Five Takeaways from Obama’s Town Hall Meeting on Guns

2nd Amendment – R2KBA Authors Current Events S.H. Blannelberry This Week

I’m writing this live. That is, as I’m actually watching Obama’s town hall meeting on guns as I’m writing this article. I wanted to wait until the end, so I had time to collect my thoughts and put together a more thorough article. But then I got a bit heated at all the claptrap spilling out of his mouth, so I couldn’t resist the urge to respond. So, here we go. Five things I immediately noticed while watching POTUS talk (outta his butt) on guns.

1. Make Something Difficult, You Begin to Make it Impossible

I’ve written about this before, and it’s so true. The goal of his executive actions is to chill the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. He wants to make gun ownership — buying and selling firearms — incrementally more difficult, costly and time-consuming knowing full well that when you make something difficult, you begin to make it impossible.

2. Less Lethal = Subarm

Obama wants to subarm America. Every time he says the word we need to make guns “safer” or “less lethal,” what he really means is we ought to ban certain types of “unsafe” and “more lethal” firearms. Translation, widely popular and commonly owned black rifles.

And yes, banning firearms and accessories, e.g. AR-15s with 30-round magazines, which Obama unabashedly favors, is taking away one’s guns! So, Obama’s repeated claim throughout the meeting that he “doesn’t want to take our guns” is a bald-faced lie of the highest order!

Plus, when asked by Anderson Cooper on why he touts Australian-style gun laws, Obama completely dodged the question.

3. Meeting with the NRA?

Obama said he would meet with the National Rifle Association if they wanted to.

“I’m happy to meet with them. I’m happy to talk with them,” said the president.

Personally, I’d love to see that showdown. Wayne vs. Barack in a loser leaves town match. Sadly, the NRA was a no show. Probably for good reason, as they knew their hands would be tied in terms of the Q&A format. CNN is apparently not allowing people to rebut the president.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told CNN that the nation’s gun lobby saw “no reason to participate in a public relations spectacle orchestrated by the White House.”

4. We Can Do Better…

“We can do better,” to reduce gun violence said Obama at the conclusion of the event. Yes, we can!

We can do a better job prosecuting straw purchasers, we can do a better job cracking down on drug dealers and gangs, we can do a better helping those at-risk of suicides, we can do better providing treatment for those suffering with mental health issues.

None of the stuff we can do better on involves infringing on the Second Amendment. That’s the bottom line.

5. CNN Fair and Balanced?

Lastly, CNN deserves credit for hosting a reasonably fair and balanced meeting. Throughout the night, CNN fielded questions from several pro-gunners, including Taya Kyle, the wife of slain Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.

When she had the chance to ask the question, Taya Kyle doubled down on a point she made in an op-ed earlier that day.

“My government has proven that it’s not able to protect me against people who want to kill. And I don’t blame the government, because there is only one person to blame here: The man or woman who decided to kill,” Kyle wrote.

Too bad it was lost on Obama.

“The fact that the system doesn’t catch every single person … has to be weighed against the fact that we might be able to save a whole bunch of families from the grief that some of the people in this audience have had to go through,” he said.

The system doesn’t save anyone. The system is fatally flawed, as Kyle says. We are responsible for our safety — not the government.  If we keep giving our rights over to the system, we’re all doomed.

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” — Ben Franklin

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  • Andrew N. January 25, 2016, 1:22 am

    We need a gun-friendly host to lure him in with a promise of softball type pre-approved questions, then hit him with real questions and watch his response. After all, he said I could keep my doctor, and that he would not go after guns. If he can lie, so can our host. Ask him to explain the difference between bolt action, semi-automatic and automatic weapons, as well as the difference between magazines and clips. Also take one of each type of AR lookalikes, the single shot, the bolt action, and the regular, then ask him which ones should be outlawed and why. By the time he’s done, everyone will see he knows NOTHING about firearms.

  • Rick karr January 19, 2016, 3:03 am

    I’m 82 years young..was in the Korean conflict bull/shit, not a war .You learn the falue of guns real fast. When l cam home l was a P I …l never ever shot any one, BUT, They knew l had a gun, and thank god, or, the force be with you, as it saved my life many many many times…The 2nd was written in 1791, and that my friends is why we never had war at home..BUT, we faught wars world wide….SO TELL OUR LEADERS TO F*** OFF…I BELONG TO A ” VETS ” CLUB , looking for new,GI members

    • Don O. January 21, 2016, 6:12 pm

      Before the next president is sworn in a thorough security check should be done on the rascal. It is doubtful that the current one could pass the same one that was required of my own father when he was involved in the Titan ICBM program. What the hell is going on here?

  • Rick karr January 19, 2016, 2:59 am

    I’m 82 years young..was in the Korean conflict bull/shit, not a war .You learn the falue of guns real fast. When l cam home l was a P I …l never ever shot any one, BUT, They knew l had a gun, and thank god, or, the force be with you, as it saved my life many many many times…The 2nd was written in 1791, and that my friends is why we never had war at home..BUT, we faught wars world wide….SO TELL OUR LEADERS TO F*** OFF…I BELONG TO A ” VETS ” CLUB , looking for new,GI members

  • Lazarus' Brother January 16, 2016, 8:36 am

    The fight against British dominance has never been over. Just new battles. The 2nd amendment was put in place to let ALL government leaders know; the PEOPLE will NOT be intimidated or ruled by tyrants. Something has gone terribly wrong. The “leaders” of our beautiful nation FAIL miserably to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. The domestic enemies are allowing the foreign enemies in and if an armed citizenry exists…….their “plan” is foiled. To give up our US sovereignty and allow the “world” government to dictate to United States citizens what is and what is not is nothing short of communistic socialism. Bibles and guns. religious freedom and the will and means to PROTECT it. We were created to be free and live life…..not to be enslaved and dictated to by power hungry arrogant nazis

  • gunflint January 16, 2016, 7:51 am

    Lets compare the Gun Industry to the GM bailout……Its now to large to fail ?…The “idiot” accidentally painted himself into a corner, it backfired.

  • steven DeAtley January 16, 2016, 12:51 am

    what really got my attention was how after the lady who was the rape victim spoke Obama was all understanding,but then he began the bullshit act of saying how guns in the home was more often dangerous than an inturder how we usally end up with the gun being used aganist us.everyone knows this is hogwash, at least even if the gun is taken from us atleast we had a chance.I know if i had not had my ruger single six with me one evening I most likly wouldnt be here writing this to-nite. And several years later as i sat on the pot in a rest area along I81 in VA. at 2PM one morning i heard somebody enter the restroom {2 young white males} and I heard one whisper”where’d he go?” to his buddy. now thats a real strange thing to hear as your the only one in the restroom and sitting in a stall. Of course thank God I had my ol trusty Browning Hi- Power in my hand as i stepped outta the stall and they just naturally got their hands way up and moved far away from me and kept their goat smelling butts up aganist the far wall as i backed outta the restroom,and no that was one time I diddnt wash my hands lol.But the one thing I’ll never forget was as i backed out of there was I heard one of those guys exclaim”did you see that fucking gun!” I known ,Obama would say they just was going to ask me for directions,or for some help or something like that,and i just over reacted. I’m sure the liberals would think of amillion things to try to make me look bad in this situation. But the facts are he wasnt there and when you hear someone up to no good you know it .and as i diddnt have to shoot either one of these 2 assholes it was a pretty good out come. But if Obama or any of the Gun grabbers think for one second I’m going to hand over my rights without a fight and say here’s my guns they are sadly mistaken.Don’t be fooled America when Obama says we need more meaningful gun legistlation he means confiscation. that’s the goal of these commie bastards.

  • two dogs January 15, 2016, 9:52 pm

    Obama’s speech was a smoke screen, nothing was in it. He just spoke on things everybody already knew, to get every ones attention off of what was really going on. Nineteen executive actions, I have not heard anything on what they were. So while
    all you where typing on his stupid speech I think he was robbing the hen house. I read most of the commits the best thing
    that was said was ” WAKE UP “

  • Tom Horn January 15, 2016, 8:44 pm

    Dear Mr. Blannelberry,
    How do we end the ignorance? I see gun owners often post on the sight with ignorant comments. These are not stupid people, just ignorant. It would be like me posting a comment on a brain surgery forum (but I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night). I’m not stupid, but I don’t have enough information to form an intelligent opinion about matters of brain surgery. Nine times out of ten, we attack these individuals for their ignorant comments. Is there some way we can educate these ignorant posters without insulting them? Could there be a, “Gun Owner’s Rights and Issues,” permanent Link, that new posters could be directed to before they post for the first time? With such info as:

    2nd Amendment – Not about your right to hunt, or even self defense. Self defense is recognized as a, “God given right.” Hunting rights are probably, God given rights, but are regulated by the states, in compliance with national laws and international treaties. The 2nd Amendment is about Americans right to protect the U.S.A. from enemies both foreign and domestic, and to especially protect our Nation from a tyrannical government, and the usurping of the power of the People. Period. Because you have the right to bear arms, you have the right to use them for self defense and hunting.

