be able to pass many more reasonable laws.

[otohara]

13. Guns & Friendly

Gun Deadly States.

[spin]

15. That's YOUR opinion ...

and you are entitled to it.

I think we can both agree that firearms should be only owned by honest and sane people who use them in a responsible manner.

While we probably can never guarantee that all firearm owners are honest, sane and responsible, we might be able to pass well thought out legislation that will reduce tragic gun violence.

In order to accomplish this I feel it would be wise for gun control advocates to stop insisting on firearm legislation that would ban certain firearms that are currently legal and/or all firearms be registered with the federal government.

That's MY opinion and I also am entitled to it.

[Duckhunter935]

2. Any comments on your post?

Not very nice for a host to ignore the SOP of your favorite group.

[blueridge3210]

3. I could swear I had to go through a background check

when I purchase a firearm. Oh, that's right I did. It would appear that background checks are required.

Does the OP wish to discuss the article or the issue of background checks for firearms purchases?

[Duckhunter935]

6. Background check on everyone of my firearms purchases

even the ones I purchased on the the internet. All required by federal laws that are in force now.

[mog75]

16. Me too.

I've also always been required to do the background check when purchasing firearms at gun shows. Gun show loophole indeed!

[ileus]

4. Translation....another gun and ammo run.

I'll probably throw a few magazines on my reloading order I plan on making this week.

[hack89]

5. Then he needs to gag Diane Feinstein

and propose a limited bill just addressing background checks.

[Jenoch]

7. I wonder what law would have prevented this shooting?

[DonP]

8. "Sqwauk!!!" NRA Talking Points!

Asking a question that might actually be relevant is just more NRA Talking Points.

If you don't believe me, just check all the posts in GD this week.

It's almost as ironic as the Navy Yard shooting last year, where we immediately (like within 15 minutes) had multiple threads about how horrible AR15's are and how they are the most used weapon in mass shootings and need to be banned ... for a few days .... then we all found out it was a plain old Remington 870.

Another relevant question, have any of these recent criminals bought their guns illegally, NICS check etc.?

I know the California murderer bought them with a background check, I haven't heard about this guy yet or the 2 Vegas assholes.

[Jenoch]

9. I believe the Las Vegas guy was a felon.

I will guess the Oregon shooter stole the gun from a family member.

[blueridge3210]

10. I thought the current meme

was "Gunner Talking Points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Don't try to educate me!!!!!!!!" "Waahhhhh!!!!"; followed by some strawman argument regarding "good guys with guns", "assault rifles", "guns everywhere", etc.

[Packerowner740]

14. Let's just hope something can be done about it now.