President Obama, Gun Control and all that.

I admit that gun control is not one issue that I get all hot and bothered about. I am for so-called “modest/common sense” gun control laws (keep guns out of the hands of the criminal and the mentally ill, make sure that those who have them know enough to behave responsibly, etc.).

But to be honest, I haven’t ground through the data and statistical arguments to know what an effective gun control policy which respects the Second Amendment looks like.

It is my understanding that, while horrific massacres make the news, most of the gun deaths come from ordinary hand guns and smaller weapons.

Still, I wonder what the fetish for the large “not-quite-military” semi-automatic assault weapons come from; I doubt that these are optimal weapons for personal protection, farm chores and the like. So, while I think (again, I haven’t thought this through deeply) that some of what President Obama is proposing is political (to make people FEEL safer), much of it is ok (background checks, limits on magazines, no NEW assault type weapons, etc). Oh, as far as Senator Rubio’s loud protesting about these measures not stopping Sandy Hook, the AR-15 does use (but doesn’t HAVE TO use) large capacity magazines. (Sandy Hook weapons, Aurora Theater weapons)

Note: the criticism over President Obama’s children getting extra protection is absurd. The President IS a high profile target as is his family. I don’t begrudge the extra security for his family, nor did I begrudge the extra security for President Bush’s family.

This is why I have so little respect for the rabid anti-Obama element in this country; if they believe what they are saying they really are immoral idiots. Note: by anti-Obama, I am NOT, NOT, NOT talking about those who oppose his policies and policy goals and who wish to defeat them by legislation, voting, contacting one’s member of Congress and the like. Not every American will agree with every President and the 60.9 million that voted for his opponent have as much right to make their voices heard as I do.

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