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Carolyn Kaster / AP
President Barack Obama speaks to media as he meets with representatives from Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington, to discuss policies put forward by Obama to reduce gun violence. From left are Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau, Hennepin County Minnesota Sheriff Richard W. Stanek, President Obama, and Charles H. Ramsey Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department.
Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 | 10:28 a.m.
Sheriff Doug Gillespie speaks during a news conference Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama kept up pressure on Congress Monday to pass tough new gun legislation, seeking help from law enforcement leaders in three communities that have suffered the horrors of mass shootings.
Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie, head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was among those at the White House meeting.
Obama said that no group is more important in the gun debate and he said he recognizes the issue "elicits a lot of passion all across the country." But Obama also said he believes Congress will respond to appeals from police.
"Hopefully if law enforcement officials who are dealing with this stuff every single day can come to some basic consensus in terms of steps that we need to take," he said, "Congress is going to be paying attention to them, and we'll be able to make progress."
The president's meeting comes as he tries to build support for gun control legislation that will be difficult to get through Congress. He urged Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, limit high capacity magazines and require universal background checks.
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina has indicated he will be using the power of the president's still intact political organization to mobilize support for the legislation. Messina traveled to New York City last week to meet with aides to Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall, according to a person familiar with the discussion, speaking on a condition of anonymity since the meeting was private. Bloomberg has tightened gun laws in the city and founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition that now has more than 800 mayors pushing for national legislation.
Obama met in the Roosevelt Room with the heads of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Major County Sheriffs Association, members of his Cabinet and chiefs that responded to the worst shootings of 2012. That includes Aurora, Colo., where 12 were killed in July; Oak Creek, Wis., where six died in a Sikh temple assault: and Newtown, Conn., scene of the most recent mass tragedy that left 20 first-graders dead.
Obama also said that Washington needs to take mental health issues and school safety more seriously and should help law enforcement agencies hire more police, make sure they get the training they need and give rural forces the resources they need to deal with emergencies.
"Many of them also recognize that it's not only the high profile mass shootings that are of concern here," the president said. "It's also what happens on a day in day out basis in places like Chicago or Philadelphia where young people are victims of gun violence every single day."
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York City contributed to this report.
"Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie, head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was among those at the White House meeting. Obama said that no group is more important in the gun debate....."
Describing our sheriff as "head of" is wrong. He alone possesses the authority of his office and delegates accordingly. No deputy has independent office or authority to wear the badge, etc.
Obama is on thin ice with this kind of "group." The losers on both the Heller and McDonald cases were mainly cops and prosecutors. Their amici briefs fiercely opposed any limitations on the kinds of gun control those cases struck down.
So much for their oaths, but then who in this herd is going to do anything about it?
"...the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table." District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. (slip opinion at 64) (2008)
The President is doing the reasonable things in addressing gun control or gun accountability.
The next step for the president should be a discussion with individual gun owners. We need to be heard also.
What the majority of us do support is accountability of gun sale, gun ownership. A gun sale should be documented. The biggest concern is sales from gun shows. Anybody and everybody can buy a gun at a gun show. There is no accountability, we need accountability. I have to show who I am to purchase a gun, why not every to the same.
If you purchase a gun, the purchaser should be background checked. Just like every other legally transacted purchased of a firearm in America.
And you don't give a firearm to friend who is experiencing depression or is known to have mental problems...Reference to whoever gave the gun to Nevada Assemblyman Steven Brooks.
I'm not sure if Sheriff Doug would prefer to have a higher likelyhood of an unarmed target or continue to be able to justify shooting one because of a "furtive motion."
Recently there has been a lot of talk/spin about the 2nd Amendment and how it might not be applicable in today's modern world and how modern weapons should not be allowed in the hands of Americans any longer.
The 2nd Amendment is NOT what gives Americans the right to own guns, they already have the absolute right of self protection, it's an inalienable right that comes from god! The 2nd Amendment was put in place to insure that are government can never interfere with, or take away this right, hence the use of the very broad term "shall not infringe" Almost any attempt by the government to tamper with this god given right is an infringement and therefore illegal!
The 2nd amendment was included in our Constitution for the specific reason of guaranteeing the citizens inalienable right of self protection from ALL threats, including the tyranny of a government gone out of control, our founders had just experience this and wanted to insure that it could never happen again, they put no "sunset" on the 2nd amendment and intended it to protect Americans for ever! Anyone that thinks we are under less threat of tyranny now that in 1776 or what Americans could face 1000 years from now is simply living in a dream world! There are and will always be tyrants is this world, and to think that one could never surface in American is very naive! To say that these Americans of the future, and today should only be able to own weapons from the 1700's or be limited to only the guns a government approves is ridiculous! Or to say that the 2nd amendment only applies to members of a state militia is also ridiculous! "The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age ...."
Every American has a duty to protect this most precious amendment, as it protects all of our other rights that our Constitution protects for us, and for all future generations for 1000's of years to come, if we fail them, they will not be free! And this tragedy will be on our backs for all eternity! Do not allow this most precious right to be tampered with! Join the NRA, call your congress people, tell them you will not tolerate any infringements on this god given right of self defense against all threats!
Really? Join the NRA? Please!
Your confusing Patriotism with gun sales when you tie the NRA to our freedoms. Wayne LaPierre and the NRA are the mouth piece for the gun manufactures. The America People are not stupid my friends. The people who try and scare the America People with the crazy talk we hear from the NRA leadership, are a bit crazy and easily mislead. That goes for the people who spread the fear and the people respond to the fear. Like running out to buy a gun because the NRA and Wayne LaPierre told you to do. That is being stupid, being ignorant, being uneducated.
