Obama drops bombshell on 2nd Amendment, could do better

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
1/17/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Obama could stop a lot of violence, but it wouldn't be politically profitable.

Presidents can be controversial figures. In bids to impose their policy, particularly when faced with hostile legislatures, they use a variety of measures to achieve what they feel is important. Obama acted in this time-honored tradition yesterday by unilaterally imposing a series of directives and clarifications on federal gun policy.

If Obama wanted to make America safe, there's a lot he could do better.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Blaming Congressional gridlock, Obama delivered a memorandum containing 23 executive actions designed to tighten gun regulations. He also called on Congress to ban assault rifle sales, to limit the size of ammunition clips, and to mandate background checks on all gun sales. He also called for greater cooperation and information sharing between agencies to make background checks more effective.

Naturally, greatly upsets strong Second Amendment advocates.

While presidents do operate using executive orders and "clarifications" Obama appears to be doing more high-profile work by this means. Reuters quoted William Howell, a University of Chicago expert on presidential powers who said of the Obama administration, "Increasingly, what we're seeing is a lot of the policy-making apparatus of the federal government shifting to the executive branch."

In all fairness, Obama has faced one of the most gridlocked legislatures in recent history. Congress is still without a budget, nor has it taken action on the debt ceiling or on a number of issues from postal reform to the farm bill.

According to statistics, Obama has not issued more executive orders than any other president before himself. Both Clinton and Bush previously issued around 300 such orders during their two terms. Obama is just shy of 150, so he appears on pace to match. However, the weight of his executive orders is what has people fuming.

Obama has bypassed congress several times, and at least a couple of his decisions have been highly controversial. In October 2011, Obama ordered the Justice Department to stand down from enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, proclaiming it unconstitutional. This was outrageous to many because decreeing existing law unconstitutional is the duty of the judiciary, not Obama.

He has also ruled by edict, his most stunning example being the Health and Human Services mandate, which was imposed by Kathleen Sebelius, to require private employers to pay the full cost for contraception and abortifacients for those women who request it. Many Americans balked at this, saying it would compel employers to violate their conscience by compelling them to pay for inherently immoral procedures.

While Obama's desire to make the country safer from gun violence is laudable, his methods are highly controversial. The issue of gun control is sacred to many Americans for a variety of reasons. Many Americans retain firearms for personal protection, while others keep them for sport, or simply enjoy collecting. Firearms have a long American tradition dating back to the colonial era.

For these reasons, any attempt by a president or congress to reduce gun freedom is typically met with resistance. Adding to the complication is the interpretation of the Second Amendment and what sounds like an inherent conflict between the allowance for the existence of a "well-regulated militia," which some argue is satisfied by the National Guard, versus "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Such ambiguity brings constitutional scholars into the debate on both sides.

The Supreme Court has thus far repeatedly upheld the right of ordinary Americans, without membership in a militia, to keep firearms.

Perhaps most frustratingly, the administration continues to emphasize the threat of gun violence in America while itself selling automatic weapons to drug cartels that returned to American streets via the failed Fast and Furious operation, and still drops bombs and high-power weaponry on people overseas. Many of those victims end up being innocents classified as "collateral damage."

If the administration were serious about stopping violence, it could be done both easily and rapidly.

First, Obama could stop violence against the unborn as well as treading upon the conscience of employers by reversing the HHS edict. Second, bring to a swift close the armed violence perpetuated by the Administration overseas, using force only against clear and present dangers to the American people. Finally, compile the savings from ceasing military action overseas and put that money into communities where gun violence is endemic.

Federal funds spent on better education, as well as mental health and social services, especially in neighborhoods where violence is high, would do a lot more to save lives than reducing the lawful size of ammunition clips.

Unfortunately, such actions do not promise to bear as much near-term political profit, which would be inconsistent with how politics work in America. Perhaps that's another good reason to keep our rights just as they are.

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Obama, guns, shootings, executive orders, assault weapons, ban, Second Amendment

