This is a serious subject, but after listening to the President and reading the list, as suspected, was this just a show? posturing to apply pressure on a very divided Congress? Using kids to shame people into supporting anti-gun sentiment? Well here’s my quick and dirty take on things.
The following is a list, provided by the White House, of executive actions President Obama plans to take to address gun violence.
1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
Hmmm, a memo…to federal agencies re: Federal Background Check System…make all relevant information available to ‘the system’…Damn, if that’s all it takes why didn’t he just write a memo to DOJ about Fast and Furious or Benghazi?
2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.
Bureaucrats don’t dismantle bureaucracies, inefficiencies in government usually are second nature, and tend to make things slower. Maybe this is the goal.
3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.
See #1, and #2., wonder what the incentives are…or will they be considered mandates…some states will have a huge problem with this.
4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
This is FRESH, the AG, are we talking Holder here? Lemme guess, is one of those categories labelled Mexican Cartel?
5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
Rulemaking, that terminology to me is ‘disturbing’…doesn’t require a “Law” but a subjective interpretation by a government bureaucrat. People of MD should know what this means if you’ve ever tried apply for a CCW permit.
6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
“another Letter?”, this somehow becomes policy and not guidelines intended to assist, but rather to be an administrative obstacle.
7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
Fluff, apparently, they really don’t know that large majorities of people have grown up in an atmosphere where responsible gun safety and ownership is part of the culture.
8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).
California standards are typically used as the ‘bar’ to be measured, most gun safes meet and or exceed this requirement.
9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
Another memo, but this is fresh….they can’t seem to track guns under their purview, but a memo will somehow fix this? laughable.
10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.
Release a report…this is empty, if it was relevant before it should have been made available.
11. Nominate an ATF director.
Filler…
12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.
Provide???…this just means more money.
13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
Maximize effort….you mean to tell me that you weren’t doing everything you could before? Prosecute gun crime, let me make a suggestion here, gun used in a crime…mandatory sentencing…no plea agreements. 90% of all crimes never make it to trial….lawyers and states attorneys plea them.
14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.
Another effing memo, asking for a CDC study…pull the the tired ass report out of a drawer, cause you’ve done them before, put a new date on it.
15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative
technologies.
yet another report.
16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
think folks are going to volunteer this info if there is just an inkling that it could result in confiscation? FAT CHANCE.
17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.
Whew, is he trying to support the failing Post Office…
18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
Hands are out all over the country, counties and states will certainly budget another revenue source from the FED…O’Malley has already reduced the Education budget by the amount the Fed ‘should’ be responsible for.
19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.
Sorta like a Fire Escape plan?…they really think they know how these things play out…mandating ‘safe rooms’ maybe an easier solution.
20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.
Mental Health, finally something deserved of a conversation, I guess we’ll have to wait for “the Letter”…Lord I hop the USPS can handle this…
21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.
What is this? still working out the quirks or holes left in the ACA, under the guise of Gun Safety?
22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.
A promise….that’s nice
23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.
National dialogue on Mental Health…let me give you some advice, you have 536 patients that could be the subject of a wide variety testing…and I’m sure you will find most of them shouldn’t be trusted making decisions for the rest of us.
thank you!