White House Vigil: Dozens Plead With Obama For Gun Control Action

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Friday's shooting in Newtown, Conn., put the spotlight on President Barack Obama politically and, for many people, it was personal, as dozens turned up outside the White House gates begging him to take action on gun control.

Activists, sympathetic parents, and those affected by gun violence in the past gathered to collectively grieve at the impromptu vigil. They chanted, lit candles handed out by advocacy groups, and pleaded for political action in the wake of the latest episode of gun violence to afflict the nation.

The shooting of a reported 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School left people looking for not just answers, but an outlet.

Jennifer Oko was among those who came to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to light a candle and call on the president to move gun control legislation. A New Yorker who now lives in D.C., Oko is the mother to a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old who are in kindergarten and first grade, respectively. She said she was torn as to whether to go home and see her kids immediately after work or come to the White House to attend the vigil. "I felt I needed to show solidarity," she said.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/white-house-vigil-gun-control_n_2304278.html

[okieinpain]

1. the gun nuts will kill president obama

if he does anything on gun controls. I wish he would just leave it alone and let the next president go after it. sorry but that's just my feeling on it.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Well...

using your logic, wouldn't they just kill the next president that tries to do anything about gun control?

[llmart]

11. Leave it alone?

Are you insane? I don't want my President to "leave it alone" because he's afraid for his own life. In fact, I highly doubt President Obama would ever think that way. Did you not see the tears on that man's face?

Leave it alone my ass. Now's the time to step up to the plate - all of us - and stop being cowed by the cowards of the NRA and FAUX news.

[onehandle]

13. He will do almost nothing. Doesn't matter.

Gun culture will fall. Liberalism is the future.

[Left Coast2020]

2. I'm not so sure they will try.

Too much anger at the recent shit in Portland, Colorado, and the kids in school. The Secret Service will be on their crazy ass like flys on (fill in the blank).

The country has had enough. Time to act NOW.

[triplepoint]

3. Let's See If Congress Has a Conscience & a Spine

Last edited Sun Dec 16, 2012, 08:07 PM - Edit history (4)

and the courage to act...NOW! Remember, the President can only suggest legislation and if it passes through Congress, then sign it into law. The President proposes, and Congress disposes.

So, it is up to Congress to now do the right thing. We won't be waking from this nightmare until they do.
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Reference Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmaster_M4_Type_Carbine
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[cstanleytech]

5. They are going to the wrong person.

The only real way to address firearms in a way that would withstand a scotus challenge is by amending the constitution and thats really the only way.

[merrily]

14. The SCOTUS has said only that the second amendment creates an individual right that is not

dependent upon militia membership.

The SCOTUS has never found that any Constitutional right is absolute.

Saying that the only way to regulate guns is via constitutional amendment is the same as saying gun regulation will never happen.

[JDPriestly]

6. Gun owners should be required to be licensed and to volunteer time for community activities

such as supporting the police or courts or hospitals or the National Guard or working for free in the schools. In addition, gun owners should pay hefty fees for their licenses -- enough to cover the police, judicial, medical and all other costs that gun ownership causes in our society.

But it will take bipartisan efforts to change our laws so that gun owners take responsibility for the impact of guns on our society.

[hack89]

8. If you put similar fees on drinker and smokers

then you might have something. They impose an even higher cost on society then guns.

[cstanleytech]

9. Required to license makes sense but if you try to throw in forcing them to volunteer

the law or at least that part of it would probably be thrown out by the court fast I bet.

[dvhughes]

7. Ooooh...dozens, huh?

It should be hundreds...thousands. "Dozens" is a joke and will never change anything.

You know, I am sorry..
Here we have the same old cycle of politicians expressing yet again, nothing but hollow condolences and sadness.
And the voters continue to elect pro-gun knuckleheads into office.
Reap=Sow

I cannot help but think of FDR:
'I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it'

Dozens ain't gonna make anyone do anything.

[onehandle]

12. It's early. Gun culture will fall. This is the tipping point. nt

[merrily]

17. Dozens in a nation of 350 million is not even a blip on the screen

However, millions are not enough to make Obama do anything. He has proven that time and again.

FDR, on the other hand, was winking because it didn't even take dozens to "make" him act--and millions could not have stopped him from doing what he thought was necessary.

[dvhughes]

22. yup yup

I wholeheartedly agree with you on each of your points.
Very insightful, and spot-on imo

[Doctor_J]

10. Obama announced this week that he's actually a Repuke

I think this might have been a heads-up to liberals that, while Durbin and Pelosi were able to talk him out of cutting SS/Medicare, we should not expect any leftism on gun control, public schools, the environment, trade, and so forth. So while this protest is well-reasoned, it will amount to nothing.

[merrily]

15. Did his pronouncement surprise anyone on the left?

[Doctor_J]

16. Not me, but it was discouraging nonetheless.

[Odin2005]

18. Unfortunately ANY gun control legislation would be political suicide.

[primavera]

19. And weighed against the lives that it would save...

... would that be too high a price to pay? How much value do you give to the lives of the 30,000 Americans who die each year by guns? Do you think that the families of the victims of this most recent tragedy, and all of the countless like tragedies that have occurred in this country, would sympathize that the lives of their loved ones weren't worth risking the re-election of a politician?

[The Stranger]

20. Instead of "pleading" with Obama, can they do something about the Republicans?

Get others to stop voting in office people that are furthering mass murder?

[JDPriestly]

21. The effort to change our gun laws and regulations has to be bipartisan.

Democrats cannot impose this on reluctant Republicans. The Republican leadership has to show that it can lead on this issue.

We Democrats have suggested a lot of ideas about how to curb gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally unstable. Republicans funded by the NRA thwart our efforts at every turn.

We do not have to ban all guns or inhibit hunters and people who use guns for recreation from enjoying their sport. We just have to make sure that people who own guns keep them locked up, safe, out of the reach of thieves or unstable people.

Note that I use the words "unstable people." Many people who are diagnosed with a psychiatric condition may be perfectly responsible gun users, while some people who have no psychiatric condition (if such people exist) should not have guns.

But Republicans have to take the lead here. They have capitalized on the Second Amendment fetish of their rank and file long enough. It is irresponsible and cruel.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

23. This a worthy issue for holding Pres. Obama accountable as a leader

Living in NCY in the80's and Chicago in the 90's he is well aware of how prevalent gun crime and gun deaths are n this country outside of these more heart wrenching killing rampages.

He must take the lead on this and drag congress along kicking and screaming. But we can help. We need to be vocal and take action against NRA and gun companies.