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1 - 7 of 7 Comments

Paul-Emile Leray
4 months ago
If the world leaders would focus on true "educare" (education) instead of instruction and 'how to' schooling; society would flourish the world over. Instead of all this liberal feel good opining and emoting; bell curving, boys and girls are the same; everyone gets a ribbon and candy for having a pulse type of politically correct propaganda often promoted by academics for their social laboratory like nonsense; a serious Catholic education by serious educators and at least half serious parents would go a long way. Now, it is almost a crime to speak the truth! Even some Catholics at Church almost jump on me when I defend Catholic principles; and all this after a faith sharing meeting if you can believe it, on a Sunday! When Catholics attack other Catholics, for speaking the truth, the homilies must have flown from the altar to the entrance doors while flying over the heads of the entire congregation! Some of Cardinal Ottaviani's assessments were possibly accurate. While community is indeed important, now it has gone too far. I HATE holding hands with other men when I am trying to focus on The Our Father. We don't have to jump one another on Catholic grounds to express our friendship, do we? Yes, community is important but it has now gone too far. It feels like a festival and bazaar, at times! Why? Because it sometimes is a carnival atmosphere. It's too much of a great big circus, in how it feels, in some places.
Paul-Emile Leray
vance
4 months ago
This is the Marxist-in-Chief doing what he promised which is to "Transform" America from a Constitution form of government to a marxist state. He enjoys a full media and 52% of Catholics to help him do it.
John
4 months ago
guns are nothing more than a means to an end. even if every gun was banned, and nobody had access to them, the criminals would just find another tool to use. perhaps causing greater casualties then a gun ever could...remember timothy mcveigh and Ok. City? not a single gun was used in that event, yet look at all of the destruction it caused - and pretty much all done with simple household items. and what is worse, all the attention is focused solely on the guns...what about the media? hollywood, music industry and video games being the biggest purveyors of violence out there - completely desensitizing and glamorizing violence. yet, nothing obama did addressed those. yet he demonizes the nra and law abiding gun owners as being the problem. when in reality, it is the nra and legal gun owners that stress the issues of gun safety and the responsibilities of being a gun owner. i think every american needs to be extremely concerned with what this president is wanting to do. yet, i know many perfectly sane individuals - friends, family members - that think what he is doing in regards to guns is the absolute right thing to do. It's like i'm living in some bizzaro world!
Lindangel
4 months ago
The main reason for all these tradegies and murders, is not just mental health issues, but the decline of the family unit, and our culture. Liberals and Hollywood are to blame for this, they have removed God from our lives, there are no more morals or ethics, "if it feels good just do it". The guns used in these killings did not do the deed, it was the evil, souless person behind the gun. When we realize it is the culture the liberals and democrats have created, is the main problem, maybe then we can start to fix this country.
rafaelmarie
4 months ago
THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE, PERIOD!

END OF STORY!

CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED!!!
Stephen E Berry
4 months ago
Thought about this for a few minutes after reading it. OK, so President Obama is "on track" to equal or maybe exceed the number of presidential orders that former Presidents Clinton and Bush wrote. I agree that the "weight" of his orders is a concern for many Americans, myself included. The author(s) of this article state that "If the administration were serious about stopping violence, it could be done both easily and rapidly." Oh, really? Think again. I agree with the three points mentioned, up to a point. For the first: "Obama could stop violence against the unborn as well as treading upon the conscience of employers by reversing the HHS edict." Great idea! However, let's remember that this President is the same person who, as a senator in Illinois voted against legislation aimed at saving the lives of babies who survive an abortion. This President is so in love with Planned Parenthood and the concept of allowing abortion on demand, no matter the age of the unborn, that he wouldn't dare back down and change his mind. As for the HHS mandate, that remains to be seen, for if the American people and their corporations were to really raise a ruckus about the HHS mandate, it could be turned around. I think the simplest answer to the HHS mandate is to allow objecting American individuals and businesses to "opt out". Let the others pay what they must. Second point:"...bring to a swift close the armed violence perpetuated by the Administration overseas, using force only against clear and present dangers to the American people." Excellent idea again! How to do it is another matter. Do we recall all of our military forces currently serving in Afghanistan and other countries? If we do that suddenly, those countries will be overrun by the very forces we are trying to stop. But, it could be done. Third point: "Finally, compile the savings from ceasing military action overseas and put that money into communities where gun violence is endemic." Again, an excellent idea! But let's do this first: let's protect the lives of the weakest and most defenseless in our nation, namely the unborn, the elderly and infirm. Then, let's go after the cities/communities where "gun violence is endemic". Folks, in order to do that, we'll have to get illegal firearms off the streets. OK, try it. See how far that gets you. I think instead, that we need to re-educate all Americans, from the ground up, on the value of each and every human life, from "womb to tomb" if you'll excuse the phrase. Let American justice be swift and sure, but let Americans learn that all life is given by God, and we must protect all life, all the time.
Rob
4 months ago
"Federal funds spent on better education, as well as mental health and social services, especially in neighborhoods where violence is high" I find that interesting given those are just about all the areas the right wing wishes to get rid of.

I've been a gun owner my entire life and I even own a few of the dreaded assualt rifles. But honestly what has scared me more than anything over the last several years is the Obama derangement syndrome that is driving folks to gun stores. So many weapons in the hands of folks who are merely responding to hysteria and probably never even wanted a gun. Some of which probably shouldn't have a gun.

Everyone firearm lover knows the assualt weapons ban that was law before was a joke. And if this is anything like it, well it will be completely ineffective. There are just too many in circulation to control.

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