This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/16/obama-gun-control-record-failure
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Obama's gun control record illustrates a consistent failure to act | Obama's gun control record illustrates a consistent failure to act |
| (4 months later) | |
| There has been no shortage of sorrow-filled words from Barack Obama following each of the tragic mass killings that have afflicted his presidency. | There has been no shortage of sorrow-filled words from Barack Obama following each of the tragic mass killings that have afflicted his presidency. |
| Obama described the wounding of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and deaths of six other people, including a young girl, in Tucson, Arizona, last year as a "tragedy for our entire country" and called for a "national dialogue" on how Americans treat each other. | Obama described the wounding of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and deaths of six other people, including a young girl, in Tucson, Arizona, last year as a "tragedy for our entire country" and called for a "national dialogue" on how Americans treat each other. |
| He struck much the same theme in July following the killing of 12 people at a Colorado cinema. A month later, Obama called for "soul searching" on how to reduce violence after a white supremacist murdered six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. | He struck much the same theme in July following the killing of 12 people at a Colorado cinema. A month later, Obama called for "soul searching" on how to reduce violence after a white supremacist murdered six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. |
| The searing awfulness of Newtown on Friday saw the president in tears, declaring: "We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. | The searing awfulness of Newtown on Friday saw the president in tears, declaring: "We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. |
| "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," he said. | "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics," he said. |
| Although Obama didn't mention gun control, that is what he was widely assumed to be talking about. | Although Obama didn't mention gun control, that is what he was widely assumed to be talking about. |
| But critics say that the president, for all his sorrowful words after each mass killing, has not only visibly failed to address gun control, he has quietly acquiesced in a slew of national, state and local laws in recent years that have generally made it easier to buy and carry weapons. | But critics say that the president, for all his sorrowful words after each mass killing, has not only visibly failed to address gun control, he has quietly acquiesced in a slew of national, state and local laws in recent years that have generally made it easier to buy and carry weapons. |
| Mostly his inaction is attributed to a lack of political gumption – some might say folly – for taking on the powerful gun lobby, particularly the National Rifle Association. | Mostly his inaction is attributed to a lack of political gumption – some might say folly – for taking on the powerful gun lobby, particularly the National Rifle Association. |
| The question now is whether the tragedy of Newtown will change that. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, named after James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was badly wounded during an assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan, has been among the leading critics of Obama over his failure to confront the gun industry. It gave the president an "F" at the end of his first year in office for giving in to the "guns anywhere mentality of the gun lobby" and for "muzzling" his own cabinet on the issue. | The question now is whether the tragedy of Newtown will change that. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, named after James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was badly wounded during an assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan, has been among the leading critics of Obama over his failure to confront the gun industry. It gave the president an "F" at the end of his first year in office for giving in to the "guns anywhere mentality of the gun lobby" and for "muzzling" his own cabinet on the issue. |
| The president promised in his 2008 election campaign to press for a reinstatement of the 1994 ban on assault weapons and large magazine clips which expired under the Bush administration. But Obama did not act on the issue. Apparently fearful of voters with strong pro-gun views in swing states, he shied away from pressing for fresh controls. | The president promised in his 2008 election campaign to press for a reinstatement of the 1994 ban on assault weapons and large magazine clips which expired under the Bush administration. But Obama did not act on the issue. Apparently fearful of voters with strong pro-gun views in swing states, he shied away from pressing for fresh controls. |
| Instead, since coming to power, Obama has signed laws allowing people to carry guns in national parks and failed to use his existing powers to block the import of semi-automatic weapons and clips that hold large numbers of bullets. | Instead, since coming to power, Obama has signed laws allowing people to carry guns in national parks and failed to use his existing powers to block the import of semi-automatic weapons and clips that hold large numbers of bullets. |
| He was silent when the supreme court effectively extended gun rights by striking down local bans on handguns, and when many states permitted the carrying of concealed weapons even in places such as bars, schools and churches. Critics also say the president has failed to enforce existing regulations, particularly background checks on people with criminal records or a history of mental illness. | He was silent when the supreme court effectively extended gun rights by striking down local bans on handguns, and when many states permitted the carrying of concealed weapons even in places such as bars, schools and churches. Critics also say the president has failed to enforce existing regulations, particularly background checks on people with criminal records or a history of mental illness. |
| The New York Times on Sunday reported that the justice department drew up proposals to tighten background checks following the shooting of Giffords and others in Tucson but they were shelved for fear of costing the president support during the election campaign. | The New York Times on Sunday reported that the justice department drew up proposals to tighten background checks following the shooting of Giffords and others in Tucson but they were shelved for fear of costing the president support during the election campaign. |
| But Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign, told the New York Times that the Newtown massacre is so awful it will shift the ground on the gun control debate. "We genuinely believe that this one is different," he said. | But Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign, told the New York Times that the Newtown massacre is so awful it will shift the ground on the gun control debate. "We genuinely believe that this one is different," he said. |
| "It's different because no decent human being can look at a tragedy like this and not be outraged by the fact that it can happen in our nation. And because this time, we're really poised to harness that outrage and create a focused and sustained outcry for change." | "It's different because no decent human being can look at a tragedy like this and not be outraged by the fact that it can happen in our nation. And because this time, we're really poised to harness that outrage and create a focused and sustained outcry for change." |
