President Obama announces gun initiatives

President Obama couldn’t hide his emotions as he gave a press conference in front of a room full of victims of gun violence, as he announced a series of executive actions which will ensure more stringent laws around gun control in the United States.

Obama invoked the memory of Martin Luther King as he outlined a raft of executive measures to regulate gun sales and curb illicit purchases, bypassing opposition from Congress.

As to the gun lobby’s cries about “rights”, Obama said other rights count: “Because our right to worship freely and safely – that right was denied to Christians in Charleston”.

Will Obama’s gun moves face a legal challenge? Republicans and gun rights advocates say he can’t.

Many if not all of these executive actions, some of which will require help from Congress regarding funding, will be met with stern opposition, most notably from those seeking the Republican nomination for president.

“Today, background checks are required at gun stores – if a father wants to teach his daughter how to hunt, he can walk into a gun store, get a background check, purchase his weapon safely and responsibly”, Obama said. On Monday, Obama called for more resources to bolster the effectiveness of background checks.

One involves using 500 million dollars to expand mental health care and background checks.

Mass shootings in particular have touched raw emotions in one community after another. He was introduced by Mark Barden, whose son was killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary and who is now the managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, a group formed after those killings to push for solutions to gun violence.

While he agrees Congress needs to also take action, Garnett said he applauded Obama’s actions because it will at least prompt more discussion and about gun control.

And House Speaker Paul Ryan rejected Obama out of hand, indicating he might trust another president to address loopholes in gun laws, but not this one. As he noted during Tuesday’s introduction of his plan, it’s not a step that would have prevented numerous high-profile mass shootings in recent months. Other provisions aim to better track lost or stolen guns and prevent trusts or corporations from buying risky weapons without background checks.

Obama also said guns should have more safety features, such as child locks and fingerprint recognition, which would allow only the owner of the gun to pull the trigger. White House officials said their primary interest is to go after for-profit dealers who are posing as hobbyists or one-time sellers when they are in fact “engaged in the business” of selling guns. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the agency’s National Instant Background Check System processed 23.1 million firearm background checks in 2015. “I still remember the first time we met, the time we spent together and the conversation we had about Daniel”, Mr. Obama said. No. Does it help?

Addressing critics who say the president is trying to dismantle the Second Amendment, Obama tackled the claim head on, saying Republicans and presidential candidates are trying to twist his words. I mean, think about it – we all believe in the First Amendment, the guarantee of free speech.