WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 5, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — In an emotional speech that seemed to reveal deep frustration, Pres. Barack Obama on Tuesday announced executive actions he will take to try to cut back on gun violence in the presence of a Congress that has rejected gun control bills.
First, Obama intends to close a loophole that allows firearms sellers at gun shows and at online sale sites to avoid doing buyer background checks that are required from traditional gun vendors.
Secondly, Obama will do everything he can to enforce existing gun laws, including adding agents to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, to increase the speed and thoroughness of gun buyer background check reviews.
Thirdly, Obama will do more to help those suffering from mental illness, he said. Nearly two out of three gun deaths are suicides, the president said. Obama also supports the sharing of mental health information as part of the gun purchase background check process. Access to such information might keep guns out of the hands of people most likely to become mass shooters.
And fourthly, Obama said he intends to boost gun safety technology by working with the private sector. The president noted that we currently have technology that can require a fingerprint identification before it allows a phone to be open, apps can help us find missing tablets, and safety caps can keep children from opening aspirin bottles.
It should be possible to build in gun safety measures that would prevent accidental shootings, he said.
“Every gun-related death is preventable, and we need your help,” Obama said. “We need everybody engaged in this.”
Obama cited numerous cases in which innocent lives were taken by guns. He also took Congress to task for its failure to support gun control bills that would make background checks more effective, he said.
“The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they are not holding America hostage,” Obama said, urging people to vote for officials who share their concerns about gun violence.
