Breaking: Obama Announces Executive Action on Guns

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
– Isaiah 2:4 [Tweet this]

Emotion paused President Obama’s announcement today, where he made public the series of executive actions he is to take to curb gun violence.

The Washington Post reports:

The package, which Obama plans to announce Tuesday, includes 10 separate provisions, White House officials said. One key provision would require more gun sellers — especially those who do business on the Internet and at gun shows — to be licensed and would force them to conduct background checks on potential buyers. Obama would devote $500 million more in federal funds to treating mental illness — a move that could require congressional approval — and require that firearms lost in transit between a manufacturer and a seller be reported to federal authorities.

At the president’s direction, the FBI will begin hiring more than 230 additional examiners and other personnel to help process new background checks 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has established a new investigation center to keep track of illegal gun trafficking online and will devote $4 million and additional personnel to enhance the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network.

As we said last week, action is necessary – as imperfect as it may be. Obama is taking action,

On the other hand, the GOP recently rejected a proposal that would “bar individuals on terror watch lists from purchasing firearms.”

Guns aren’t the problem, but the people with mental disorders wielding these weapons are the problem, we’ve heard.

So, did the GOP work with the Democrats to increase funding for services treating mental disorders and substance abuse? Nope, the amendment “meant to improve funding for services treating mental illness and substance abuse disorders failed in a 47-52 vote.”

And what have the US Bishops asked congress?

We ask you to support policies that:

•  Require effective and enforceable universal background checks for all gun purchases; and,
•  Establish a vigorous law that makes gun-trafficking a federal crime. In addition… support provisions that:
  • Limit civilian access to high-capacity ammunition magazines;
  • Ban assault weapons.

And they’ve stated:

We support measures that control the sale and use of firearms and make them safer (especially efforts that prevent their unsupervised use by children or anyone other than the owner), and we reiterate our call for sensible regulation of handguns.

But not just that…

However, we believe that in the long run and with few exceptions (i.e., police officers, military use), handguns should be eliminated from our society. “Furthermore, the widespread use of handguns and automatic weapons in connection with drug commerce reinforces our repeated ‘call for effective and courageous action to control handguns, leading to their eventual elimination from our society.’” [Tweet this]

Consistent in their exaggeration and failure to push forward any legislation, Republicans are reacting to the President’s announcement with fear mongering and, what seems to be, plain silliness.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) issued a statement Monday saying that even without knowing the plan’s details, he thinks “the president is at minimum subverting the legislative branch, and potentially overturning its will. . . . This is a dangerous level of executive overreach, and the country will not stand for it.”

Some comment and tell me what the problem is with universal background checks, and requiring licenses for all gun sellers? How does this deface the second amendment – assuming, for sake of discussion, that the second amendment is sacrosanct?

Let’s move towards a prophetic witness for peace.

Until next time,

Keith Michael Estrada

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