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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Can Mike Bloomberg keep Barack Obama honest on new gun laws? -- Obama’s speech in Newtown reveals he has got the message - for now

Posted on Monday, December 17, 2012 at 07:28 AM
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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on NBC's
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on NBC's "Meet the Press" (Photo:NBC)
Let’s hear it for Mike Bloomberg for putting it up to President Obama in no uncertain fashion on the guns issue in America.

The bodies of the little ones and adults killed in Newtown are hardly cold and already we are hearing the weasel words of the gun lobby about how kindergarten teachers should be armed and people kill people not guns.

This time however we see an enormous revulsion across the country against the insane unregulated market in guns for madmen, psychopaths, and the deranged that exists in the U.S.

Read More: Gun toll; America 9,369 dead, Great Britain 14 -- get the picture? Obama should attend all the funerals in Newtown after massacre

Fortunately we have a powerful champion of gun control in Mike Bloomberg, “It’s time for the president to stand up and lead,” he said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’

“This should be his No. 1 agenda. He’s President of the United States. And if he does nothing during his second term, something like 48,000 Americans will be killed with illegal guns in the next year.”

“The president has to translate those views into action,” he said. “His job is not just to be well-meaning. His job is to perform and to protect the American public.”

Well said, and the American people are with Bloomberg on this.

Obama even seemed to stiffen his resolve during his massively well received Newtown speech with his biographer David Maraniss calling it his “Gettysburg Address.”

“We can’t tolerate this anymore,” he said. “These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.”

“I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens,” he said, “in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Because what choice do we have?”

What choice indeed, if we want to see our children safer and our country exposed to ridicule for our utterly lax gun laws?

Read More: Anne Marie Murphy died ‘serving children and serving God’ in Newtown tragedy

As Nicholas Kristoff reported in The New York Times, there are more regulations governing how ladders are used than how guns are bought.

30 people died last year from ladder related falls. 10,000 died from gunshot wounds.

Mike Bloomberg has the money, the mission, and the drive to keep Obama honest on this issue.

Let’s hope he succeeds.



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20 Comments

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jetsnoone | Dec 22, 2012, 07:19 PM EST
Mike Bloomberg hates the gun, but has no problem with abortion tools........2,000 babies killed everyday in America by abortion. Liberals, spare us thy hypocrisy.

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EphraimKibbey | Dec 22, 2012, 12:14 AM EST
seanomelb - It DOES matter when someone on the news or a politician shows their ignorance about firearms BECAUSE it weakens their credibility with those who do know the difference and leads others into a misunderstanding of what really transpired. The important point that they are REALLY trying to make about the need for better gun safety laws is lost in the light of the impression that they do not know what they are taking about. If they don't know that simple difference why should anyone listen to the rest of what they are saying as it is probably all as defective. The amount of misinformation about this tragedy that the media put out as gospel in the early stages was atrocious. If one wishes to be considered a credible source of information, one needs to take the time to get ones' facts straight before one says anything. The lives already lost and the lives that will be lost, if America does not wake up, are too important for the cause to falter just because some reporter didn't even bother to check Wiki!

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seanomelb | Dec 18, 2012, 06:55 PM EST
It matters not Ephraim both are weapons of mass destruction. Ephraim by using the large magazine it changed the gun into an assault rifle. Now is the time for Americans to reflect on what seems to be a siege mentality which most gun owners have.

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merefalow | Dec 18, 2012, 06:38 PM EST
it will never happen,the gun lobby is to powerfull.

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Donegal6 | Dec 17, 2012, 08:46 PM EST
And I think bloomberg being the big man that he is should call a press conference and pull out his concealed hand gun, YES HE CARRIES, along with his concealed hand gun carry permit, and hand it over to the commissioner of police in a gesture of solidarity with all the loons that want to disarm America. The richest and most vocal advocates for gun control are armed! Hypocrites one and all. Connecticut has strict laws, the nut jobs negligent and no deceased mom, left the guns available to the maggot. Legislating a gun prohibition will only cause sane gun owners to become unarmed and lose their right to self defense. The crazies and criminals will always have a way to get guns. Stick a thirty round magazine on any semi auto hunting rifle and you have functionally what is ignorantly referred to as an assault rifle. A fully automatic machine gun is different from a civilian version. For millions of Americans it is a sport. and happens to serve as a self defense tool and survival tool if needed. Stripping all those folks of a current right is missing the point. Obamacare needs to have a huge Mental Health and Social services component, since we are on a spending kick with other people's money. This way this lady wouldn't get stuck alone in the house with this nut. And she needed to keep those guns in a vault. Negligently letting a demented person or otherwise impaired person drive your car or get to you guns should consistently result in your being subject to criminal and civil prosecution. She enabled the act and paid with her life. The crazies will always have a place to buy guns. Let's provide the mentally ill real comprehensive care and not have the US be an insane asylum without walls. Why is the society deteriorating??? Why didn't these things happen years ago?Why is this level of craziness so prevalent? It's pretty obvious and it all started in the 60's

