GOP Flips Out re: President Obama's Executive Action Proposal on Guns

Arm America to the Teeth and Elect Me to Protect You (oops)

This short introduction has been extracted from Vox com:

America is an exceptional country when it comes to guns. It's one of the few countries in which the right to bear arms is constitutionally protected. But America's relationship with guns is unique in another crucial way: Among developed nations, the U.S. is far and away the most violent — in large part due to the easy access many Americans have to firearms. (And I would add strong gun lobby to head off any changes re: open carry or right to have a gun anywhere, anytime, and basically for any reason).

Some stats:

1. America has six times as many firearm homicides as Canada, and 15 times as many as Germany.
2. America has 4.4 percent of the world's population, but almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world.
3. There have been at least 1,042 mass shootings since Sandy Hook (in 2012).
4. On average, there is more than one mass shooting for each day in America (i.e., 336 days and 355 mass shootings).
5. States with more guns have more gun deaths (see these states and numbers):

 Conversely: States with tighter gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths.

From the NY Daily News – a great piece for sure – in part re: 

While stoking fearful hysteria that the federal government is stealthily moving to confiscate firearms, gun-rights zealots have responded with rhetoric that hints of violent resistance.

Most irresponsibly, Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott dared President Obama to [quote] “COME AND TAKE IT,” [unquote] as he tweeted opposition to Mr. Obama’s plans to tighten gun regulations by executive order.

Along the exact same threatening lines, a NRA publication issued a call to action against proposed NY legislation that would limit ammunition purchases to twice the capacity of a gun owner’s firearm during a 90-day period. That NRA report was accompanied by a frighteningly suggestive image showing four bullets alongside photos of the bill sponsors, Dem State Sen. Roxanne Persaud and Dem Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon (both from Brooklyn).

My observation on those two point: These two reactions: (1) Gov. Abbott and (2) the NRA) appear threatening and thus possibly subject to criminal prosecution. Both need to be followed up (which I’m pretty sure someone is), since threatening an elected official and namely the president is a serious crime.

Also, Republican presidential candidates quickly denounced President Obama's gun announcement, saying his plans undercut the Second Amendment and stretch the limits of executive power. Part of what Mr. Obama said in his remarks:

1.  He totally supports the constitutional right to bear arms, (2) that Republicans and candidates in concert with the NRA and members of the gun lobby have and continue to distort his view, and that (3) his proposals do not represent a slippery slope toward mass confiscation of firearms [that hype based on fear to gain support] and (4) This is not a plot to take away everybody's guns.

GOP candidate expressions:

• Trump [one day before this announcement]: “I will ‘un-sign’ Obama’s mandates.”
• Rubio: “It's part of a broader narrative. And that is that this president is obsessed with undermining the Constitution in general, but the Second Amendment in particular.”
• JE Bush:  “Obama's call for enhanced background checks and other new restrictions shows an utter disregard for the Second Amendment as well as the proper constitutional process for making laws in our nation.”
• Cruz [campaigning in Iowa]: “When you live by the pen, you die by the pen.” (Implying that he would rescind the orders).
• Huckabee: “This is a blatant, belligerent abuse of power and I will never bow down and surrender to Obama’s unconstitutional, radical, anti-gun agenda.”
• Carson [tweeted]: “Obama's actions have everything to do with advancing his political agenda & little to do with actually protecting American citizens.”

Electing a president on a single issue is highly unlikely and especially regarding guns and that whole arena. Makes for good news, huge gun producer profits and salary increases for Wayne LaPierre, et al at the NRA, but they do little to stop, slow down or curtail the massive gun violence in our country … that is the issue.

Finally, how any person; gun lover or not, cannot see a pressing need for common sense gun rules or even want to discuss what Mr. Obama proposes, is far beyond rational common sense and comprehension on any level in my view.