    Why Do People Need Semi-auto Firearms, With High Capacity Magazine? – Civilians have found many applications for the modern sporting rifle (includes the AR 15. Armalite Rifle, not “assault rifle”). These include target and competitive shooting, hunting, and self defense. The “need,” though, is for self defense, and to carry out our responsibility to our 2nd Amendment Rights (our Country’s defense). A semi-auto weapon is able to provide suppressive/cover fire, and quick follow-up shots. No one can determine how many rounds you will need in a defensive situation, or how fast you will need to deliver them down range. While taking a combat pistol course, the instructor (a S.W.A.T. team member in a large U.S. city) told of the time a suspect fired on seven officers attempting to subdue the suspect. Of the 89 shots fired by the officers in close quarter combat, only four of the rounds hit their target. Combat is not target shooting, and armed self defense is combat. If you create laws that limit the weapons and magazine capacity a law abiding citizen can carry, and the criminals and the government will have a distinct tactical advantage in combat. (See, Five Gunfights That Changed Law Enforcement: http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2011/05/5-gunfights-that-changed-law-enforcement.aspx ).

    How Can Anyone Object To This Little Change In Our Gun Laws? – Unconstitutional, is unconstitutional. There really isn’t just a little bit unconstitutional. Just like you can’t be a little bit pregnant. There are many affronts and attacks on our 2nd Amendment Rights, and many federal, state, and local unconstitutional gun laws on the books. Every time we allow another unconstitutional law to pass, we are inviting the next. Our Constitutional Rights are being chipped away at (but lately with a jack hammer). I will not try to convince anyone that there is an element of our Country that is seeking Globalization, and eventual firearms confiscation. I ask that you only look at the facts. You can connect the dots, or not, as you wish. But, at least look at the facts. Then make an informed opinion.

    Mr. Blannelberry, It would be nice if we could help these fellow American gun owners slip the shepherd’s crook the gun grabbers have around their necks, and help guide them to the free thinking side of the fence.

  • Z1911Smith January 15, 2016, 7:55 pm

    As the first and only country to establish complete and total gun registration, we have set a step in history. The rest of the world will follow our lead into the future. -Adolph Hitler-
    The next step was confiscation from those who would oppose him followed by genocide. History always repeats itself when we cease to remember it. Lesson to be learned here, we are well on our way to copying Nazi Germany, both in our economic state, and in governmental brainwashing. Hitler was a very charismatic leader, and a great motivational speaker. Sound familiar?

  • J P Beyers January 15, 2016, 7:06 pm

    I believe in the 2nd Amendment, grew up that way. Spent 6 years in the Marines and Retired from the Insurance field. Just my opinion but sounds like Obama and a few others here either don’t really know what’s going on in America or just don’t really care anymore.. If they can take our Gun Rights away then the only people that will be able to get guns will be the crooks, thieves, killers, gangs, and the police, National Guard and all active duty Military .. Maybe that’s what our Government really wants …….. Then they can rule the way they want…..
    They have taken the Pledge of Allegiance and Bible out of the Schools. Don’t let parents or Schools correct any of the kids anymore (that’s the reason for so many dugs and suicides, and now they (OBAMA) wants to slowly take our 2nd Amendment Rights.. If they keep taking away our Rights, soon there will be No Rights to be taken …… Most of the younger generation has no idea what is actually going on and won’t realize it till most of the older generation is gone……
    Then it’ll be too late,
    They’ll have No Rights and won’t be able to do a thing about it…….

    • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 11:25 pm

      They’ve been infringing on the right to keep and bear arms for over 80 years now. Progressing by a bit here and a bit there till the founders wouldn’t even recognize what we have as being a right at all. We have to ask permission (get a background check and maybe a permit), we can’t carry in many places just because the government says we can’t. We can’t carry anyway we want and we can’t buy many of the guns people would like to buy just because the government says we can’t or it’s hideously expensive in the case of owning a actual automatic rifle or firearm of some kind because of government regulations. And all these infringements are accepted by the greater majority of citizens. What part of “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” doesn’t anyone understand and why don’t you understand it? Why do you accept the government’s infringements? They may seem reasonable but they are not. If the people don’t like the second amendment the way it’s written then they should change it to allow permits and gun free zones and limited arms availability not infringe the crap out of it till it’s non-existent. That’s what they’re doing while everyone stands around talking about what’s reasonable.

    • Lazarus' Brother January 16, 2016, 8:38 am

      Semper Fi brother. I agree and understand completely. However….they cannot take away anything you don’t give them

  • Dan January 15, 2016, 6:23 pm

    We have an occasional shooting that stirs up public controversy, and politicians on both sides of the issue see it as an opportunity to defelect attention away from the way they have mismanaged our tax dollars for several decades, and allowed our economy to be devastated by policies instituted for their corporate contributors. There are thousands of gang members carrying and using illegal firearms to terrorize those unfortunate enough to live in their neighborhoods – take their guns away before you come for ours!

  • steve January 15, 2016, 5:58 pm

    As long as the weapons industry is making BANK hand over fist….(…..pepe Lapew should just shut up …after all hes the head man for the guns sales group..(nra)..and there sellin faster than hotcakes.) nothing will change …NADA ZERO….it hasn’t and it won’t….the banks who own the weapons industry will see to that…..the sky is not falling and isn’t going to soon…blah blah blah from both sides.

    • Kivaari January 15, 2016, 6:22 pm

      Just what is wrong with gun businesses selling more guns and accessories? It’s like telling auto makers to stop selling cars and fancy unneeded accessories, because they make a profit. Profits are not a bad thing to make. If a gun maker likes shooting sports and self-defense, just why wouldn’t they desire to buy ads on TV and in magazines targeted to gun buyers? Leftist, hate the concept of profits. Why? Well they are not very bright. They hate gun makers because they are corporations, and they like to tax those evil corporations, not knowing that corporations really are not taxed, they simply charge customers more. Taxing a car maker is no different. Force GMC to add “safety features” or lower emission engines and that cuts into profits. Prices go up.
      No different than gun makers. Tax them, and prices go up. That is great for anti-gun people but like heavy taxes on other products makes things like toilet paper go up.
      Gun owners spend good money for good products and you think the NRA is evil to support that. I think the Sierra Club doing their same anti-business projects to be evil.

      • Dittohd January 17, 2016, 11:26 pm

        All of these people (liberals! Some don’t even know they are liberals) want more profit from their labor (higher wages) but want to demonize corporations (whether making guns or toilet paper) for wanting to make a profit. Profit is what allows us to live and prosper. We all want profit so we can have a better lifestyle. Liberals, especially in government, want more money and politicians get it without producing anything. Freedom is solution, not more laws. If we go back to our founding and get freedom back, everyone will have a better opportunity. They will have a chance to make more money.

  • D.Tros January 15, 2016, 4:21 pm

    I noticed that many of those who posted, are posting personal attacks on Obama. What he is being used to accomplish is despicable, however he is a willing pawn in a much bigger game. The ultimate goal is globalism. This isn’t a myth but a fact that the many organizations main purpose is to bring about admit freely. Part of the U.S. giving up sovereignty to Brussels’ is to disarm the population. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the direction we have been heading for over 50 years and they are accelerating it. Efforts can help slow it and has in the past, however they are almost to the point where they just press forward and make it happen. Any politicians that we get to vote for, have been put forward by those behind the scenes, who will push their agenda. If they do not, they do not make it through the process.

    • Kivaari January 15, 2016, 6:29 pm

      Obama’s personal goals are designed to harm the people. He and his supporters view themselves as superior to the rest of the people. If we like and own and use guns, he simply thinks we are primitive thinkers and must be controlled. It IS all about CONTROL. Most democrat voters are poorly educated. Dems need to keep their elites protected, while they control their ignorant voter base.
      Unfortunately we have gun rights supporters that do stupid things like the takeover of a federal building in Eastern Oregon. They just had to bring AR15-type rifles along. That helps the Obama-ites achieve their goals of disarming the people. When those same people give the anti-gunners lots of ammunition to shot at our rights. I suspect the leaders of the protest will be arrested as the takeover ends. The feds are less likely to create another Waco or Ruby Ridge. These fake patriots are harming us.

