BENSWANN.COM3 Hours Ago

Obama Says He Will Use "Executive Action" On Gun Control

by Kristin Tate

During a private meeting with some of America's major mayors on Tuesday, President Obama said he would use executive action to promote his gun control agenda.

As you may remember, Obama failed to pass gun control measures through the Senate last spring. Most notably, the president was pushing for background checks for gun purchases.

A White House press release said that during Tuesday's meeting Obama "vowed to continue doing everything in his power to combat gun violence through executive action and to press Congress to pass common-sense reforms like expanding the background check system and cracking down on gun trafficking."

Attorney General Eric Holder was also present at the meeting; he spoke about "strategies to reduce youth violence," according to the press release.

It continued, "The president reiterated that government alone can never fill the void that causes a child to turn to violence, but that we all have a responsibility to do our part to create safe communities and save lives. The president applauded the mayors for their local efforts to combat violence, solicited their input about proven methods, and pledged his Administration's partnership."

According to the Washington Post, those present at the meeting included "Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate; Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter; Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray; New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu; Mayor Jean Quan of Oakland, Calif.; Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor Sly James of Kansas City, Mo.; Mayor Molly Ward of Hampton, Va., and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed."

The Post pointed out, however, that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was not at the meeting. This comes as a surprise, since Emanuel represents a city that struggles with gun violence.

What are your thoughts on this? Would bypassing the Senate to push gun control be a proper use of executive order? And would it represent what the American people want?

Obama Says He Will Use "Executive Action" On Gun Control
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John Hames