Obama to talk up gun measures at town hall

The Times published the essay just before Obama was scheduled to take questions at a televised town hall meeting on gun violence.

Mr. Obama, taking the stage at George Mason University, said he’s always been willing to meet with the NRA if they’re willing to address the facts.

In a country where 30,000 people die every year by guns, Obama accused the group of being too skittish to participate in the debate despite the proximity of their national headquarters to Washington.

One of the most powerful moments of the night came after Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords – the Arizona Democrat who was shot in the head at a congressional event in 2011 – asked the president why people think the Obama administration is coming for their guns. “So, yes, it is a false notion that I believe is circulated for either political reasons or commercial reasons in order to prevent a coming together among people of goodwill to develop common-sense rules that will make us safer while preserving the Second Amendment”. “I would hope that you would agree with that”, he said.

In an editorial in the New York Times, the president said he will not campaign for or vote for any candidate who does not support common sense gun reforms. He was joined by gun control activists and the families of gun victims. “When would I have started on this enterprise?” “Please be advised that it is lawful to carry firearms in Virginia, and this includes at public outdoor spaces on our campus”.

The majority of respondents to the CNN/ORC poll were not gun owners. White House officials said the president welcomes the chance to have that debate.

“Let me just jump in – is it fair to call it a conspiracy?” “This gives him a chance to engage with people who are supportive and who question whether this is the right strategy”.

But managers say legal online gun buyers already do that.

Some of Obama’s staunch critics doubt his sincerity.

The real force of the president’s ire was focused on the National Rifle Association (NRA), the nation’s largest gun lobby. This phrase, which comes from a 1986 law, matters because only those who regularly buy and resell firearms are required to obtain a sales license and conduct background checks on all buyers.

Sen. Ted Cruz has emailed supporters an image of Obama in combat uniform, complete with helmet, claiming “Obama wants your guns”, while canvasing for campaign support. He stressed, however, that he did want to keep a gun out of the hands of her assailant, who Cooper earlier said had been convicted to 24 years in prison.