by Obama has finally broken his silence about a heated and incredibly important topic – gun violence. Coming on the back of the Tucson, Arizona killings and more than 2400 American gun deaths since then, Obama finally has an op-ed article in The Arizona Daily Star.
Obama’s Plan
His goal? Fixing the gaps in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to make it harder for dangerous people to get their hands on guns. He started with the example that the Tucson shooter, while unable to qualify for the army or to attend college, managed to get his hands on ammunition and guns.Obama explained that America needs an “instant, accurate, comprehensive” system that has no loopholes and that ensures that dangerous people can’t avoid the background checks for gun purchases.
Obama’s Words
As Obama wrote, “If we’re serious about keeping guns away from someone who’s made up his mind to kill, then we can’t allow a situation where a responsible seller denies him a weapon at one store, but he effortlessly buys the same gun someplace else,” the president wrote.Obama did not, however, offer specific legislative proposals or endorse any of the ones that are already making their way through Congress.
Meeting Time
The Justice Department is now planning to meet with various groups to seek consensus for legislative and administrative steps. One group they won’t be meeting with, however, is the National Rifle Association that, to its discredit, declined the administration’s invitation. Shame on them.
