An online petition addressed to the White House, which calls for addressing the issue of gun control immediately through a legislation in US Congress, has secured over 43,000 signatures in the aftermath of a tragic shooting at an elementary school that left 20 children and six teachers dead.
As soon as the petition opened for signatures, it quickly reached the threshold of 25,000 signatures required for the White House to respond. By last evening, more than 43,000 people had signed the petition.
“The goal of this petition is to force the Obama administration to produce a legislation that limits access to guns. While a national dialogue is critical, laws are the only means in which we can reduce the number of people murdered in gun-related deaths,” the petition said.
“Powerful lobbying groups allow the ownership of guns to reach beyond the Constitution’s intended purpose of the right to bear arms. Therefore, Congress must act on what is stated law, and face the reality that access to firearms reaches beyond what the Second Amendment (which protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms) intends to achieve,” it said.
In fact, at least eight petitions popped up on the White House petition Web site after the deadly shooting in a Newtown school in Connecticut. All petitions were related to the gun culture.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney refused to answer questions on gun control laws, saying that “today is not the day” to discuss this issue. But one of the online petitions addressed to the White House differed.
“We urgently disagree. If we cannot discuss prevention of massacres like this one while the pain is still fresh, then our opportunities to have that discussion will be few and far between. The frequency of these horrifying incidents is increasing,” said the petition, signed by more than 7,000 people.
“If a day on which two dozen schoolchildren are massacred is not the day to discuss this, there never will be a proper day for the discussion. Stand up to the entrenched gun lobby now. The White House must take the lead on enacting strict controls on all firearms in the US,” it said.
'Time to take meaningful action'
After the shooting, US President Barack Obama said meaningful action should be taken to prevent future shooting tragedies.
“It is time to take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics,” he said.
Another petition called for starting the process to enact federal gun control reforms.
“Every week it seems that we are facing a new headline of mass shootings — two in the last week alone. The Constitution gives us the right to bear arms and no one wants to take that right away, but we need real gun control reforms,” it said.
“Background checks, restricted access to semi-automatic weapons, waiting periods, all need to be part of a robust gun control policy that will allow people to keep their guns but provide a responsible framework to gun ownership,” it said.
Keywords: Shooting in US school, shooting in elementary school in Connecticut, shooting in Newtown school, US Congress, White House, online petition to White House, gun control reforms, gun-related deaths,
Comments:
If anyone is to do anything go after the THUGS,AND THE LOONS. Not the American people that obey the law. The American people need to protect themselves from The thugs and nut jobs. Our police can't be everywhere. Should we take our cars away from the American people just because a few drive drunk?
This horrible act is a problem stemming from lack of proper mental care In this country. banning weapon from law abiding citizens not the answer. It seems to easy to put this in a Gov, policy box. Mental illness is the real issue here. Rational citizens don't do these things.
There are towns in Washington State, and Montana, that REQUIRE their residents over the age of 18 to carry side arms. They have to be tested every 3 years, and the guns are provided at a reduced rate. They have the lowest crime rates in the U.S. Guns don't kill people. People kill people. If we had stricter laws governing who cou,d own guns, it MIHGT help. Bottom line, anyone can get a gun if they want it. strickter gun laws won't help.
What will this accomplish? We have existing gun laws that are broken by criminals
and the mentally ill. The only way to ensure that violence is curbed is by enacting
harsher penalties for those who commit violent acts and force "gun-free zones" to
provide the security necessary to stop/deter threats.
yea I agree more decent citizens need to be armed, by the time the law arrives its to late, place a officer in every school an arm the principal or teachers
if he use a knife would people yell for a knife control no they would not so leave are guns alone
gun control can never help a situation like this one. a underage demented kid of 20 took his moms registered handgun killed her, stole her car went to a school and killed some poor defenseless children who should have been better protected by an armed guard in thier school. its not gun control thats the problem here. its a son who should have been kept secured away from his moms gun because of his obvious mental problems. gun control isnt the problem here, but its sure a terrible thing that we hope will never happen again. in a group of 5-10 year old children, a baseball bat could have been just as deadly. think about it. we have sick people in this country. they should be treated. oviously police cant protect you from these type things. they only can react to the crime already commited. not the police fault either. thats the system we live in.
Everyone should contact their congressmen and insist they vote for gun control or they are out! This is our children and grandchildren we are talking about. Let's start to vote for the right things for this country, We have been controlled by the NRA'and guys like Grover Norquist for too long.
Let's make the first congressman who calls for a one time 6 year term our national hero!
Lets make a change in the gun laws of this country.
The insanity has to stop. No more dead children.
Please, for the love of god, gun control NOW.
Our sanity depends on it.
The time for gun control is WAY overdue.
How many more must die before we get the courage to get the guns under control?
It's time this nation stood up to the NRA.
Ban assault weapons, it's only common sense.
There a guns in the hands of the unstable. When is it going to end?
It's kinda suspicious that comment during the debate about gun control bill getting
reintroduced.Now it looks like our corrupt anti gun democrats are up to no good
again using this tragedy to push their corrupt political agenda and corrupt anti gun
bills.Deadbeat obama and his super corrupt administration will stop at nothing to
ram through their socialist agenda.
If people insist on owning so many guns and insist on owning so many high capacity guns as that, then I think we should require every gun owner to register his/her gun and to insure his/her gun, just as we do automobiles. However, I can't see why any American would need a high capacity gun. Such guns should only be in the hands of the military and law enforcement.
England and Canada dont have guns. England police only have billy clubs. Why do we need assault weapons that can kill so fast? Maybe owners need million dollar ins policies. If that weapon is found to kill the ins pays. Funny we ban pit bulls, you need ins for them and car ins The only purpose for a gun is to kill and yet we dont have ins policies that protect children from irresponsible gun idiots. I hope those families sue the gun manufactures. They lost their kids for God sake.
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