From the White House

[Spinner]

My response from BHO.






Dear Name Removed:

Thank you for taking the time to write. I have heard from many Americans regarding firearms policy and gun violence in our Nation, and I appreciate your perspective. From Aurora to Newtown to the streets of Chicago, we have seen the devastating effects gun violence has on our American family. I join countless others in grieving for all those whose lives have been taken too soon by gun violence.

Like the majority of Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. In this country, we have a strong tradition of gun ownership that has been handed down from generation to generation. Hunting and sport shooting are part of our national heritage. Yet, even as we acknowledge that almost all gun owners in America are responsible, when we look at the devastation caused by gun violence—whether in high-profile tragedies or the daily heartbreak that plagues our cities—we must ask ourselves whether we are doing enough.

While reducing gun violence is a complicated challenge, protecting our children from harm should not be a divisive one. Most gun owners agree that we can respect the Second Amendment while keeping an irresponsible, law-breaking few from inflicting harm on a massive scale. Most also agree that if we took commonsense steps to curtail gun violence, there would be fewer atrocities like the one that occurred in Newtown. We will not be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing we can do to reduce gun violence—if even one life can be saved—then we have an obligation to try.

That is why I asked Vice President Joe Biden to identify concrete steps we can take to keep our children safe, help prevent mass shootings, and reduce the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country. He met with over 200 groups representing a broad cross-section of Americans and heard their best ideas. I have put forward a specific set of proposals based off of his efforts, and in the days ahead, I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality.

My plan gives law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and the public health community some of the tools they need to help reduce gun violence. These tools include strengthening the background check system, helping schools hire more resource officers and counselors and develop emergency preparedness plans, and ensuring mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence. And I directed the Centers for Disease Control to study the best ways to reduce gun violence—because it is critical that we understand the science behind this public health crisis.

As important as these steps are, they are not a substitute for action from Congress. To make a real and lasting difference, members of Congress must also act. As part of my comprehensive plan, I have called on them to pass some specific proposals right away. First, it is time to require a universal background check for anyone trying to buy a gun. Second, Congress should renew the 10-round limit on magazines and reinstate and strengthen the assault weapons ban. We should get tougher on those who buy guns with the purpose of selling them to criminals, and we should impose serious punishments on anyone who helps them do this.

These are reasonable, commonsense measures that have the support of the majority of the American people. But change will not come unless the American people demand it from their lawmakers. Now is the time to do the right thing for our children, our communities, and the country we love. We owe the victims of heartbreaking national tragedies and the countless unheralded tragedies each year nothing less than our best effort—to seek consensus in order to save lives and ensure a brighter future for our children.

Thank you, again, for writing. I encourage you to visit http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/NowIsTheTime to learn more about my Administration’s approach.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama




This Week at the White House
President Obama's Middle East Trip
Affordable Care Act at 3: Consumer Protections
Weekly Address: Helping Protect Our Kids by Reducing Gun Violence
West Wing Week 3/22/2013: "Reach Out to New Horizons"
Photo of the Day
Stay Connected


Facebook Twitter YouTube Flickr iTunes



Spinner

[damian_mb]

I don't understand gibberish....sorry

[911scanner]

How about this for a response:

Mr. President:

Respectfully, while I thoroughly understood your position before you sent me this form letter, my point is that I do not agree with your position. Spouting your position back to me as a response does not address the fact that I do not agree with you and think that you are wrong.

While you are a servant & representative of the people of this great land, getting your agenda through to the masses is not necessarily "serving" the people.

I would've preferred that you at least responded with an honest response, similar to this: "While my position in this matter does not agree with yours, I will take it under advisement when making policy recommendations in the future." This, Mr. President, would at the very least be a much more honest and forthright response to a constituent that does not agree with your position.

Honesty & straight talk is what makes a good leader, not "ring around the rosie"

Respectfully,

A Citizen that your work for and answer to.

[kollector03]

Exact same form letter response I got form him as well.

I wish the politicians would stop trying to ram their agenda down everyone's throat and stop spending on stupid and pointless programs.

There is far more important things to work on than what the Democrats are occupied with now.

[sansooshooter]

I like how they all respect and want to protect the 2nd amendment by gutting our rights to own anything other then a daisy red ryder!

[Snakeman721]

I like how they all respect and want to protect the 2nd amendment by gutting our rights to own anything other then a daisy red ryder!

That's next.

[XDM45]

I will take it under advisement

Just an observation of mine, not anything more or less than that.... I tend to notice the nuances of words, the meanings of words and the context in which they're used, so Philology/Linguistics/Semantics, it's a hobby of mine.

That "I will take it under advisement" statement people use translates into one ear and out the other, round filing the suggestion, piping it to /dev/null, however you want to word it; it's a political / P.C. way to say "Whatever", followed by doing what they want any way. Yeah, public officials are SUPPOSED to represent us, but we all know they don't because there's too much backroom payoffs, deals, favors given and owed, etc for it to ever be fair or representative of what The People want. If you ever hear someone say that they "will take it under advisement"; know that you just got blown off.

It's akin to when someone says something and then interjects "but", you can ignore anything they said prior to "but". Example: "I support the second amendment fully and completely as I took my oath of office requires and as my good conscious also requires me to do the same, but for the children and the safety of all, we must implement these Gun Control laws to save lives, even if it's one life." That's a pretty black and white / extreme example, more often than not, it's something similar to "Well, we know how you feel, but you you really need to consider his feelings", which basically says "Your feelings and you don't matter, so just consider his only. Shut up and deal with it." I'm sure anyone can come up with examples.

..and don't even get me started when people use the word "like" as a conjunctive or to use it in place of "similar"

[911scanner]

I agree with your synopsis xdm45. That's exactly why I used that language.

I certainly didn't mean the President (this one or any other) would actually change their mind based on a citizens letter. But one can hope to be proven wrong....

[MaryB]

Got the same reply, wrote back that he needs to be impeached for breaking gun laws in Fast and Furious, Impeached for violating war laws when he went into Egypt, impeached for gutting the constitution, impeached for Benghazi... No response back for some reason.

[XDM45]

I agree with your synopsis xdm45. That's exactly why I used that language.

I certainly didn't mean the President (this one or any other) would actually change their mind based on a citizens letter. But one can hope to be proven wrong....

True that.

[XDM45]

Got the same reply, wrote back that he needs to be impeached for breaking gun laws in Fast and Furious, Impeached for violating war laws when he went into Egypt, impeached for gutting the constitution, impeached for Benghazi... No response back for some reason.

Hypocrites (aka politicians) never see the lie they tell because to them it's the truth.

[darkwolf45]

Got the same reply, wrote back that he needs to be impeached for breaking gun laws in Fast and Furious, Impeached for violating war laws when he went into Egypt, impeached for gutting the constitution, impeached for Benghazi... No response back for some reason.

Hypocrites (aka politicians) never see the lie they tell because to them it's the truth.

Well, yeah. Don't you know that reality is whatever BHO thinks it should be?

[stoneboat]

Some rediculus one line responses:

If thugs were their butts they couldn't find them with both hands..

They can't enforce the laws they got now, why do they need more..

Lets put Fiensteins name on each reduced capacity magazine and then ask if the criminal used a Feinstein mag.

Protect the kids? Abortion, media violence, high out of wedlock birth rates and sexual politics in schools. When did we start protecting our children?

With all that ammo they must really be bad shots..

[20mm]

Summary:

Expand Government
Pass Additional Laws
Limit Rights of Law Abiding Citizens

[Snakeman721]

Summary:

Expand Government
Pass Additional Laws
Limit Rights of Law Abiding Citizens

Nailed it!!