Our compassion and sympathies go out to all of those who lost loved ones today. In their honor and memories, and to do our best to reduce the numbers of future tragic deaths, I would like to take Weatherdude's righteous proclamation When is the right time to talk about this bullshit? to a necessary, but insufficient, next action step by calling for an immediate extension of the expired ban on automatic weapons. Anything less seems to be a disservice to the new dead of each new day, as we continue to hear, the now unacceptable excuse, parroted again today by White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney's statement saying "today is not the day to engage in a policy debate over gun control."
Weatherdude articulates the outrage all of us should be feeling, and which may be more sensitive to the potentially future dead we may save by demanding this discussion start today:
The Second Amendment does not guarantee your right to this bullshit. Fuck you for saying that this isn't the appropriate time to talk about stopping gun violence. Fuck you for saying that it's a discussion leading to a "gun grab." ... When is the right time to talk about this bullshit?
Earlier today, Meteor Blades reported the tragic shooting deaths of at least 27 people, including 18 children, at a Connecticut elementary school, this morning, as well as White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney statement saying "today is not the day to engage in a policy debate over gun control."
It may seem harsh, and difficult, and I sympathize with those who have lost loved ones today, but we've heard this excuse that "today is not the day for discussing gun control out of sensitivities to the families" too many times. We need to say, out of sympathies for families of the future dead, "today is the day to demand we start a discussion of our excess gun violence, today, while peoples attention's are "hot" to do our best to prevent future deaths." To do less, is to tacitly enable future deaths, and will leave blood on our collective hands.
WASHINGTON — As news filtered in Friday from the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said "today is not the day," to engage in a policy debate over gun control. ...
After 12 people were killed in a movie theater shooting in Aurora, Co. in July, Obama said, "I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks, and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country," Obama said. Carney was pressed on those remarks, asked whether enough reflection had been done since that tragedy, and Carney declined to answer.
Asked about reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban, which Obama has supported but never invested political capital in, Carney said it "does remain a commitment" of the president's.
CNN reports two semi-automatic handguns were recovered at the scene.
Back in October, our President pointed us in the right direction, for a first step in the right direction, as reported in Obama Calls for Renewal of Assault Weapons Ban
President Obama tonight said he’s interested in seeing an assault weapons ban reintroduced, breaking his silence on the legislation, which has persisted in spite of at least five mass shootings during his term.
At the end of a long answer to the question, “What has your administration done or planned to do to limit the availability of assault weapons?” Obama said this:
“My belief is that, (A), we have to enforce the laws we’ve already got, make sure that we’re keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, those who are mentally ill. We’ve done a much better job in terms of background checks, but we’ve got more to do when it comes to enforcement.
“But I also share your belief that weapons that were designed for soldiers in war theaters don’t belong on our streets. And so what I’m trying to do is to get a broader conversation about how do we reduce the violence generally. Part of it is seeing if we can get an assault weapons ban reintroduced. But part of it is also looking at other sources of the violence. Because frankly, in my home town of Chicago, there’s an awful lot of violence and they’re not using AK-47s. They’re using cheap hand guns.”
As a candidate in 2008, Obama campaigned on permanent reinstatement of the expired assault weapons ban, and Attorney General Eric Holder in 2009 indicated that the administration would lobby for a bill. But that never materialized and the White House has largely avoided talking about it.
Today is the day to demand we start this debate. Anything less, is a insult to the dead of each new day and their loved ones, and tacitly enables future such killings. By continuing to delay this discussion, on what should be a totally non-controversial first step, so many dozens of times, we all will bear some collective responsibility for future deaths enabled by our silence and inaction.
President Obama and Congressional leaders should call for an immediate extension of the ban on automatic weapons ban, The next steps after than will be more controversial, but we have no excuse not to draw a line-in-the-sand at weapons only appropriate for the battlefield. No reasonable person should suggest that the second amendment should give civilians the right to bear bazookas, tanks, cruise missals, tactical nuclear weapons and other battlefield munitions. Automatic and assault weapons should be a non-controversial place to draw a clear immediate line.
11:57 AM PT:
Here is a link to a petition on the White House website. I'm not certain but some may prefer a petition referring to "assault weapons" rather than "semi-automatic," I'm not certain, but here's the link.
Petition on White House website
WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Start the process to enact Federal Gun control reforms.
Every week it seems that we are facing a new headline of mass shootinngs -two in the last week alone. The consitutution gives us the right to bear arms and no one wants to take that right away, but we need real gun control reform.
Background checks, restricted access to semi-automatic weapons, waiting periods, all need to be part of a robust gun control policy that will allow people to keep thier guns but provide a responsible framework to gun ownership.
We need to have a conversation and we are looking to the White House to take the lead on this.
Created: Dec 14, 2012
12:20 PM PT: We need to change the meme that one can not honor and show compassion and sympathy for the deaths of innocents, and try to stop on ongoing killing spree at the same time.
Our hearts go out to the victims, past, present, and future.
But, we would dishonor these dead if we do not make a call for the obvious needed next step of a call for re-extending the ban on automatic assault weapons, at the same time.
Waiting until later is not acceptable, when tomorrow never comes. And, the clock is reset with new killings nearly every day.
1:10 PM PT: I changed the "automatic weapons" to "assault weapons" in the title after commenters pointed out automatic weapons are already banned and the expired law President Obama and others are supporting the renewable of is for assault weapons.
1:17 PM PT: I support President Obama's statement here:
Obama On Connecticut Shooting: We Need 'Meaningful Action'
"As a country we have been through this too many times. Whether it is an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago -- these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children," he said in a press briefing at the White House. "We're going to have to come together to meaningful action on this, regardless of the politics." ...
"In the hard days to come, the community needs us to be at our best as Americans, and I will do everything in my power as president to help," he said. "Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend the hand to those in need, to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories, but also in ours."
Obama ended his remarks with a quote from the Bible, as he often has in similar situations: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds," a line from the Book of Psalms.