  • Bryan hague January 15, 2016, 4:03 pm

    Obama came in with a agenda,as Reagan said so much of what they believe is wrong.they don’t want gun control, they want gun elimination,gun control brings them closer.I just hope a gun owner takes out a attacker soon.while I support gun carry laws
    I don’t want it ramppant as accidents theft and incompetent owners increase. Even Obama admitted his rules wouldn’t stop recent attacks

  • computerookie January 15, 2016, 3:57 pm

    Gun Laws? Ok, but can we make them “make sense”?
    1. Use a gun to commit a crime then you spend time (a long time) in jail.
    2. Take a life in the committing of a crime, forfeit your own life.
    3. Get caught committing a crime with a gun, lethal response is warranted. Authorized use of firearms against crimes being committed or witnessed by police or armed citizen.
    4. Past criminal record, involving violence, then it should be understood you don’t have the right to own any type of firearm.
    Of course this probably needs to be more refined by people with a better grasp of the definition of violence, than I!
    5. American citizens, are the only citizens allowed to own a firearm in this country.
    I am sure there are more issues to be addressed, this is only a beginning to an obvious problem existing in our country.

    It is clear that we have a problem with guns! Taking them away from law abiding citizens is not the solution. Taking them away from criminals and people proven to have evil intensions is surely a move in the right direction. It seems to me that by outlawing guns, only outlaws will have them. The law enforcement agencies in this country have a vast criminal data base and it should be used to avoid this issue with non-authorized gun ownership. Why should anyone wanting to own firearms, have a problem with a minute or two extra, waiting for an already in place background check?
    It seems to me that by outlawing guns, only outlaws will have them!
    Guns are not the problem…..the people that own them are. If a citizen has evil intensions then every step necessary should be taken to avoid them having a gun.
    As to magazine capacity. What does that have to do with gun violence? It only takes a single shot to cause a casualty!

    • D.Tros January 15, 2016, 4:23 pm

      In an ideal world, your suggestions could work. The problem is they are going to making owning a gun a crime. They are doing it incrementally, but they are doing it.

    • Richard January 15, 2016, 4:52 pm

      We DO NOT have a problem with guns! In a nation of 320 million fallible humans there are situations which take lives. It is a balance, acceptable risk versus value. This is why we allow people to drive faster than 20 miles per hour which allows 40,000 auto deaths and many more thousands of injuries. A simple device on every vehicle would prevent this carnage,but we feel the cost of driving this slowly would be too great.
      2/3 of gun deaths are suicides 60% of who are under professional psychiatric care. At least 7,000 more are drug/gang related. 1,000 are police killing. Balance is 4,000, a miniscule amount weighed against the lives saved by self defense.
      One life is too many? Every life matters? Take the guns away from the police, save at least 1,000 lives per year!

    • Jeremiah January 15, 2016, 5:11 pm

      Prosecute EVERY person who uses a gun illegally, The Feds have let prosecutible gun crimes slide more than 40% under Obama-ramma-damma-ding-dong.

    • Glenn B. January 15, 2016, 6:44 pm

      A comment. I have a friend who is a retired LAPD officer of many years. We used to argue about their statement on the vehicles “to serve and protect.” I said Lew, you guys never protect anything unless you are right on the scene of the crime. Your main job is to come in, mop up, get the facts/evidence and arrest the perp and convict him/her. He finally had to reluctantly agree.

    • ExNuke January 20, 2016, 9:27 pm

      Stop buying the “Guns Are Bad” meme. Crime is Crime regardless of the weapon chosen. Falling for the Gun Grabbers line of BS amounts to saying that murder, rape, robbery or assault with a knife, a club or just brute force deserves less punishment because there wasn’t a gun involved. Why are you willing to give a thug a lighter sentence because he just beat his victim to death? When you agree to harsher punishment for “gun crimes” that is exactly what the actual result is.

  • Walter Boswell January 15, 2016, 3:16 pm

    When “IN GODS NAME” are we “THE PEOPLE” going to get together and stop this bullshit in OUR Country???
    Do WE have to fight another Civil War to be able to keep our families safe??? I have heard so many people BITCHIN AN MOANNIN about the way this Country is being run I am getting sick to my stomach. I have been talking to so many people
    I’m turning blue. Do they do as they say and vote??? No! Well it seems it may be sooner than they expect, when their doors will be kicked in to search for their weapons. I pray to GOD it won’t happen , but don’t be to surprised if it does.
    I’m 60 and in bad health, and don’t expect to be here to much longer…. I hope I’ll get to help in the fight…..
    Rattling of an old man….

    • JOHN BENTLEY January 15, 2016, 3:56 pm

      Guns are simple things and they all have a safety and that is all that is required and when its not being used it is kept away from children and criminals in a strong safe specially made for guns.

      • ExNuke January 20, 2016, 9:36 pm

        A gun in a safe is as useful as a cop on the phone. Your personal weapon should be holstered on your person where you have control of it, not tucked away in your sock drawer where a curious kid can find it while you are out of the room. Weapons in excess of what you can reasonably carry should be safely stored, not ALL guns should be safely stored.

    • Cleophus January 15, 2016, 4:33 pm

      The people of this country must wake up to the glaring, “elephant in the room,” realization that America is a permanently polarized and divided country. It has been since before the War Between the States, and has done nothing but grow further apart and more divided in the years since, and I see nothing on the horizon that is going to change this fact. This country is polarized into two basic camps, those who believe that government is the answer to all problems, and those who believe that government IS the problem. This stark and glaring fact is made manifest during every election cycle, and every election cycle we paper over the fact with jingoistic platitudes and feel good sentiments that do nothing to address the root problem. This country is almost EXACTLY split down the middle between the big government socialists and the self reliant capitalists, yet no one wants to verbalize what everyone else is thinking; that this country needs, desperately, to break apart into two, or more, separate countries. To continue to remain together is insanity. The time has come to separate and let each side govern itself according to their beliefs. Let the States come together in a convention and iron out the problems associated with the separation and just get it done. I am so sick of worrying what the socialists are going to do next to curtail my freedoms. Why in this world should people who have nothing in common be forced to continue to live together? It’s insane !

      • John January 15, 2016, 6:10 pm

        If we split our Country then some other Country can come in and take us over. None of us will have to worry about guns… The other Country will have them all.. The thieves and crooks can use sticks …..

      • rob January 15, 2016, 6:59 pm

        You hit the nail on the head. I have been saying this for many years and now I know at least one other person feels the same. I wonder how many more feel like this?

  • RAPTOR555 January 15, 2016, 2:29 pm

    Anytime this idiot comes on the TV I change the channel or mute it until his face disappears. He’s so full of shit it’s coming out of his mouth.

  • Bigmag47 January 15, 2016, 12:35 pm

    I find that not only can`t I waste anymore time reading about the Obamonkey, but this will be the last time I waste any energy writing about him.

    • 1800 January 15, 2016, 5:52 pm

      Your a idiot, your reading in between the lines on all this propaganda bullshit about Obama,when all he wants is away to stop some of this senseless killing. anybody with any common sense would want to see something done . but all idiots like yourself sit back and criticize And all the while the gun manufactures , are making a millions off idiots like you.

      • Tom Horn January 17, 2016, 3:44 pm

        Dear 1800,
        Time for your, “How the World Works – 101,” class.

        1. There are evil people in the world who have guns, and do not respect Any laws.
        2. Force must be met with an equal or greater force to neutralize that force in an expedient manner.
        3. Since these evil people with guns respect No laws, the only way to stop them is with good people with guns.
        4. The only practical, logical, and reasonable way to stop evil people with guns from preying on good people without protection, is to provide that armed protection.

        Let me know if the logic of this is over your head. If Pres. Obama had wanted to announce a meaningful measure to help in our War on Terror, and senseless gun violence plaguing our nation, he would have announce measure to provide that protection to our children in schools, and made it easier for armed law abiding citizens to protect themselves.

        Don’t piss down my neck, and tell me it’s raining.

  • Art Carral January 15, 2016, 12:04 pm

    The president said that in the cities like Chicago is easier for a twelve year old to buy a gun than a book……..where???? I live in Chicago and I don’t know where to buy a gun without proper ID’s and background checks and waiting periods!!!! If he said that, he should know who is selling this ILLEGAL GUNS and where…go after them!!!! leave us alone! it is illegal guns the ones they should be battling and not legal ones.
    He also said to make them safer, why we don’t use the same laws for illegal guns like the ones we have in place for illegal drugs that way we wont have them in the streets the same way we don’t have drugs on the street!!
    My 5 cents.

