Jan 16., President Obama issued 23 new executive acts regarding gun control policy. To put it briefly, he called for a stronger anti-bullying program, background checks on all vendors/consumers buying guns, stronger mental health care, and an assault weapon ban. Both the NRA (National Rifle Association) and Republicans in Senate and Congress feel that the president abused his power and is threatening their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Those opposing the new reform feel Obama is side stepping the issue of gun violence in schools, now a first-priority issue since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, but Obama took the necessary precautions and acted justly after the Connecticut Travesty.
The NRA issued a statement questioning why the president’s children were better protected than the rest of the country’s kids, meaning he didn’t care about America’s children, and calling him an “elitist hypocrite”. Of course his children are better protected, he’s better protected and surrounded by Secret Service officers because he’s the leader of our -to be blunt, not very well liked- country and subject to assassination at all times. The leader of the free world always gets better protection, because he has a reason to be protected.
The NRA also delivered an ad comparing Obama’s gun control is that of Stalin’s, Castro’s, and Hitler’s. Obama is not banning all guns from America, he’s making it less available with stricter and enforced background checks. This is to make sure criminals and crazies don’t have easy access to guns as easily as they have before.
Obama is not side stepping the issue of violence in schools. He includes gun safety, ban of military assault rifles, more funding for schools to hire officers to ensure a faster response in case of hostage situation, and a stricter gun-trafficking law to prevent firearms from getting into the wrong hands.
Instead of the NRA feeling threatened by the 23 new executive actions, they should step back and look at the big picture. Although their organization will not be as successful since it is harder to buy and own guns than it was in previous years, school and gun safety will benefit the nation in that it will better prevent events like the Sandy Hook shooting. Rather than observe and attack the new restrictions, they should embrace the new commodities for schools, awareness programs, and mental health care.
After the president’s inauguration Jan 20., Congress and voters should be more open-minded and tolerant over the new gun control policies and try to picture the good for the nation rather than feel threatened for what’s being taken away.