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reinkefj | Dec 17, 2012, 06:53 PM EST
Politicians -- of any ilk -- are not to be beleived. Sorry but Obama. Bloomerg, or any R or D -- are all cut fromt eh same cloth. Say what is necessary and they would NOT know a principle unless it waa in a school. The answer to this tragedy is found in: (1) treating mental illness at the expense of "individual rights". You do NOT have the right to urinate on the street or shoot up a school. (2) Recoognize that the world is a dangerous place. No amount of wishful thinking will make it less so. Pass all the "laws" you want, bad people will do bad things. (3) Arm the school staffs and any volunteers as are needed to secure the joint. Work for the Israelis; it can work for us. Put a cranky grandparent in charge of security and guarnatee this won't happen again. (4) Examine the whole CONCEPT of gooferment skrules. The Government shouldn't be brainwashing future voters. imho

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EphraimKibbey | Dec 17, 2012, 05:02 PM EST
PART II - Limit the capacity of the magazine and you pull the semi-automatic's teeth. The problem is that since the expiration and failure to repass the Brady bill in 2004, thousands of the high capacity magazines have been sold. A bill to make the possession of one will need to be taken up next year since the bill currently in congress only bans their sale and transmission, not their possession or use.

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EphraimKibbey | Dec 17, 2012, 04:58 PM EST
maireadinmelb - PART I - there is a big difference between SEMI-automatic and automatic weapons. I heard numerous reporters refer to the weapons used in this crime as automatic when in reality they were all semi-automatic. The non-shooting public seems to lump the two catagories together indiscriminantly. In reality, the semi-automatic does not fire much faster than a revolver as the trigger must be completely pulled and released for each shot with both unlike a truly automatic weapon. It is the high capacity magazine that can make the semi-automatic firearm so devastating. It was when Gabby Gifford's shooter stopped to replace his magazine that he was finally over whelmed. The higher the number of bullets in the magazine, the more victims before anyone has a chance to stop a shooter. The 30 round magazines used in the assault rifle at Sandy Hook are each three times the capacity that is the limit in many localities. Had this murderer had to change magazines after shooting his way into the building, the results might have been different. Never under estimate the ferocity of a woman protecting HER kids which is the way teachers/administrators look upon their students.

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seanomelb | Dec 17, 2012, 04:57 PM EST
fast talking from fast eddy and mindless to boot.seven out of ten of the worst school shootings happened outside the usa name them Eddy.Making excuses to keep assault rifles in the community is aiding and abetting those who kill children.Most school shootings happen in America my boy and the firts world just shakes its head in disbelief.

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EphraimKibbey | Dec 17, 2012, 04:16 PM EST
My prayers are with all of those touched by the murders at Sandy Hook Elementry School. As a retired teacher, I would like to point out to those calling for an armed "Guardian" in every school, that there was a trained, armed police officer at Columbine and he was unable to prevent the shootings. When Gabby Giffords was shot, there were people carrying who almost shot someone trying to give her aid according to their own testimony. As a longtime gun owner and FORMER NRA member, I ask you to notice those words "well regulated" in the 2nd amendment to our constitution. The NRA has switched from representing its members, who strongly support the nine bills now in congress closing current loopholes in firearm regulation, to representing the FIREARMS INDUSTRY from whom they receive lots of money. This is just one more instance of corporate America putting their bottom line ahead of citizens' well being. Every parent should immediately write their two senators, their rep. and the President asking for the passage of those nine measures NOW. In the new year they need to write them again asking what is being done about the sorry state of treatment for mental illness in our country. The convergence of these two problems may not be the cause of all gun crime but attacking it vigorously would be a reasonable starting point.

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McNamara31 | Dec 17, 2012, 03:06 PM EST
bcoc1124 Well said

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southside77 | Dec 17, 2012, 02:33 PM EST
Please remember Obama and Bloomberg are members of the professional political class. They care about two things only, one getting elected and two getting reelected. The issue is of no concern to them, what the issue means to their political success is their only concern. No real progress can be made until the citizens replace the professional political class.

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southside77 | Dec 17, 2012, 02:19 PM EST
Please remember above all Bloomberg and Obama are members of the professional political class and the 2 things they care most about are: 1) getting elected 2) getting reelected. If gun control increases their political popularity they are for it, if not they are against. If you want real action from these dirt bags take away their security details until ALL SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE SECURE. POWER TO THE PEOPLE NOT THE POLITICIANS, the revolution draws near.

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maireadinmelb | Dec 17, 2012, 02:18 PM EST
The constitution and bill of rights were written in what 1786 approximately? The world is a little bit different now! Maybe the USA needs to look at updating!! There is no need for semi automatic or automatic weapons to be kept in residential homes!

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Nicomax | Dec 17, 2012, 12:33 PM EST
If the primary reason for owning guns is to protect ourselves from our government, then does this mean we should be allowed to procure the following: AK 47's, rocket launchers, Predator drones, flame throwers. If not, why not, since the Army has all of these and if ordered to come and get you, you will to be equally armed.

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