    • Dittohd January 18, 2016, 12:07 am

      Obummer also told the woman who was raped that it takes a lot of training to use a gun properly and keep them away from kids. Where are the thugs in Chicago getting the training that Obummer thinks the woman who was raped can not get? Again, he thinks the law abiding people are the problem and not the thugs in Chicago who steal a gun (which is why it is easier to get on in Chicago than a book) to shoot another gang thug or a bystanding innocent child. These idiots on here who don’t see what is going on maybe are choosing to be ignorant but they are ignorant just the same.

  • tim January 15, 2016, 12:00 pm

    Obama doesn’t want our guns. Please stop standing on the panic button people.

    • Chief January 15, 2016, 12:39 pm

      “Obama doesn’t want our guns. Please stop standing on the panic button people.” Tim are you on drugs dude ? or just drinking liberal koolaid ? If not I know a Nigerian Prince that needs your help in transferring a large sum of money that he will share with you .

      • ExNuke January 20, 2016, 9:54 pm

        No, he’s right. Obama doesn’t want our guns, he has plenty of guns of his own that we pay for. He just doesn’t want anyone but politicans and other criminals and lunatics to have guns. The “Gun Violence” crisis that politicians created and maintain has been quietly solving itself despite their efforts. Crime and violence are at their lowest rate in decades and falling. This has happened despite there being more and more guns sold everytime he talks about it. Insanity has been described as doing the same thing and expecting different results, is he too far gone to recognize that he has sold almost 200 million guns?

    • Deez nuts January 15, 2016, 12:42 pm

      Most sensible comment here I’ve seen.

    • Joe McHugh January 15, 2016, 12:48 pm

      tim, please stop lying to cover for the charlatan in the White House. Of course he wants to do everything that he can, legal and non-legal, to disarm the American people.

      On December 19, 2012, obama announced that he intended to submit new gun control proposals to Congress and to “…use all the powers of his office…” to restrict the right to arms. Um…why didn’t the big-eared biped make that announcement BEFORE the November 2012 election cycle?

      Pssst! What does obama and Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tse Tung have in common? Hint, gun control. “All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The Communist Party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the part.” Mao Tse Tung

      The President and the people in the Congress are not our masters, they are our employees.

    • Kevin Cotton January 15, 2016, 1:56 pm

      You may be right Tim. Obama probably does not want our guns. But he damn sure “Does” want us to not have them! Why does he need our guns? He has a fully armed detail watching out for him and his family 24/7/365 at the expense of the American taxpayers.

    • Jerry January 15, 2016, 7:50 pm

      Tim,
      Obama loves guns, especially those in the hands of the murderers at Benghazi, where our people were killed and Obama and Hillary made sure our available military resources would not respond and help. This is criminal, both should be arrested and charged with treason.
      33 years of military service and combat and I have never seen a weapon kill anyone-the operator of weapons do the killing.
      Obama just wants to make sure the new socialist United States of America has no one in the populace who can defend the constitution, even those of us sworn to defend and protect the constitution of the United States of America.

  • Rick January 15, 2016, 11:56 am

    The two most frightening points brought up are the medias complete refusal to report the news (statistics, percentages, the peoples rights etc) accurately, they also won’t conduct a fair debate or true dialogue. The media, over time, have begun to see themselves as elite and are somehow anointed to decide what is best for everybody. While they decide whether to ignore or misinterpret the constitution they are quick to stand by the first Amendment. I believe the constitution and the bill of rights have to be taken as a whole meal and not a buffet. The media and politicians cost more lives every year abusing their first amendment rights, I never liked it, but I figured its part of the price of freedom. This brings me to the second thing that frightens me, the presidents assertion that he believes its ok for a few people to die to save the lives of many. Obviously this makes no sense, but for arguments sake the constitution is intended to protect the marginalized against being persecuted by the majority. Its the people who need to be protected most are the ones he means to sacrifice. This nation is in definite danger from within and the media is using terror tactics, outright lies and slanted reporting they should be held accountable for their abuse of the first amendment since the majority of the media abuses it daily. While a very small percentage of 2nd amendment exercisers abuse that right and should be held accountable. This nation is still in the shadow of WW2 and the American people have already forgotten the lessons learned and the sacrifices made and many Americans, with the medias help, are more interested in “anything but REALITY” shows. Law enforcement is being maligned while this president will set a new record for presidential pardons. How can anyone give credibility to a guy who pardons criminals, welcomes traitors to the rose garden and enables our enemies (IRAN) nuclear capability. Is the media really that stupid? In November we’ll find out if the American people are..

  • RAM6 January 15, 2016, 11:41 am

    “Obama said he would meet with the National Rifle Association if they wanted to.”

    Wayne LaPierre has offered to debate Obama anytime but so far our Narcissist in Chief has refused. I wonder why? Could it be the common sense and reasonable policies of the NRA would overwhelm Obama’s “feelings” and misinformation about firearms. Not to mention the complete lack of knowledge of what the NRA actually does on behalf of gun owners across America and not just their members because non-members benefit from their educational and outreach programs as well. It appears that the only thing Obama knows, and I saw the CNN event, is what is passed on to him by people like Michael Bloomberg and the overwhelming anti-gun staff in the White House. I would venture to guess that he doesn’t even know what kind of weapons are in the arsenal of the Secret Service used to protect him. It seems to me that if he really believes all this rhetoric about gun control then he sould immediately begin to make personal appearances without his security detail, after all according to him there is nothing to fear out there. He fails to note that the rest of us don’t have the luxury of a full time security detail surrounding us 24/7 and he will have this detail for the rest of his life (something I think should be disbanded or fully paid for by the ex-Presidents themselves and not the taxpayers).

  • Anthony January 15, 2016, 11:22 am

    When the gun prohibitionists quote a statistic about how many people are killed by firearms misuse, the discussion sometimes bogs down into whose crime stats to believe and how to count crimes vs. the defensive firearm uses.

    Death by Gun Control works on a level that nobody can dispute: documented world history.

    In the 20th Century:

    Governments murdered four times as many civilians as were killed in all the international and domestic wars combined.
    Governments murdered millions more people than were killed by common criminals.
    1. How could governments kill so many people?
    2. The governments had the power – and the people, the victims, were unable to resist.
    3. The victims were unarmed.

    Truth They Cannot Refute

    Death by Gun Control delivers the essential – and gut wrenching — truth that the anti-self defense “gun control” advocates never try to refute. They simply cannot refute the facts or the formula.

    Here’s the Formula: Hatred + Government + Disarmed Civilians = Genocide

    What makes the argument so powerful?

    Two factors.
    1. First, it makes common sense: unarmed defenseless people have no hope against armed aggressors.
    2. Second, it states the historical truth: evil governments did wipe out 170,000,000 innocent non-military lives in the 20th Century alone.

    Using the facts in Death by Gun Control, you can take down the enemies of the Bill of Rights.

    The rights-destroyers have no answers to these facts. They have no excuses for their killer ideas.

    An “oppressed non-state group defending itself from a genocidal government, or foreign invasion” will need ready access to firearms.

    Armed we are citizens, disarmed we are subjects…

    You cannot legislate mental instability, or stupidity…..

    Gun confiscation is the plan, manufactured gun violence is their vessel….

    • Tom Horn January 15, 2016, 9:10 pm

      Well written and right on, Anthony. I could think of a few people who should have this tattooed on their foreheads.

  • david January 15, 2016, 11:19 am

    the gun debate boils down to an ignorant populace, that believes the propaganda put out by a compliant media, ( one of the goals of the progressivism cancer that has succeeded ) instead of checking the facts for themselves. as another poster stated the 2nd was to allow the people to protect our country from a tyrannical government. the meaning of words change overtime and this is used to manipulate the people.. i.e. militia…in my state here in the northeast where new strict laws were enacted after the school shootings, the governor and politicians lie about the results the laws have produced. gun crimes have not been reduced, they said they would also focus on mental health, but that was then later cut from the budget. its all lies to gain more control and power for themselves ………………”Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.”