| Obama received an early suggestion that the mood on guns may have shifted from the widespread derision that greeted the statement by the White House spokesman, Jay Carney, when he said immediately after the Newtown massacre that it was not the day to discuss gun control. | Obama received an early suggestion that the mood on guns may have shifted from the widespread derision that greeted the statement by the White House spokesman, Jay Carney, when he said immediately after the Newtown massacre that it was not the day to discuss gun control. |
| That prompted questions on social media as to whether George Bush would have said that September 11, 2001 was not the day to discuss terrorism or the sinking of the Titanic was not the day to discuss shortages of lifeboats. | That prompted questions on social media as to whether George Bush would have said that September 11, 2001 was not the day to discuss terrorism or the sinking of the Titanic was not the day to discuss shortages of lifeboats. |
| A campaign for greater controls, Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence, said in response to Carney that after the Newtown killings "condolences are not enough". | A campaign for greater controls, Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence, said in response to Carney that after the Newtown killings "condolences are not enough". |
| "Mass shootings and gun murders have become commonplace in our country because our laws are broken and our leaders have no plan to address gun violence. Hours after the shooting, White House press secretary Jay Carney said: 'Today is not the day … to engage in the usual Washington policy debates. I think that that day will come, but today is not that day.' We couldn't disagree more," it said | "Mass shootings and gun murders have become commonplace in our country because our laws are broken and our leaders have no plan to address gun violence. Hours after the shooting, White House press secretary Jay Carney said: 'Today is not the day … to engage in the usual Washington policy debates. I think that that day will come, but today is not that day.' We couldn't disagree more," it said |
| "We say, Now IS the Time to talk about guns. Now IS the time to prevent more pointless deaths." | "We say, Now IS the Time to talk about guns. Now IS the time to prevent more pointless deaths." |
| Robert Spitzer, author of the Politics of Gun Control and chair of the political science department at State University of New York College at Cortland, said the moment might be right for a tightening of gun laws. | Robert Spitzer, author of the Politics of Gun Control and chair of the political science department at State University of New York College at Cortland, said the moment might be right for a tightening of gun laws. |
| "It holds up the prospect that it might precisely because this shooting was uniquely horrifying to the public," he said. "People have been really shocked in a way they have not been in recent times and that creates a political environment that can shake the country out of its paralysis or torpor on this issue. When there's been movement on the gun issue in the past it's often been in response to unusually shocking shootings or similar events. | "It holds up the prospect that it might precisely because this shooting was uniquely horrifying to the public," he said. "People have been really shocked in a way they have not been in recent times and that creates a political environment that can shake the country out of its paralysis or torpor on this issue. When there's been movement on the gun issue in the past it's often been in response to unusually shocking shootings or similar events. |
| "The other thing is this political moment in time – Obama's just come off a convincing re-election win. His party picked up some seats in both houses of Congress. The new Congress will be coming in in just a few weeks. And that provides really an ideal moment for advancing a new policy idea if there's a desire and a will to do it." | "The other thing is this political moment in time – Obama's just come off a convincing re-election win. His party picked up some seats in both houses of Congress. The new Congress will be coming in in just a few weeks. And that provides really an ideal moment for advancing a new policy idea if there's a desire and a will to do it." |
| However, in trying to force through new legislation the president will have to reassure members of Congress afraid of crossing the NRA because of its power to mobilise voters on the gun issue. | However, in trying to force through new legislation the president will have to reassure members of Congress afraid of crossing the NRA because of its power to mobilise voters on the gun issue. |
| Opinion polls over recent years have shown a shift away from public support for tighter gun controls. A Pew opinion poll after last year's shootings in Arizona involving Giffords found that 49% of Americans said it was "more important to protect the rights of Americans to own guns" compared to the 46% who said it was "more important to control gun ownership". | Opinion polls over recent years have shown a shift away from public support for tighter gun controls. A Pew opinion poll after last year's shootings in Arizona involving Giffords found that 49% of Americans said it was "more important to protect the rights of Americans to own guns" compared to the 46% who said it was "more important to control gun ownership". |
| Spitzer said that is because the voices of gun rights advocates are mostly all that is heard in politics and the media. | Spitzer said that is because the voices of gun rights advocates are mostly all that is heard in politics and the media. |
| "There has been declining support, to a great degree because no one has been making the case for gun control in systematic way in about the last 10 years. The Bush administration was very much in the gun rights camp and Democrats and many other gun control spokespeople have been somewhat cowed and more muted in their comments on the issue. The Democrats have run away from the issue in the last few years," he said. | "There has been declining support, to a great degree because no one has been making the case for gun control in systematic way in about the last 10 years. The Bush administration was very much in the gun rights camp and Democrats and many other gun control spokespeople have been somewhat cowed and more muted in their comments on the issue. The Democrats have run away from the issue in the last few years," he said. |
| "But when you look at polls on specific issues it's different. When you ask the public do they think large capacity bullet magazines should not be made available, most people agree with that. Most people agree that the mentally ill should not have ready access to guns. That's one thing that united most of these mass shootings – they are by people with demonstrable mental illness problems." | "But when you look at polls on specific issues it's different. When you ask the public do they think large capacity bullet magazines should not be made available, most people agree with that. Most people agree that the mentally ill should not have ready access to guns. That's one thing that united most of these mass shootings – they are by people with demonstrable mental illness problems." |
| guardian.co.uk today is our daily snapshot of the top news stories, sent to your inbox at 8am |