Comments Related To: As Obama begins second term, he should listen to Bill Clinton on gun control

Obama has a chance in his 2nd term to leave America safer and stronger and I think he will do everything he can to get there. I also think Obama will buck all the 2nd term 'predictions.' Despite GOP efforts to make him look bad, Obama is more popular than ever - and the repubs look like a bunch pos stubborn fools who can't win an election without cheating/gerrymandering. The GOP's biggest mistake was underestimating the intelligence of the American people and the power of a genuinely popular president.

If repubs do not stop blocking and start governing, they will take a bath in 2014 and lose control of the house. Voters are more upset with GOP obstruction and deliberate harm than they are with having a black president. The people want their president to succeed because it makes their lives better - and that's what it all comes down to.

Obama fell prey to the midterm angst that so often affects voters when a first-term president doesn't magically solve all the world's problems in a year or so.

He is more popular than most Republicans care to admit, though, and if he plays his second-term cards right -- and that includes heeding Clinton's advice on gun control -- the Democrats will have a chance to regain the House in 2014.

Punditty, please explain in detail how any of the proposed gun controls will make a difference, considering that there are more guns on the street than in gun shops. None of the proposed laws would have changed anything.

I's not ideology, but pragmatism and logic. If something doesn't doe anything but make you feel better, it becomes a bit like peeing in a dark suit; gives you warm feeling but nobody notices.

It's not even a moral issue; it's reality and the government's inability to enforce even the existing legislation.

Laws don't fix anything unless they actually do something significant. Most legislators don't know an assault rifle from a paintball gun.

It's time to lose the rhetoric, and the Chicken Little mentality and really do something that will work: spend the money to create more opportunities to detect individuals at risk and get them therapy, or intercept/isolate them.

I abhor gun violence; I don't even hunt anymore. If I though the mere passage of more laws would stop that violence, I'd be it's strongest supporter.

Example 1: we don't need to ban assault rifles; they're already illegal to own without registration and licensing by the BATF. Further legislation is useless.

Example 2: 77,000 people were rejected in background checks last year, and for many of them, it was a felony. The government actually responded to less than 10, because they said they had more important things to do. These are the facts.

Take 20 minutes to learn a few things and dispel a few misconceptions that you have about gun regulations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/collection/422810/the-daily-show-covers-gun-rights/422986 and http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/fri-january-18-2013-

Hardy,

I agree with a lot of your points. If you reread my column, I think you'll see that I am advising Democrats who want gun control legislation to listen to what Bill Clinton is saying and not trivialize those who support the right to keep their weapons.

That's why I wrote the following:

Those who would implement stricter gun laws would be wise to first listen to the concerns of those who oppose such measures. ... In a spirit of mutual respect, legislators should seek out a genuine dialogue with law-abiding citizens who oppose gun control, and those citizens should step forward to do so without hyperbole or NRA-prepared talking points at the ready...

Clinton knows that good people from all walks of life manage to keep and use firearms regularly and responsibly without hurting anything other than game they clean, cook and eat. They may not own or want automatic weaponry, but they resent the idea of people who have never even fired a gun, much less owned one, passing laws about what kinds of guns others can own.

Punditty,
Agreed, and even further, before proposing any new legislation, show some proof that the existing legislation is being enforced. I STRONGLY support the enforcement of the regulations we have now.

"Clinton knows that good people from all walks of life manage to keep and use firearms regularly and responsibly without hurting anything other than game they clean, cook and eat. They may not own or want automatic weaponry, but they resent the idea of people who have never even fired a gun, much less owned one, passing laws about what kinds of guns others can own."

I think that's it in a nut shell. Of course you realize, that the ignorance in Congress isn't limited to guns. They really don't know much about economics, finance, or business either. Why would we trust a gang of whores to look out for our best interests?

Having read a and seen a great deal about this matter, and how Americans are reacting, I can only say, 'see ya at the next massacre'. For all the tears, nothing looks set to change in real terms. Still I am not an American

US President Barack Obama will start his second term publically as his swearing in ceremony will hold today on the steps of the US Capitol. Read more on our website http://newstopnight.in/ News Top Night

The arguement about loss of income and jobs has always applied. When the car was 'invented' horsemen, stable owners, blacksmiths etc suffered a similar loss of trade. In the UK the more recent ban on fox hunting did much the same. There have been many more instances of change hitting some people's pockets.

The point is though do we want to be civilised and evolve or stay still and stagnate.
As I keep saying, 'see ya at the next massacre', because unless more people show the will for change in the US, the next one is just around the corner.

Bill Clinton watched Al Gore's support for the Assault Weapons Ban come back to haunt him (many believe that Gore lost his home state of Tennessee and the presidency because of it in 2000.) Naturally Clinton wants to say all the politically correct things now because Hillary would have to deal with this issue if she were to run for POTUS in 2016. Obama has already secured reelection and therefore has more freedom to "do the right thing." What he and Biden have come up with not only has the support of gun control activists like Mayor Bloomberg but also most NRA members when they respond to polls. What Obama cannot do is "nothing" (which is an accurate description of his first term.) His base will no longer tolerate that kind of inaction. Closing the gun show loophole is the bottom line -- background checks and a waiting period before any purchase. I don't want to see substantial political capital used on the assault weapon ban if Congress isn't ready to agree to it on its own. Too much needs to be done to bring back jobs and meet the challenge of climate change. Yes, we need to address the mental health component, but those are long term initiatives. In the meantime how many crazy teenagers are going to commit atrocities in schools and Walmarts because we continue to flood our society with easily accessible killing machines?