    Daniel Webster

  • John ODonnell January 15, 2016, 10:36 am

    Obama needs an enemy to shroud his disgraceful failed agenda. So he picks on the 2nd amendment and the millions of LEGAL gunowners. It is no secret that the Divider in Chief has leanings towards racism and the attack of LEGAL guns is an attempt to weaken the fabric of America that he hates. Police efforts to take ILLEGAL guns off the street are forbidden. Federal prosecution of gun related crimes are down 40% and DRUGS the cause of inner city gang violence is a victimless crime. All these are policies of the Obama administration encourage ILLEGAL gun violence and yet he attacks LEGAL GUN OWNERSHIP. His rhetoric is false in that if you buy any firearm thru a dealer (FFL) at a gun show you are subject to a mandatory background check . He speaks to the ignorance of those who buy into his lies and have done so for seven years . Fort Hood, San Bernardino,the incineration and rioting in Fergueson and Baltimore and all the others are not deemed terrorism but the burning of two hundred acres of weeds on BLM land by two ranchers is and got those involved five years imprisionment. You tell me what the differenc is.

  • Mad Mux January 15, 2016, 10:15 am

    The people who wrote and enacted the 2nd Amendment had not yet forgotten how lucky they were to have won their liberty, and not to be dangling from a rope for treason against the crown. They were thinking primarily about citizens’ right to protect themselves against an oppressive government, which, if history is any guide, is almost certain to threaten our descendants’ liberty again sometime in the future. We, therefore, as the Founders understood, need parity with our government…..in 1783, the government had Flintlock muskets and so did the people. Today, we have black rifles, and the government has an ungodly array of sophisticated weapons that we could not even hope to match…so we’re nowhere near parity…. so beware ANY attempts to even further erode that parity, you are already tremendously outgunned by the entity the Founders recognized as the real potential threat.

    • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:28 am

      What most people seem to forget is that the first “live fire” battle of the revolution was when the British soldiers marched on Concord to confiscate the people’s weapons.

  • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:13 am

    This article sure brought the trolls out of the woodwork. Also not many of the people commenting here who are in favor of the second amendment actually seem to understand what it says. All of these things the president want’s to do are unconstitutional. Almost all of the gun laws in place right now are unconstitutional including the national firearms Act of 1934.
    The second amendment reads “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
    The only gun laws that don’t infringe on your God given right are the ones against using the gun to criminally assault another person. The same law would apply to your fist, your butcher knife, your bow and arrows, your car. It’s the assault that’s illegal not the gun.

  • Will January 15, 2016, 9:50 am

    The president wants to exact more and more control policies on gun ownership, engineer more shootings and say oh well we must become even more strict on gun ownership. The eventuality will be to say, all the safety measures we tried have failed. We are still having shootings (engineered) , so we are going to have to seize all guns. His plan is to do it in baby steps. Well he can have my guns the Charleton Heston way–out of my cold dead hands

  • Allen January 15, 2016, 9:50 am

    Black guns matter!

  • Randy H January 15, 2016, 9:46 am

    I haven’t had time to read all the comments posted here, but, my take on the debate, which I did watch, is that :
    1. Quit reporting the school shootings, work place shooting ect. All the media is doing is giving these nut cases there “15 minutes of fame”. Which then gives some other nut case a reason to do it too.
    2. If Obama is so concerned about treatment of mental health patients, why isn’t he pouring money into that treatment instead of giving billions to other countries instead of taking care of US
    3. On the immigration issue, by bringing refugees into this country, he is taking jobs away from us, whereby causing a lot of issues with the American people because now we can’t get jobs because the illegals are getting jobs and working for less money. Most of that money then goes back to some foreign country. This in its self causes a “good” person to flip out and commit crimes because they can no longer feed and house there families.
    But Obama and other politicians wouldn’t know about that since they are stealing all the money to support there rich life styles.
    4. Obama gives money away to feed the poor in other countries, but doesn’t authorize money to care for our homeless and destitute people. Nor does he give adequate funds to properly care for our military injured soldiers AND police.
    Obama and his administration is a complete disastrous FAILURE and he does not give a damn. He talks out of both sides of his mouth and has spilled so many lies he can’t keep track
    That my friends is why the American people are arming themselves to the hilt and are prepared to defend themselves in case he try’s to make a Hitler move on this country. If we can survive 1 more year of this pos, and queen Hillary is not put into office, maybe then, with the right President, we can rebuild this country and make it GREAT again.

    • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:17 am

      The thing is, he’s not a failure at what he’s trying to do and it’s the only promise he made during his campaign that he’s keeping. He is fundamentally changing the country from free (as much as we were) into a police state no different than Venesuala, or Cuba. He is far along on that process and has received a lot of help from progressive republicans like Bush and Boehner, McConnell and many others who don’t keep their campaign promises.

    • John January 15, 2016, 6:20 pm

      Amen!!!

  • Michael Burnham January 15, 2016, 9:17 am

    Does granting Presidential Pardons and Early Releases to felons, reportedly convicted for having and dealing large quantities of drugs and also with gun violations, sound like he understands the concept of reasonable firearms violence reduction methods?

  • Chris January 15, 2016, 9:06 am

    Jeff S,

    Just so you know the 2nd Amendment does not have anything to do with hunting. If you bring up this point you are proving your ignorance. America is waking up!

  • not secure January 15, 2016, 8:55 am

    There are ANGER management problems with people who go off their rocker and shoot everyone, not necessarily mental problems and certainly there has been no scientific evidence to support mental issues over anger issues, yet nothing has even been mentioned about that. It is definitely the treasonous new world order passing policies down the pike to law enforcement and pushing the anti-gun agenda of the united nations. Don’t bullshit us. WE ARE AMERICA we are not new world order treasonous dickheads trying to rule the world.

  • silvestris January 15, 2016, 8:48 am

    Unfortunately, we can’t do better. Have you looked around? We are a rather primitive species that must be prepared to defend itself from itself. Not armed to go on the offense against itself, but merely to defend itself against the more aggressive, evil element of itself.

  • Joel S. January 15, 2016, 8:39 am

    All that was accomplished by the so-called “Town Hall” was another forum for Obama to use to grow his base on “Gun Control” He wants gun control alright. He and the Liberal behind him want to control your guns. Obama made several slips of the tongue that pointed to his belief that gun confiscation is the way to go. His friend Hillary sure is going in that direction, hot and heavy. You could debate Obama on the points, but it would only be a “Style Fest” and he would continue to point to out dated statistics, lies and half truths.

  • Capt.Lauren Dowsett January 15, 2016, 8:38 am

    WHY EVEN LISTEN TO THIS PROCLAIMED MUSLIM????
    THE SO-CALLED “GUNNS” ARE ALREADY “OUT THERE”!!
    LAPIERRE DEBATE THIS MUSLIM NO CONTEST, HECK VALERIE JARRET HIS MUSLIM PUPPET MASTER WOULDN’T ALLOW IT !!!
    THIS COUNTRY BETTER ARMED THAN SWITZERLAND !!!
    I PERSONALLY AM APPLING FOR AN FFL LICENSE SO I CAN “ARM” MYSELF (&) FAMILY WITH FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS (LIKE SWITZERLAND “I MIGHT ADD)……………
    Most sincerely,
    Capt. Lauren N. Dowsett

    • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:21 am

      Hmm. Let me get this straight. If I understand your statement “I PERSONALLY AM APPLING FOR AN FFL LICENSE” you are going to be asking the permission of the government to exercise your right to keep and bear arms? The right that the constitution says “shall not be infringed”?

  • Mark Schmitz January 15, 2016, 8:17 am

    I own several guns and do believe gun show loop holes are a problem I also believe Mental Health is a bigger problem so let us gun owners be active in getting our government to fund the mental health department and quit with brain washing people that the government is going to take our guns away the government is not big enough to disarm Americans

    • stonedome January 15, 2016, 9:17 am

      identify, isolate, eliminate

    • Kane January 15, 2016, 11:33 am

      Does a real “gun show loophole” exist? All federal, state and local laws apply so how is that a “loophole”? If you are against gun shows then just go on record and admit as much.

      I grew up in Oak Park Illinois and I remember when I was in high school when hand guns were banned and confiscated. I have lived in Chicago and I remember when all guns were banned and confiscated. I remember more recently when guns were confiscated in New Orleans when there was no local police protection and federal troops came in and confiscated privately owned firearms. Mark Schmitz baseless reassurances mean nothing to me.

      If all that was not enough then Schmitz starts demanding that gun owners fund a “mental health department. ” What that means is that “big pharma” get even more money to buy more politicians like President Obama who will then point his finger at the NRA. People like Schmitz will never have a clue of the role that many pharmaceuticals play in the increased violence in the US.

