Just a reminder: After the shooting at the elementary school in Sandy Hook, CT in January 2013, President Obama
initiated executive orders [1] that among others:
- Widened gun registration regulations
- Increased penalties for gun trafficking and straw purchases
- Permitted doctors to talk about gun safety with their patients
- Allowed law enforcement to exchange information on people that should not buy guns
- Required health authorities to collect information on gun shootings as a national health issue
- 18 other regulations on gun controls.
Pres. Obama also urged Congress to: - Ban assault weapons
- Limit gun magazines to 10 bullets.
- Require background checks on all gun purchases
Would those and further common-sense gun control laws have prevented some of the dreadful mass killings [2] since then
(Killings/Other wounded or hurt)?
2019 Dayton (10/27); Santa Fe NM (10/10); Aurora IL (6/7); Thousand Oaks CA (13/1); Virginia Beach VA (20/57)
2018: Las Vegas NV (59/581); Parkland FL (17/17)
2017: Sutherland Springs FL (27/20); Ranch Tehama TX (6/10)
2016: Orlando FL (50/53); Dallas TX (6/9)
2015: Charleston SC (9/1): Roseburg OR (10/7); San Bernardino CA (18/21)
2014: Isla Vista CA (7/13);
2013: Washington DC (13/8)
During the nine-year period listed above, there have been 20 other mass shootings involving four people or more (but fewer than 10). Then there is the fact that we averaged more than 30 gun shootings a year in Southwest. Following Pres. Obama’s Executive Orders and his strong requests of Congress, a Forbes business magazine writer indicated that “It does not appear that any of the executive orders would have any impact on the guns people currently own-or would like to purchase.” Would it not have been worthwhile if Pres. Obama’s initiatives had been acted on to have saved just one of the lives?
We should put pressure directly on Sen. Mitch McConnell to get legislation moving in the Senate. His contact information is: Phone 202-224-2499 or www.facebook.com/mitchmcconnell
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/01/16/
[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/deadliest-mass-shootings
