US President Obama unveils actions to curb gun violence

Obama plans to sit down Thursday with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and take questions from a live audience at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, in the suburbs of Washington DC. Perhaps the most famous one is the so-called “Gun Show Loophole” – background checks are not required in the private sale of firearms.

President Barack Obama made headlines when he announced his executive action on gun control on January 5.

The president pointed to the repeal of a Missouri law in 2007 governing gun purchases.

Kenny Polhamus is the owner of KAP Guns and he says no law can bring the numbers down and only the people who respect their weapons will be the ones hurt.

Republican lawmakers have been critical of Obama, saying he focused his actions on law-abiding citizens rather than on criminals and terrorist.

State Sen. Joseph Silk, who has authored many pro-gun owner rights bills, says there’s a spike in gun sales and permits whenever Obama talks about restrictions. The centerpiece is new federal guidance that seeks to clarify who is “in the business” of selling firearms and has to get a federal license.

“I am pleased to see the President taking action and addressing our nation’s crippling gun epidemic”, Esty said in a statement after Tuesday’s announcement.

“In this room right here, there are a lot of stories”, President Obama said.

Murphy said it’s his job to convince Congress that it needs to act on gun control.

Visibly moved during the final part of his address, Obama recalled the shooting that occurred in December 2012 at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and 6 adults were gunned down. “For us, we do it every single person that comes and buys one has to do the background check”. He did do it through an executive order, an approach that’s often unpopular with the party that doesn’t control the White House.

He also wanted to calm fears that this wasn’t a gun seizure. “That just makes sense”, O’Reilly said on his show.

Sheriff Gladney adds that tougher gun laws aren’t the “fix-all” for the gun violence problem today and he says almost anybody can get a gun if they want to.