      • Louisiana Boy January 15, 2016, 7:11 pm

        I would like to point out an error regarding New Orleans & Katrina. Being a person living in LA during this time saw many amazing sights while trying to stay alive. The error ? The “Feds” did not participate in the gathering of legally owned firearms. That was strictly the NOPD. When the legal case finally made it through all the various courts, the federal court ruled that the gathering of firearms by the NOPD was illegal and that firearms should be returned to the rightful owners. Guess what? The NOPD had “lost them.” An excellent example of how governments function — NOPD had 45% of its departmental officers flee the city — some of those remaining officers were photographed looting along with the thugs who were actively involved in illegal activities — to be “safe,” the NOPD were told to confiscate firearms to keep officers from
        “accidentally” being shot (yeah right.)

    • John Paul January 15, 2016, 11:39 am

      And what happens when the background check is flagged for no reason and you must wait 3 days,do you think the person you were trying to buy a firearm from is still going to be waiting at the gun show?this is stupid. I have personally been put on a hold for 3 days at an Academy,I went down the street to another Academy and was fine.Background checks are flawed af.

    • ExNuke January 20, 2016, 10:10 pm

      Do you also believe in the Tooth Fairy and Unicorns? Go to an out of state “Gun Show” or order a gun “online” without jumping thru the hoops and begging permission from your Government betters. Let us know how that works out for you. Gullible doesn’t begin to describe your swallowing their propaganda and lies.

  • Onthe Wall January 15, 2016, 8:10 am

    He is total bull crapping the American people. He is so interested in stopping gun crime he and ALL the rest of the COMMUCRATS(my name for the communist democrats) are willing to make thousands of honest citizens felons with the new law, when they say this will not effect the crime it will not stop any crimes because all they can do is take away registered firearms or not allow firearms to be sold to honest citizens. However they say they want to stop the mass shootings but the new laws will not do that, they admit. So the only other reason is to disarm the honest American Citizens. Also they cannot understand why crime has been going down in the areas where there is a lot of legal gun ownership. They can’t even put 2 & 2 together and come up with 4. By the way ‘THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS’ not my quote that is from Albert Einstein. Same bull in all these cities for 30 or 40 even 50 years, they keep doing the same thing is still doesn’t work and it never will. What really pisses me off is none of these commucrats has suggested lets double the sentences for crimes with guns even triple them, that would reduce crime by a bunch.

    • ExNuke January 20, 2016, 10:14 pm

      STOP with the “Guns Are Bad” meme. Just stop. There is no logic in giving a lesser punishment for a violent crime because the criminal didn’t use a gun. Why do you want a murder committed with a club to be a lesser crime than on with a gun. Do you think the victim felt better because he wasn’t shot, just beat to death?

  • Allen Dean Benge January 15, 2016, 6:58 am

    About the best takeaway from the SOTU, would be to take Obozo away, and deposit him in the nearest dumpster

  • TimT62 January 15, 2016, 6:07 am

    I for one hope the Democrats continue this pursuit. It will surely result in them being pushed out of national office and I suspect state office as well. That is unless the influx of illegal aliens are not prevented from voting like California now allows. Our country has turned a corner on immigration that I’m not sure we can put that genie back in the bottle. I certainly hope we can. As far as my personal weapons that I have. If the govt. (Local, State or National) comes to confiscate my guns, that day I will turn into a criminal and resist with ALL MEANS NECESSARY! I can read the 2A and I know what it means. If there’s a group that’s legitimately forming a “militia” to prevent this, I’m in. I’ve been seriously looking at joint Oath Keepers but again I’m just not sure of their true intent (on the surface it appears legit).

    • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:35 am

      I don’t hope any such thing. I hope and pray that the people will come to their senses and realize how far down the road to tyranny we have already come and start electing people who will obey the constitution and keep good their oaths to protect and defend it and by doing so protect us. I would really hope that I go my entire lifetime without ever having to confront someone with one of my guns and I really don’t want to have to attempt to kill someone to protect myself or others. But I will if I have to. I spoke to my pastor last week about being armed in church and he asked me to keep it concealed so as not to upset anyone but that he liked that I and several others would be there to protect the congregation should it ever become necessary. Please God don’t let it be necessary.

      • The goat January 15, 2016, 2:00 pm

        Our 2nd. not unlike the others of the Constitution is subject to the interpretation of our Judiciary.
        Supposedly a group of impartial Judges, not politicians, not Presidents, not academics.
        As spelled out in the 2nd. the term “People” needs to be solidly qualified and retained and meant as
        “Law abiding”, “Competent”, and accepted “Citizens”

        And so the 2nd. Amendment rights are Not stated to be ceded to the current “Non-citizens”, Those currently not competent,
        or those not currently law-abiding. The latter are not the “People” the 2nd. actually describes and are reliant on
        or at the mercy of the former qualified “People”.

        Generally it starts with a solid defined foundation without which the actual foundation will crumble.
        Fortunately our DOJ can be pressed in regard to acillary points either directly or via our representatives.

    • ExNuke January 20, 2016, 10:23 pm

      No, I don’t think that is the way to go. Shooting at Brown Shirts will just get you dead and demonized by the Propaganda Machine that pretends to be mass media. They don’t care how many storm troopers get killed. Every law passed has to have an effective date, the day before a law demanding firearms be surrendered I would sell every gun that they know I have to the first person that I saw. Prove I didn’t or that I can remember just exactly where those that I buried are. I sold them to Joe for a dollar each, sorry I don’t remember what his last name was, is that important? Sort of medium height, but tall with short kinky hair and he wore his pants really low, I don’t know how he kept them from falling down, but he was a really nice guy.

  • ROSCOE January 15, 2016, 5:55 am

    That town “meeting” was condescending Second Amendment interpretation from a psychopath who says he has never owned a gun, though he has been photographed waving one around like a child’s toy, and who could not pass the background check.

  • RetNavet January 15, 2016, 5:31 am

    Confiscation has always been the goal with Obongoloid and his ilk. Evidence of that is his and Hillabeast citing on several occasions the confiscatory policies of Australia and the U.K. as models for what should be law in the USA. I contend that all the “governmental assistance programs” they come up with such as Obongocare are meant in large part to be the vehicle for confiscation…i.e., turn in your guns or we cut off your health care, requiring doctors to report “mental status” of patients, etc,etc.

    • stonedome January 15, 2016, 9:23 am

      a telling phrase that obama and hillary use often is the subject of “universal human rights”. this refers to a globalist document drawn up by the united nations of which they both wholeheartedly subscribe. if they subscribe to that, they embrace the rest as well

  • Jeff Strazlene January 15, 2016, 3:59 am

    That is an awful piece of writing Mr/Mrs Blanellberry.
    You are making points that you then fail to support in any way.
    ‘Making something harder begins to make it impossible’ ??! What is that? What do you mean? That just isn’t logical and makes no sense. How is anything being made impossible? Because people are super lazy? Or what? I don’t get it. Sounds like you are just misquoting something you heard somewhere.
    Stopping to sell high cap clips or an AR-15 isn’t ‘taking your guns away’. Nobody’s taking anything. Nobody is making it impossible to own a gun that you can protect your family with or go hunting. If you need an AR to protect your family you have bigger problems than gun rights. If you hunt with an AR your just a bad shot and an a-hole. Get a proper hunting rifle.
    Nobody’s taking anything- calm down, people like you who just have this knee jerk reaction to ANY discussion on gun rights give us all a bad name and you are part of the problem. Show so e responsibility – show some intelligence. I am a big believer in the 2nd amendment and a gun owner -BUT, I am able to see that not everyone should own guns and that ownership should be regulated. Whereas you here that and suddenly go in to mad panic that somebody is going to ‘take your guns’ hah!! You are under the power of bodies like the NRA- who have large numbers of members who really couldn’t care less about anything other than gun sales and the well being of gun manufacturers.
    Anyway, all that aside, horrible ‘journalism.’

    • Dr Motown January 15, 2016, 6:29 am

      So, I shoot ARs because they’re fun. I also use them for feral hog hunting, where they offer a better chance at stopping a charging pig than a bolt action rifle. I’m also going to check out 3-gun competition this Spring. There are many reasons to shoot an AR, but the big question for you is this: WHY DO YOU WANT TO TAKE AWAY MY HOBBY just because you don’t like it? I’m not bothering you nor the alleged guns that you own, so stay away from mine.

    • Beau January 15, 2016, 6:36 am

      Nobody tells you what car you are not allowed to own, because it goes too fast or can travel greater distances because it has a larger gas tank and is therefore dangerous to other drivers. They only insist that it be in decent repair and able to go safely from point A to point B. Nobody tells you that you can only drink beer because wine and liquors have a higher alcohol content and likely to make to drunk quicker and therefore a danger to other party goers. Nobody tells you that you can’t own an aircraft because aircraft were used on 911 or that you might use it to crash into some government building. The only thing things that are required are that you have a pilot’s license and that you be competent in the cockpit. In fact, you could even own a jet fighter, if you’ve got enough money to buy and operate one. Do you need a jet fighter? I have no idea but it isn’t a matter of need, only that you want one.

