Obama should move on gun control right away
These sentiments can shift. A moment like this — a time when people are moved by tragedy and gripped by urgency — is often fleeting. Mr. Obama and those in Congress who share his goals must not miss this window. Mr. Obama seems to sense this, promising specific proposals “without delay” and to advance them in his State of the Union address.
The Justice Department drew up a list of recommendations last year to reduce gun violence — proposals that the president could implement by executive order, without waiting for Congress — but the ideas were shelved until after the election. We hope that Vice President Biden, who has been put in charge of the administration’s effort, will immediately pull them off the shelf.
Mr. Obama reminded us anew that the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., was caused by an individual wielding a military-style weapon. These firearms were intended for battlefields, not for self-defense or hunting. We agree with the president that “we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war.” If swiftly turned into law of the land, that would be a start toward responding to the horror of last Friday’s killings.
Blowback
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Fury toward the GOP won’t be fleeting if they pass something out of the House.
besser tot als rot on December 20, 2012 at 4:20 PM
A better idea would be for the editorial staff at the WaPo to start playing Russian roulette with a loaded Colt 1911 right away.
SWalker on December 20, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Rocks on December 20, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Lanza was kept from doing this. He attempted to buy a weapon. When that failed he stole one.
Rocks on December 20, 2012 at 4:23 PM
Quick! No time for debate or rational thought, just do something!
Captain Kirock on December 20, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Yes, quick! Before your low-info, attention-span-of-a-housefly supporters get distracted by another shiny bauble.
CurtZHP on December 20, 2012 at 4:26 PM
Yes, let’s do some kneejerk reaction legislation without even fully understanding all the factors of this tragedy.
WisRich on December 20, 2012 at 4:27 PM
LOL – so that’s what you call ‘Fast and Furious’? A measure to reduce gun violence that directly led to the deaths of hundreds of Mexicans and at least two US federal agents?
You shot yourself in the foot there.
CorporatePiggy on December 20, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Feel free to look through this and tell us what other military weapons we should ban, shotguns? Pistols? Knives? And then go back to using the corpses of little kids to push your politics.
clearbluesky on December 20, 2012 at 4:33 PM
LOL. So much gun control to push, so little time for The Supreme Contemplator make his move.
Those in the WH are probably already kicking themselves for task forcing this crisis and postponing action until sometime in January. The issue is doomed to oblivion by Christmas, well except in the long memories of state elephants who will continue mowing down those useless gun-free zones.
Dusty on December 20, 2012 at 4:35 PM
And with this statement you have proven that you are incapable of intelligently discussing this subject. Not that that will stop you.
Meric1837 on December 20, 2012 at 4:36 PM
He can move, to China.
The Chinese want the populace to have no guns, of course.
Whoever doesn’t know and respect the 2nd, deserves to perish.
Schadenfreude on December 20, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Yes, let the dictator do his EOs. Just wait until the next repub takes office and writes an EO. The libs and media will be screaming for impeachment.
Libs are riding the road to a dictatorship and I don’t think they understand where it goes or what’s at the end. Those people at the WP should look at a few history books and see how it all worked out for media types after the dictator consolidated his power.
Frank Enstine on December 20, 2012 at 4:36 PM
May evil get all the stupid people, incl. those who promote illegal idiocy.
Schadenfreude on December 20, 2012 at 4:37 PM
The second amendment isn’t about hunting or self-defense. It’s about battlefields and the fear that a government should have of its own people.
sharrukin on December 20, 2012 at 4:37 PM
Linkie
Schadenfreude on December 20, 2012 at 4:37 PM
Imagine that, the Washington Compost has the same opinion as the Communist Chinese Government, it’s almost like there’s a symbiotic relationship between them or something
Galt2009 on December 20, 2012 at 4:37 PM
They aren’t talking legislation. They want EOs to by pass Congress because they know Congress may put up a fight.
Frank Enstine on December 20, 2012 at 4:38 PM
All who don’t get this, perish. YOU don’t deserve to live/work freely.
Schadenfreude on December 20, 2012 at 4:38 PM
But no such urgency when it comes to an illegal operation known as F&F.
antipc on December 20, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Hey
ObamaShit-for-brains, those are exactly the kinds of firearms that the Founding Fathers intended for every American Citizen to have access to, since the purpose of the 2nd Amendment was specifically to allow the Citizens to overthrow a government that had ceased to represent the people and had become a tyranny. If instead of being a Marxist lying POS you had actually been a Constitutional Scholar you would know this.SWalker on December 20, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Can someone please define WTF is a “military-style weapon”?
Galt2009 on December 20, 2012 at 4:40 PM
The House will pass whatever Obama wants. There will likely be faux negotiations but some major arms restriction law is going to be passed. Too many Republicans eagerly joined with the president to attack gun owners.
Get ready for a massive Republican shellacking in 2014, probably on par with 2006.
Doomberg on December 20, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Double LOL. Yup, all those military style rifles restricted to semi-auto firing are intended for battlefields.
Dusty on December 20, 2012 at 4:43 PM
Would the author of this op-ed also advise me to make major life decisions when fraught with emotion?
