Fearing Obama Agenda, States Push to Loosen Gun Laws

[groovedaddy]

When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition.

And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past.

In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last week that allows people to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, and the House of Delegates voted to repeal a 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month. The actions came less than three years after the shootings at Virginia Tech that claimed 33 lives and prompted a major national push for increased gun control.

Arizona and Wyoming lawmakers are considering nearly a half dozen pro-gun measures, including one that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit. And lawmakers in Montana and Tennessee passed measures last year — the first of their kind — to exempt their states from federal regulation of firearms and ammunition that are made, sold and used in state. Similar bills have been proposed in at least three other states.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/us/24guns.html?th&emc=th

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. What agenda would that be?

Oh yes, the make believe agenda.

[X_Digger]

2. This one from change.gov & whitehouse.gov*?

http://change.gov/agenda/urbanpolicy_agenda /

Address Gun Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

* The same statement appeared on whitehouse.gov until May '09 -http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x220421

eta:

Or perhaps Holder's statements in February last year..

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6960824&page=1

As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder told reporters.

Or the president's own words in a press conference with Calderón?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Joint-Press-Conference-With-President-Barack-Obama-And-President-Felipe-Calderon-Of-Mexico-4/16/2009

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of all, we did discuss this extensively in our meetings. I have not backed off at all from my belief that the gun -- the assault weapons ban made sense.

eta2: Or the one from our own party?
http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/8a738445026d1d5f0f_bcm6b5l7a.pdf (p59)

We can work together to enact and enforce commonsense laws and improvements – like closing the gun show loophole, improving our background check system, and reinstating the assault weapons ban,

[SteveM]

4. Would you like to see the "make believe" agenda in the DNC?...

You'll have to Google that one up. Finding stuff for yourself is a very real experience.

[sharesunited]

3. The people in such states will suffer the consequences. More rampage killings.

Such A Tragedy. Now Carry On Dying Y'all.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Probably not.

In the face of record gun sales, the murder with firearms rate is still declining, as is the accidental shooting rate.

Not sure about suicide though. I would expect it's up a bit with the economy and all, but these things don't always play out like you might think.

[mvccd1000]

7. Really?

Since Arizona is currently a state that allows ANY non-prohibited possessor to openly carry a weapon with no license, no registration, no training, no permit, no police permission, and no government interaction of any sort, perhaps you can explain where all these "rampage killings" are currently taking place?

Personally, I don't see why removing the restriction on putting on my jacket when the evening cools off will suddenly send me on a rampage. I'm glad you're here to explain before the law goes into effect, though!

[GreenStormCloud]

8. When is all that going to happen?

For 15 years the states have been loosening their gun laws, and the crime rate keeps going down. The dying is slowing down, and has been for 15 years. When are you going to realize that you predictions just aren't happening.

[beevul]

12. Where do the BULK of those rampage killings happen shares?

In places where YOUR no guns mantra is in effect.


Now carry on deny'in y'all.

[east texas lib]

13. Wow! I think you just wrote an emo song!

Way cool!}(

[krispos42]

16. I believe that.

In the same way I think that gay marriage would destroy American families and pot legalization would destroy American society.

[jeepnstein]

5. It's been a trend for several years now.

Obama really doesn't have much to do with anything but the GOP fear mongering.

[friendly_iconoclast]

9. See post #2. This is like getting fundies to acknowledge natural selection

They refuse to see what's in front of their eyes...

[X_Digger]

10. And suddenly the thread dies..

.. when presented with evidence of 'the agenda'.. typical.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. More likely because of little interest.

[jeepnstein]

14. Yeah, I remember that mess.

They did a boiler plate job on building a web site based on the Party's platform. The result of this was creating a bunch of drama that they had to spend time and money to refute. Holder shooting his mouth off after the election was another classic. Now we get the Mexicans making noise about trafficking.

The GOP has owned the issue for years. They've been able to shape the debate and use it as a wedge against the Democrat Party. The manufactured fear and loathing that circulated during the election was a very powerful tool. Nobody even discussed the fact that some of the most anti-gun elitist swine in Washington are Republicans.

The fact remains that Obama's actions indicate he moved to the center to govern. If Congress got it's shorts in a bunch and decided to pass an AWB I have no doubt he'd sign it. I just don't see the administration wanting to get out and lead on the issue. I'll take that "neutrality" over Bush telling Congress he'd sign it if they send it to him any day.

[DissedByBush]

15. Bush is a good example

For idiots who think voting Republican will protect gun rights.

Many Democrats score higher on protecting gun rights than many Republicans.