      You have no idea what another person needs to defend themselves, their property or their families. God forbid that there may come a day when you would need the sort of fire power that is in an AR 15. Always remember, when seconds count, the police are only a few minutes away….if you are real lucky.

      • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:46 am

        Another point about those pursuits of happiness that you mention. You DON’T have a right to own a car, plane or even a bicycle. You do have the enumerated right to own whatever kind of gun or weapon you can carry. The word in the amendment is “arms”, not guns, which is guaranteed not granted by the second amendment. As an aside, I believe that the low altitude world speed record was set by a privately owned F-104 Starfighter. http://yarchive.net/mil/private_f104.html
        How cool is that???

    • Roger January 15, 2016, 6:44 am

      Any intelligent and knowledgeable person who reads your comment, can clearly see, it is filled with one-sided thinking, fallacies, and purely fabricated ideas that are based on your own inability to recognize and acknowledge certain truths, that apply to everyone, not just your own made-up fantasy world that suits you. You belittle the authors comments as being ridiculous, when they make complete sense. You are not for the second ammendment and the rights of people to protect themselves. That is obvious.

    • Allen Dean Benge January 15, 2016, 7:11 am

      Hey, Jeff, hold on one second. On what do you base your anti-AR15 statements. The AR 15 is simply the most popular modern sporting rifle in America. I totally fail to see how you figure if you hunt with an AR you aare a bad shot. An AR (which by the way does not mean assault rifle, but Armalite Rifle,) takes every bit as much marksmanship as a Remington that will fire when you take the safety off and don’t even touch the trigger. The AR is simply a semi-auto rifle that allows one round of ammunition to be fired for each pull of the trigger. The functioning of an AR 15 is no different than a Ruger Mini 14, which uses the same ammo as an AR. You claim to be a gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment, but I call BS on both claims. Even a nitwit gun owner would know the difference between a clip and a magazine. The NRA does more to protect the rights of gun owners, via the NRA-ILA, promoting gun safety, providing standardized training for instructors and more. The piece was very thoughtful and spot on. Your comment wasn’t even on the paper, as we say.

    • Tony January 15, 2016, 7:35 am

      I think your comment was very condescending and unprofessional as well. It seems as though you only wanted to point out the problems with his journalism skills as not explaining himself well enough rather than talk about the real issues that are for a fact in front of all us that you and Mr. Obama deny are happening. For clarification purposes we are talking about restricting or taking away our rights. The reason nobody’s taking away or guns right now is because there are those of us that are not extremist who realize the reality of what is trying to be accomplished by the extreme left. I am not a politician or a journalist, and as you can probably tell from my writing, I do not do this professionally. I am your average citizen that understands that my rights are important and if I want to protect them I need to stand up and make my voice heard. I also happen to believe that something needs to be done about those with mental instability having access to guns. I do not have the definitive answer but there are those who have the authority and knowledge from both sides of the argument should come together and work on solving an issue that hurts both sides of the argument, not to mention lots of innocent people. I am also in favor of background checks as long as they are used for the right reason. That would be to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I also understand the argument that they can lead to registration and confiscation as is a concern of mine as well. Again, I think instead of throwing verbal knives at each other we should come together and realize we want the same things. Its just the solution to the problem is what we disagree on. Usually people with a common goal and a little common sense can work out most problems. I understand that the money and political views get in the way of people making real progress because everyone wants to be right. I think we should be more focused on the criminals that are carrying out these crimes against innocent people and making the punishment fit the crime. Not taking or restricting the right away from people who follow, respect, and support the law. You are welcome to now rip apart my comments as you did before but before you do I ask you to consider this. My comments did not come out of disrespect, or to put you down. It came from my heart and I would rather see you deal with the issues than waste your time ripping my grammar apart. We can get more accomplished that way. Thank you for your time.

    • ANTHONY January 15, 2016, 8:27 am

      RIGHT ON YOU ARE. fear mongering will lead to panic. and when people panic they say and do STUPID things.

    • MinuteMan13 January 15, 2016, 8:52 am

      Everyone here is missing the point about the 2A. That amendment exists because the founding fathers assumed there would come a time when the citizenry would have to remove a despotic government and start again. The 2A specifically protects “black rifles” and high capacity magazines. It is not or was it ever about hunting or home defense. It is about preserving not just the right but the very real ability of the citizenry to go to war with their own government should it become necessary. One can certainly see how this might make those currently in office nervous, as it was intended. The sideshow of deciding arbitrarily how many rounds per magazine constitutes high capacity is not relevant. The 2A is in place for the day that the citizenry goes to war against a standing army. I want to ensure my personal armory is superior in killing power to that of our standing military. And I don’t want ANY politician to know the details of said armory. While it is unlikely that this scenario will play out, it is guaranteed by the Constitution.

    • Mike Hock January 15, 2016, 9:11 am

      Please, please, PLEASE, stop calling a magazine a “clip.” It’s for a completely different type of loading mechanism. They’re not interchangeable.

    • [email protected] January 15, 2016, 10:14 am

      michael and gabby, is that you?

    • Aman January 15, 2016, 10:35 am

      We know who you are.
      Go to Cuba! They will welcome you there. Gun owner my Arse#

    • Tom Horn January 17, 2016, 5:21 am

      Jeff S.

      Mr. Blannelberry deserves the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for this article, if for nothing else, then for the most appropriate and poignant use ever of Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

  • John January 15, 2016, 3:24 am

    a debate between Obama and LaPerrie would be like a .22 LR competing against a .338 Lapua in a 1000 meter contest with Obama being the .338 and LaPerrie the .22. Take note that the majority of us responsible gun owners support the measures called for by the President.

    • Daniel January 15, 2016, 6:34 am

      Oh please John. Tell me you are being sarcastic. “A majority” of gun owners don’t read this blog. “A majority” of gun owners don’t belong to the NRA. You don’t speak for “a majority” of gun owners and I seriously doubt that your comment is valid. Oh, its yours to make (see 1st amendment) but you can’t substantiate or support your position. “Shall not be infringed” speaks volumes as do the actions of the communist the sheep in this country elected twice. To paraphrase the communist in chief “don’t tell me the majority of gun owners agree with Obama, that’s not who we are”.

    • Paul January 15, 2016, 6:36 am

      You are a Bloomberg goon. The majority of law abiding gun owners do not agree with the president.

    • Chief January 15, 2016, 6:49 am

      Uh No ,I don’t think any responsible. red blooded,Constitutional loving gun owner agrees with anything the Socialist gun grabber says. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    • Vernon Rosa January 15, 2016, 7:13 am

      John… “the majority of us responsible gun owners support the measures called for by the President”. Really? What Democratic poll caused you to arrive at that conclusion? Obama wants to eventually eliminate our right to keep and bear arms. Period. Today it’s lower capacity magazines, and registering or banning “military-style” weapons by saying there is no legitimate reason for citizens to have them. Who is he, and who are you, to decide whether or not I or my neighbor has a “legitimate” reason to possess them? If thugs break into my home, someone in my home is going to fire as many rounds as are necessary to stop them. As many rounds as are necessary, from whichever firearm is closest at hand. I have 15 or more rounds in my handguns, and you can bet my other weapons don’t have 10 round magazines. So, John, you keep your skewed statistics, and your admiration for POTUS…I’ll keep my firearms. And to paraphrase DrMotown above… What kind of weapons I have and how many I have, does not in any fashion infringe on your right to keep and bear arms, so stay the hell away from mine.

      • Curtis January 15, 2016, 8:23 am

        I laugh every time someone mentions banning military style rifles, as I own actuall military rifles ie WW11 and up. The AR is not a military style rifle, its a sporting rifle giving you multiple option to customize it to fit your liking. Hence why its popular.
        If you want my guns by all means I will give them up. One bullet at a time.