Whatever happened to “let cooler heads prevail,” “haste makes waste,” and “look before you leap”?
Don’t just do something; stand there!
steebo77 on December 20, 2012 at 4:43 PM
In the mind of liberals, any firearm more powerful than a spit-wad gun.
SWalker on December 20, 2012 at 4:44 PM
The gun grabbers realized that people weren’t being sufficiently intimidated by the term “assault weapon” anymore so they added “military style” to try to make it skeerier.
clearbluesky on December 20, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Well the libs keep talking about the founders real intentions so I would expect that it is a smooth bore flint lock long gun used by the military of that day.
I’d hate to see them banned but it’s kind of a small market for them so it wouldn’t have a lot of impact on modern firearms.
Frank Enstine on December 20, 2012 at 4:45 PM
By all means, ban this assualt weapon! ‘Cus even though Lanza had 3 other guns on him, it wouldn’t have occurred to him to use them…and they probably would have jammed, or something…and, and, and, and, NRA! Second Amendment! Beelzebub! DO SOMETHING NOW!
Erich66 on December 20, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Let’s do away with the first amendment to the United States Constitution as well as the second. The 10th amendment has certainly been gutted since 1789.
SC.Charlie on December 20, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Any weapon that would give you a reasonable chance if government equipped leftist thugs rolled into town.
sharrukin on December 20, 2012 at 4:46 PM
And the arms therein were the firearms that were intended for battlefields of their day and beyond.
Are we to believe that the founding fathers were to waste their time putting duck hunting up along freedom of the press and other liberties?
Galt2009 on December 20, 2012 at 4:49 PM
A Vanity Fair like knock-off of Field and Stream?
Dusty on December 20, 2012 at 4:49 PM
I have “military style” AR-15 and being a SF vet I cn tell you I woudnt take it into battle. I wouldn’t go with less than the M-16 with which I was equipped. My single shot AR just won’t do the job.
I don’t hunt either. My guns are for the day the government goes one step too far.
Charlemagne on December 20, 2012 at 4:51 PM
Yup, a term meant for the Moro… low information voter contingent of the country – guns that Look scary!
Galt2009 on December 20, 2012 at 4:51 PM
Does the Constitution mean anything to these petty tyrant wannabes anymore?
I mean beyond it’s use as toilet paper or a punch line.
Galt2009 on December 20, 2012 at 4:55 PM
Well, the “well-regulated militia” clause practically demands these weapons be made available – they’re in military calibers. How else can you readily supply these troops with ammunition otherwise?
JeffWeimer on December 20, 2012 at 4:57 PM
President Obama should definitely do this; he should use the State of the Union address to announce that he’s planning on taking every weapon that was made after 1900.
That will get him all the votes he will ever need.
Dem will be rejoicing in the streets.
Schools will be named after him; heck entire States may change their name to Obama.
Once guns are banned, killings will stop, the weather will calm down, and the Mayans will rise from the dead to make another 5,000 year calendar.
LincolntheHun on December 20, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Are we to believe that the founding fathers were to waste their time putting duck hunting up along freedom of the press and other liberties?
[Galt2009 on December 20, 2012 at 4:49 PM]
Nope. Pretty much it was intended to allow keeping up with Jones, in this case, our government. Otherwise they would have confined the arms to bows and arrows while the government had the guns, like, you know, we did with the American Indians and the Democrats tried to do with the newly freed blacks in the South after the war.
It’s all about the tyranny, like the tyranny the progs run in the MSM.
Dusty on December 20, 2012 at 5:04 PM
“Hurry! We have the blood of innocents to wallow in and children to exploit! Don’t let this crisis go to waste!”
I hate these vile, evil people more every day.
single stack on December 20, 2012 at 5:14 PM
No one can tell me what the hell a “military-style assault weapon” is. No one can buy military or law enforcement weapons so what exactly are they talking about? Does any fanatical gun grabbing liberal have any idea?
High capacity magazines do not enable you to kill more people. Changing magazines can be done blindfolded in seconds.
This mythical gun show loophole doesn’t exist.
I wish liberals that write articles about guns would learn something about them before they write.
Lastly, the 2nd Amendment is about us defending ourselves against tyrants.
darwin on December 20, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Trust the government. They’re here to help.
John the Libertarian on December 20, 2012 at 5:19 PM
He won’t be able to move right away because of Christmas. The nation’s attention will be on other things for the next month.
alwaysfiredup on December 20, 2012 at 5:31 PM
And what those libs don’t know can certainly kill them. I can load that spit-wad with some interesting viruses and bacteria and do more damage than a gun. Hehehehe
chemman on December 20, 2012 at 5:32 PM
hey now … as long as you don’t shoot those spit-wads on full suto and stuff a bunch in your mouth for high capacity I guess it’s ok.
We will have to fingerprint you and register your straw.
- psychotic lib
darwin on December 20, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Just imagine if there was an amendment in the bill of rights that said, ” the right of the people to have abortions shall not be infringed”. How many restrictions on abortions do you think there’d be now?
The Count on December 20, 2012 at 5:59 PM