America History tells us a different story of freedom and the Second Amendment. Spreading fear to increase gun sales is getting old. The smart Americans already have guns. The smart Americans,(the majority) are not part of the NRA. The smart Americans...the Americans who know American History, are not moved by the crazy talk of the NRA and Wayne LaPierre and those who talk of the US government taking our gun.
What? You called this being naive?
My friend, don't be stupid! Read your history. If you are an American living in America, or a visitor who has made America your home, there is no excuse for ignorance.
This country is replete with information. Stop being ignorant.
If a person calls this being naive, your wrong. This is what responsible American do, responsible gun owners do. We stay prepared. The NRA does not speak for America!
Take your fear and your hatred to another country!
Back round checks should be mandatory for 'all' gun sales-bottom line.
By and large, the only folks supporting Obama's anti-Second Amendment plan as he presents it are those who are lacking any real knowledge of both the issues and the tools in question.
The danger here is threefold -
First: as usual President Obama will use hollow rhetoric that is intended to make him sound reasonable to those ignorant of the facts and those not paying attention who will deal only with headlines, soundbites and swallow whatever he says without question.
Second: He will demonize anyone who opposes his views and characterize them in a negative way even knowing what he says is pure political hyperbole and not close to the truth. He structures everything as a permanent campaign and has no conscience about using campaign tactics and untruths to buy support from his base and those sympathetic to his false rhetoric.
Third:
As always, he will do little work himself, having the far, far, far left ideologues he appoints and hires to his administration and staff do the work, reading whatever speeches from the telepromter they write and reciting recipe talking points at every photo op, press conference and campaign stop. His minions will paint the picture. But, the most dishonest part of all is while he plays to reasonableness, his intent is clear if you ask yourself one question;
If Senator Feinsteins' bill were to be passed in its first draft with the most draconian and outright illegal intent with the language intended to disarm American and make us servants.... Would he sign it?
Of course he would. He would sign the most unfair, unAmerican and constitution busting bill if it made it to his desk, and that is what tells you his real intent.
In summary, anyone who has actually read for themselves just the outline of the bill offered by Senator Feinstein and questioned the real meaning of the language and the terms used knows the real intent. We all know the truth, or the devil as they say, is in the details and they are always much worse than the outline as they are written by lawyers and staff after the bill passes. Any president who would sign it is one with an unAmerican agenda intending to turn freemen into indentured servants and President Obama would sign it without revision or reservation.
@ BRASS (Dale Swanson)...You tell us that..
"First: as usual President Obama will use hollow rhetoric that is intended to make him sound reasonable to those ignorant of the facts and those not paying attention who will deal only with headlines, soundbites and swallow whatever he says without question.
Second: He will demonize anyone who opposes his views and characterize them in a negative way even knowing what he says is pure political hyperbole and not close to the truth. He structures everything as a permanent campaign and has no conscience about using campaign tactics and untruths to buy support from his base and those sympathetic to his false rhetoric.
Third:
As always, he will do little work himself....",
But what you didn't tell us was when Obama joined the Tea Party, because that's their playbook, step by step.
Blue card crap goes national?
What this county needs is not a sheriff who sucks up to Obama, but a Sheriff who upholds his Constitutional oath and empowers the people to responsibly take care of themselves!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEibmLh5...
It's funny when I see someone call another stupid or ignorant and their grammar looks they are in third grade. Really? I had to read some of that post several times to even understand what you were saying. I guess you have been here long enough to enjoy the benefits of the Clark County School District.
Maybe you can enlighten us on the history of the second amendment and freedom? Or are you just using catch phrases to benefit your empty argument? Like when you use the word hatred in your last sentence. I read the post that you are responding to several times and I cannot find the hatred that you write about. Maybe in your next post you can call him a racist. That seems to work when people actually have no argument but feel really emotional about a subject. You say that there is no excuse for ignorance in America, so what is your excuse?
Thanks for including me with whom you consider ignorant. I am one of those three million people who believe strongly in the second amendment. So strongly that we belong to an organization whose only purpose is to protect that right. Call us what you will but we are not going away.
Being part of the NRA has given me a chance to respond to your illogical and daft argument and also reminded me of what it was like to be back in an elementary school grammar class. Thanks for that!
So where's the Sherriff of Carson City where a massacre actually occurred?!? DISGUSTING photo op.
"Please, give me your guns, but I'll keep mine." That's the message of this President for now.
Soon, he will drop the "please" and he'll try to take them.
Anybody who does not see that this is his plan is ignorant or an idiot.
Gun control isnt about guns, its about control.
Good thing for Obama that he didn't make a furtive moment when Gillespie was around.
The sheriff and his gang of bullies. Think that they a right to shoot an unarmed citizen.
When are they going to let me buy a shoulder held rocket launcher? **** A well regulated militia needs shoulder held rocket launchers...and fully automatic 50 cal. machine guns. it's my right under the second amendment. Those liberals up in Washington just don't understand that rocket launchers don't bring down 747's. people do. Isn't that right NRA?
watch this 30 second video to hear a real constitutional sheriff tell the people to arm themselves because it's YOUR responsibility to protect yourself. when the cops get there, then they can take over...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEibmLh5...
Most laws in this arena are made because of Law Enforcement errors that end up in court over civil rights violations... Lets not go there first.
May of these guys are administrators and politicians first they are street cops last.