  • Dale Springer January 10, 2016, 12:04 pm

    I for one have watched our president discuss various subjects. And today I have a very difficult time watching him as well as listening to his comments.Subject – Concerning firearms. . In watching the show with Taya Kyle. I was truely amazed at how she held her composure when Mr. Obama stated that gun free zones are safer now than before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT!!?? Taya ,I applaud you for biting your tongue. Facial expressions can tell the story. For those of you that don’t follow gun debates. Ask yourself why Chicago , Illinois, and Washington D.C. have some of the strictest gun laws in the nation . They have extremely high criminal activities, compared to for example the areas that do allow firearms. I personally believe that as armed citizens we are able to send the message that we believe in the 2 amendment and a Government, that is of the people,for the people, and by the people, or are you out there just listening to a charismatic president along with other politicians ? People need to wake up and use your own brains instead of just accepting our politicians ideas just because it doesn’t directly affect you. The sad thing is we all have a tendency to do this. In the long run , I believe this will affect all of us. Do some research and give it some thought. Discuss it with your friends. It will be worth it. BIG!!!!!!! election coming up so be prepared to the best of your ability.

  • Chuck Roast January 9, 2016, 8:34 pm

    Actually, Barry didn’t say he would “…talk with the NRA” he said he would “…talk to” them. He also made a caveat that of course, the discussion could not be what he considers to be “manufactured claims”, etc.
    Well, let’s see. Barry claims he “…supports the Second Amendment, and “…legitimate sportsmen”, along with the “…right to defend yourself”. Well, if that were true, why did he, as a State Senator, sponsor a bill in Illinois which mirrors England’s ban on defending oneself in ones home with a gun?????
    Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Barry. I guess it is your version of “…If you like your Doctor, you can keep him”. If you like your health care plan, you can keep it. Hmmm. “…If you like your gun, you can keep it. Providing of course, that it is a matchlock mechanism with a bore/caliber size less than a .22.

  • pm9dcr2001 January 8, 2016, 6:53 am

    I could not stomach to watch.
    Mr. Obama is one hellofa politician and his endearing tone of talk mesmerizes many but it sickens me.

    As bad as Obama is, the Republican leadership that failed in their Constitutional duties to protect and defend the US Constitution is far worse. It is one thing to vote a tyrant in, it is completely another to let his reign continue unabated.

    Run guns, nothing happens
    Withhold documents, obstruct justice, nothing happens
    Subvert the US Constitution, on the advice and consent, nothing happens
    Subvert Congressional intent on Cap and Trade, nothing happens
    Subvert Congressional intent on CDC function, nothing happens
    Abdicated his responsibility to enforce the laws of the United States against illegal immigration, nothing happens

    Looking forward to FBI recommendation to indict Hillary and the current AG at the behest of the King, will fail to indict and the ‘new’ Republican leadership will follow lock step in line with the ‘old’ Republican leadership and nothing happens.

    Most do not recognize what a precipice the United States is teetering on at this moment.

    • Stillhere January 15, 2016, 6:45 am

      Like TenBears your words are like iron!

    • Chief January 15, 2016, 6:52 am

      pm9dc12001,sadly you are correct.

    • Bite-me January 15, 2016, 8:25 am

      You hit the nail on the head

  • Tar Heel Realist January 8, 2016, 6:13 am

    You forgot the sixth takeaway… #6 – Obama has no clue

  • taxx73 January 7, 2016, 10:03 pm

    How can anybody believe this lying piece of dung is beyond me. Of course CNN is going to back the embarrassment in chief. They are almost as bad just for backing him. If he were to hold an actual town hall meeting with average Americans he probably would be crying by the end because he’d learn that actual Americans really don’t like him or his policies. We need politician control not more gun laws that won’t do a damn thing but disarm law abiding citizens. I will follow a true leader but I refuse to be ruled by a tyrant. 1776=2016? Hopefully it will be bloodless but I have no problem with giving him my gun bullets first. LEAVE OUR RIGHTS ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Tom Horn January 7, 2016, 9:56 pm

    President Obama was incredulous when asked by Anderson Cooper why Americans still thinks he is after gun confiscation.
    Here are perhaps a few reasons, though, and incomplete list of unconstitutional laws, serious affronts, and issues involving our 2nd Amendment Rights in recent years:
    • Legislation in many Cities/States to limit magazine capacity
    • Cities/States where certain semi-auto weapons are banned, based on appearance/fear mongering
    • States where firearms user must have State issued Firearms Owners Identification Card to use, purchase a firearm, or to even touch ammunition
    • States where citizens must register and acquire a permit from their State in order to practice their 2A Right to protect themselves, and carry openly or concealed
    • Zones/areas legislated in many Cities/States where it is illegal to carry a firearm and protect self/others
    • Ammunition shortages starting February, 2013 (still unresolved in some calibers, .22 LR)
    • Semi-auto rifle shortage of 2013
    • Ammunition price increases of 50%-100% since 2013 ammo shortage
    • U.S. Government buying up ammunition for various civilian government agencies in Spring, 2013
    • Last Primary Lead Smelter closes in U.S., r/t EPA regulations in December, 2013 (all lead in U.S. now from recycled sources)
    • Introduction to the civilian population of poly bullets, that will not pierce the body amour of a confiscating force
    • Cities forcing Gun Shops to close through special taxes levied on firearms/ammo
    • Michael Bloomberg spending millions of dollars to end private ownership of firearms
    • Hillary Clinton openly stating that she would consider Australian style firearms confiscation if elected President
    • A push to make gun manufactures liable for firearms deaths (already have seen gun shop owner sued)
    • Have been at war since 9/11/2001, with increased attacks on civilians within our borders, yet our government is urging civilian disarmament
    • Attempt by U.S. Secretary of State, Kerry to enter into an international treaty that would have legally forced the disarming of U.S. Citizens
    • Vice President Biden endorsing the use of shotguns for home protection, and the shooting of them into the air to scare off assailants
    • President Obama calling for tax money to be spent on the creation of, ‘Smart Guns,’ with embedded tracking chip
    • Constant Media/Political assault against semi-auto rifles, even though the percentage of murders committed with them is miniscule
    • December, 2015 the Supreme Court refuses to hear case on semi-auto weapons ban
    • Senator Feinstein’s 2013 proposed semi-auto weapons ban
    Yeah, I guess were just being paranoid.

    • Talia G January 15, 2016, 4:08 am

      NONE of those points, apart from your claim that Hilary says she’d consider Australian type rules, suggests taking away guns. None of them. A shortage of ammo means Obama is trying to take your guns? Needing a permit to CC? That is so crazy? That is taking guns? You are insane dude- conspiracy theorist much ?? !!
      You have this long list, in which only ONE point backs up your theory and that has been taken out of context or made up.
      Your nuts!

      • denverBob January 15, 2016, 7:00 am

        Those of you who only post comments purely to try and belittle others should stop and think before you criticize. Everyone has a right to speak. Be respectful. We’re all human

      • Vernon Rosa January 15, 2016, 7:30 am

        Another Obamacrat heard from. Talia, the points Tom Horn listed DO point to eventual gun confiscation. When the US Government buys up the majority of ammunition, it is not doing so to provide those bullets to the troops. It is to keep it from us. Attempts to make firearms manufacturers liable when a gun they produced kills someone? That is an overt attempt to drive gun manufacturers out of business…keeping us from buying their guns. I can go on and on with examples, but from the tenor of your statements, you won’t get it anyway. Oh, by the way…Learn some grammar. It is not “Your crazy” it is “You’re crazy”. Such mistakes show your lack of learning. If you want to be taken seriously… well, never mind. You won’t be.

      • stonedome January 15, 2016, 10:30 am

        http://www.oregonfirearms.org/massive-gun-ban-introduced

        2013-MASSIVE GUN BAN BILL INTRODUCED IN OREGON

        “HB 3200 not only bans most modern guns and magazines, it allows warrantless searches of your home, requires background checks and registration for a firearm you already own and as-of-yet undefined storage requirements. We say “a firearm” because even if you comply with the restrictions in this bill you may still only own one.

        (Of course the bill does not apply to “government employees”.)”

        BOOM!!

        • Chris Baker January 15, 2016, 10:52 am

          Sounds pretty unconstitutional to me. How does this “law” not violate the 4th amendment for one?
          Amendment IV
          The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
          Perhaps you and others could benefit from this web site:
          https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/billofrights

        • Ram6 January 15, 2016, 12:06 pm

          It won’t stand up to a constitutional challenge. It not only violates the 2nd amendment but the 4th amendment as well. The liberals have ruined an otherwise beautiful state. I feel sorry for any consevative who has the misfortune of having no choice but to live there.

      • Tom Horn January 17, 2016, 5:11 am

        Talia,
        3 quotes and a comment for you.
        1. “I am not a crook.” – President Richard Nixon
        2. “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” – President William Clinton
        3. “I don’t want to take your guns away.” – President Barrack Obama

        Don’t believe everything your President tells you.

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