President launches study to stem U.S. gun violence

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
12/31/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Task force formed in wake of Newton school shooting massacre

The application of the Rights given under the Second Amendment has come under much public scrutiny following the massacre at the Sandy Hooke Elementary School in Newton Connecticut. In response, U.S. President Barack Obama has launched a task force to examine options to stem gun violence in America.

The president expects firearm owners to understand the need for new regulations in the wake of the Connecticut shooting spree that killed 20 young children.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Led by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the task force will present proposals next month to turn the tide in gun crime. Obama has said that he would seek a broad approach to the problem. Part of that will be addressing the role of violence in entertainment along with measures to improve mental healthcare.

Obama has also called on Congress to move swiftly to reinstate the federal assault weapons ban coupled with a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines. The president repeated those calls this past weekend and said he would meet with lawmakers on both sides of the aisles to see action.

"I've been very clear that an assault-rifle ban, banning these high capacity clips, background checks, that there are a set of issues that I have historically supported and will continue to support," the president said.

"I'd like to get it done in the first year. I will put forward a very specific proposal based on the recommendations that Joe Biden's task force is putting together as we speak. And so this is not something that I will be putting off."

Tough political opposition is expected from the nation's largest gun lobby, the National Rifle Association (NRA), saying they will oppose any new restrictions.

The NRA had earlier held a press conference calling for a national program to place armed guards in the nation's schools, which they said would be more effective at preventing future tragedies like in Newtown.

Obama said he expressed unease with the NRA's proposal.

"I am not going to prejudge the recommendations that are given to me. I am skeptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools. And I think the vast majority of the American people are skeptical that that somehow is going to solve our problem," he said.

The president expects firearm owners to understand the need for new regulations in the wake of the Connecticut shooting spree that killed 20 young children.

"I think there are a vast majority of responsible gun owners out there who recognize that we can't have a situation in which somebody with severe psychological problems is able to get the kind of high-capacity weapons that this individual in Newtown obtained and gun down our kids," Obama said.

� 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: Second Amendment, gun control, Newton massacre, President Obama

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1 - 7 of 7 Comments

mgm.
4 months ago
If the President wants to talk gun control he can start by allowing that if his hands are not tied by congress the ATF to release the information they collect but cannot release by order of congress of the types of weapons used in crimes ,I was surprise to hear this the other day by somebody writing a book on how the NRA.has devolved into a lobby for the gun industry and that the industry face with the fact that young people are not picking up hunting had to come up with a new product !and turn to assault guns the type of weapon carried by action game heros to fill lost production in shotguns and deer rifles .
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem
4 months ago
Happy to hear the president Obama is taking a 'comprehensive approach' including the mental health in dealing with ' gun crime' in the US. However, mental health is not something that artificially inculcated into another man, although the state can provide environment to develop which is " already within" ie. the image and likeness of God- Love and affection every person craves for. Family is the garden where " fa"- father and " mi" mummy living in unity in the Biblical spirit," What God united, man shall not separate" produces " glee" to the offspring , that they too becomes the partakers of integrity, unity of body, mind and soul. This could be achieved in a culture where " love of God and love of neighbor" ( not fear of God and fear of neighbor") exists. As a matter of fact, promotion of spiritual and moral values only can create " mental health" concretely experienced first in the family, then in the school and neighborhood. It cannot be achieved through counseling centers which can only alleviate, not fully healed. ultimately Jesus (Church) alone is the question and Jesus alone is the answer even while respecting the religious tenet of those living around.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem
Jerry N
4 months ago
Obama is no more "exploring ways of stopping gun violence" than he was exploring "ways of affordable care" by shoving a draconian freedom-robbing government takeover of individuals' health care down our throats.

It is abundantly clear to anyone who even remotely cares about freedom and truth that our current President is an ideological Marxist seeking to grab as much dictatorial power as he can without causing a massive civil rebellion. . As a dedicated and transparent Marxist he is in favor of anything that takes away individual freedom and promotes government control of every facet of a citizen's life. .
KarlVDH
4 months ago
May I point something out? Despite the caption on the picture, according to the article it's attached to here, what the President has called for is a study on what can be done to end gun violence. Nowhere does this artcle even suggest he's "called for gun control." The picture isn't really representative of the article. And in truth, I can't imagine any real Catholic will suggest that exploring ways of stopping gun violence is the wrong thing to do.
Emma
4 months ago
There are so many variables at play here, each in its own way infringes on someone 's Constitutional Rights : media groups will claim Freedom of Speech, as the pornography industry has for decades: gun owners, the right to bear arms : mentally ill, right to be free of unlawful detainment and the right to refuse treatment. These isssues need to be addressed at the local level, however local governments have been stripped of the ability to do so by an increasing number of unfunded federal mandates. What is needed are stronger families! What is needed desperately by these young men are FATHERS!! A young man is most aggressive at the ages of appx. 16-24. They have no strong fathers in the home teaching them how to channel that aggression in a constructive way. No matter how loving a single mother is, she is not a father. Society is doing this to itself. No amount of federal regulation will give a boy a father!
Sum Nemo
4 months ago
The NRA is advocating a national program to provide armed guards in our nation's schools. Do they have any idea just how we will pay for this at a time when we are already complaining about too much taxation and too much government spending? It mystifies me that we complain about too much government spending while advocating more government spending in the same breath.
Bob
4 months ago
Obama is very good at talking about things like gun control, immigration reform, abortion rights, gay marriage, etc but very short on action. This is because these things spring very easily from his mouth and he does not have to concentrate on the economy, joblessness, housing problems, the inflation of the dollar, this us understandable because he does not know anything about these problems.......

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