MINNEAPOLIS—President Obama, flanked by dozens of uniformed police officers, delivered a forceful defense here Monday of mandatory background checks for all gun buyers.
Obama took his first trip outside Washington to rally public support for his far-reaching plan to curb the nation’s gun violence, touting his proposed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines as well as universal background checks during a speech at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Special Operations Center.
Obama focused on the most popular of his proposals, universal background checks, saying it is not a conservative or liberal idea but a “smart” idea. The president sought to drive a wedge between the powerful National Rifle Association, which opposes universal background checks, and the American public, which polls suggest overwhelmingly supports the measure.
Referring to “lobbyists in Washington claiming to speak for gun owners,” Obama said, “We can’t allow those filters to get in the way of common sense. . .I need everybody who’s listening to keep the pressure on their members of Congress to do the right thing.”
Obama’s visit to Minneapolis comes as his gun-control proposals face an uncertain future on Capitol Hill, where most Republicans and some Democrats oppose the assault weapons ban. Despite the odds, Obama said he would still push to ban the weapons, as well as ammunition magazines capable of carrying more than 10 rounds.
“We should restore the ban on military-style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines,” Obama said. “And that deserves a vote in Congress because weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools or threatening our law enforcement officers.”
Obama also has called for stricter laws against gun trafficking, a measure that has bipartisan support in the Senate. The president made it clear he was looking for common ground with lawmakers, particularly over background checks, which on the menu of gun proposals is his top priority.
“We don’t have to agree on everything to agree it’s time to do something,” Obama said. He added, “If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the last four years, it’s that you can’t count on anything in Washington until it’s done and nothing’s done yet. There’s been a lot of talk, a lot of conversation, a lot of publicity, but we haven’t actually taken concrete steps yet.”
The stagecraft of Obama’s visit Monday, with dozens of uniformed police officers and sheriffs deputes standing behind him, underscored the central role the White House hopes law enforcement officials play in the political fight for tougher gun laws.
The officers help illustrate the message that Obama has tried to convey – that he supports the constitutional right to bear arms but wants to keep the most sophisticated firearms off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.
“All the folks standing here behind me today, they’re the ones on the front line of this fight,” Obama said. “They see the awful consequences – the lives lost, the families shattered. They know what works, they know what doesn’t work and they know how to get things done without regard for politics.”
Earlier, Obama convened a roundtable with about 20 local elected officials, law enforcement leaders and gun safety advocates. They spoke about steps Minneapolis has taken in recent years to stem an outbreak of gun violence among young people, which Obama said the city had reduced by 40 percent.
“When it comes to protecting our children from gun violence, you’ve shown that progress is possible,” Obama said. “We’ve still got to deal with the 60 percent that remains, but that 40 percent means lives saved, parents whose hearts aren’t broken, communities that aren’t terrorized and afraid.”
During the roundtable session, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D) told Obama that he fully supports the president’s push for universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
“We just have tremendous admiration for you carrying a tough political load,” Rybak told Obama.
He added, “We still need commonsense law changes in Washington.”
Last week, Obama met at the White House with law enforcement leaders from around the country — including Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau and Hennepin County (Minn.) Sheriff Richard Stanek — to urge them to help him build support in Congress to pass his proposals to toughen gun laws.
Introducing Obama here Monday, Harteau called the president “one of our best partners.”
“This culture of gun violence is something that President Obama, this police department and this community will not accept,” Harteau said. “There isn’t one easy solution to ending gun violence, but fortunately in Minneapolis we have taken a comprehensive approach.”
Obama takes gun control push to law enforcement, American people
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Obama takes gun control push to law enforcement, American people
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