President Barack Obama outlined 23 steps he would take to curb gun violence through legislation and executive actions Wednesday and the National Rifle Association along with state legislatures are responding.
The NRA released a statement saying that attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis currently going on in the United States.
The NRA believes that by attacking guns, only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy.
The NRA said it plans to continue to work with Congress on a bi-partisan basis to come up with real solutions to the problem.
Senator Jay Rockefeller released his own statement calling the presidents plan ”a strong, comprehensive plan to protect our citizens from gun violence.”
Rockefeller believes the plan moves the nation towards increased access to mental health services as well as provide an opportunity to look more into the connections between violent content and children’s behavior.
Rockefeller also supports steps that build on these ideas, while making sure hunters’ and sportsmen’s rights are protected.
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito said she is disappointed by the plan.
“I am disappointed that President Obama issued an executive order today instead of showing willingness to work with Congress and State Leaders to address this serious issue,” said Capito.
Capito believes the “President has displayed a worrisome willingness to use the White House to advance ideological agendas.”
Washington D.C. Representative David B. McKinley believes the Presidents plan will not solve anything.
“Limiting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens will not change the behavior of those determined to use firearms to commit horrific crimes,” said Rep. McKinley. “The President chooses to ignore this while abusing executive power and avoiding the legislative process.”
McKinley said he and other House colleagues have written the President a letter saying they do not support any legislation that imposes on Second Amendment rights.
In his own statement, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said he appreciated the work that went into creating the Presidents recommendations, but he was “disappointed that the President did not recommend the creation of the national commission on mass violence that he proposed.”
Manchin urged politics to be put aside so that an honest and effective conversation could be conducted in solving this crisis in America.
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Comments
WV Patriot
More Executive Orders. No willingness to consult with Congress and achieve a consensus. This is what led to the American Revolution. Taxation without representation. We now have a dictator in charge of the United States. It's a sad day for America.
January 16, 2013 at 9:44 pm | Report comment
Wvrefugee
This is the kind of response that contiues to keep WV behind the country! Idiots now run this state! Now, thats a sad day!
January 16, 2013 at 10:24 pm | Report comment
ShinnstonGuy
Executive Orders are all we have, WV Patriot. Congress has yet to pass a budget due on October 1st, has yet to deal with sequestration that was due January 1st and now March 1st, and has yet to deal with the debt ceiling. Oh, and they sat on their hands for an eternity before doing something about the damage from Superstorm Sandy.
January 17, 2013 at 1:51 pm | Report comment
L Gill
The dictator Obama's plan is a waste of money. It does nothing to protect our childern when the next killer goes to school with criminal intent. BANS ARE USELESS only law abiding people obey them. What if your home is attack by criminals with asult rifles are you going to ask them to wait untill you reload. If things get any worse it could happen.
January 17, 2013 at 2:12 am | Report comment
WV Citizen
The President has the right under law to issue executive orders. The President took that right as many others Presidents have during my lifetime. The President has purpose legislation
to have armed personnel at schools which the NRA has advocated. This is a step in the right direction. The President further propose the elimination of assault weapons which has more than a 10 clip magazine. How does that infringe upon our second amendment rights? These type of weapons have in the past been ban. Reagan, Bush and Clinton advocated the ban. We need leaders in Congress, TODAY to either take their own proposals or the President's proprosals and have some laws passed which will protecet our children's or grandchildren's lives.What say you, Rep. Capito and Sen. Machain? Will you be a leader or a follower?
January 17, 2013 at 9:05 am | Report comment
wvtomd
sold out by joe manchin. you get what you voted for. a liar.
January 17, 2013 at 9:07 am | Report comment
Geno
You are correct. Joe is for the big "O".
January 17, 2013 at 11:04 am | Report comment
Ragweed
As has been Manchin's proclivity since day one, he attempts to straddle the fence, but in actuality, does not defend the second amendment. I had hopes for him when he was elected, but it looks like he is going to be a non-committal for WV's interests. How much more time does he have?
January 17, 2013 at 9:37 am | Report comment
polarbear
What a 10 shot clip is not enough to kill a deer. You guys must be bad shots.
January 17, 2013 at 9:54 am | Report comment
Charleston, WV
Please read the second amendment before making an absurd comment. Thanks!
January 17, 2013 at 12:36 pm | Report comment
Eddie
Rockefeller believes the plan moves the nation towards increased access to mental health services as well as provide an opportunity to look more into the connections between violent content and children’s behavior.
Rockefeller also supports steps that build on these ideas, while making sure hunters’ and sportsmen’s rights are protected
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So glad Rockefeller is not running again.
January 17, 2013 at 10:08 am | Report comment
Big O
Manchin and others in the political mess talk out both sides of their mouth........who stands up for the gun owner? Join the NRA....the gun owners voice. And remember this come election time.
January 17, 2013 at 11:03 am | Report comment
Mark W.
Senator Rockefeller wants to protect our children from gun violence, well what about the violence commented against children through abortion. Thousands of children are killed every year by this method, but I do not hear him speaking out again abortion. No wonder our country is in the pits. We have lost our values to be policially correct. If you want to protect children, then do it for all children. Born and Unborn. Another example that guns do not kill, PEOPLE do.
January 17, 2013 at 11:19 am | Report comment
Upset Dad with many guns
Someone tell me please - where in the 23 orders are the words "protect children"? NO WHERE. Our kids are not protected from the thugs anymore today then they were before this cute little exectutive order. Nice job Obama. You will never get my guns....not even from my cold dead hands.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
January 17, 2013 at 11:21 am | Report comment
WV Citizen
As a born again believer I am against abortions. Why haven't Capito or Manchin propose legisation to ban abortion? Evidently they don't want to.I do believe that banning assault "weapons" would not infringe upon American's right to bear "arms"! The Constitution does not define "arms". To the best of my knowledge the Supreme Court has not define "arms". There are controls or restrictions on the first amendment which does not infringe upon American's rights under such amendment. Do the average citizen have the right(s) to have grenades, rocket launchers, tanks, etc. An arguement could be made on that. But common sense should be used by our leaders when interpreting and/or changing the assume "common" meaning of the 2nd amendment. Our President,whether you agree with him or not, started the ball rolling on this and now its up to our leaders in Congress to flat out do nothing about it or use common sense to address it. I am proud to be from West Virginia. I am proud to be a believer in Christ! And I am proud to be a gun owner! But, I am proud to see a discussion and hopefully some common sense controls on assault weapons.I hope others will call their senators and congressperson and state your position on assault weapons controls. May God bless America.
January 17, 2013 at 4:04 pm | Report comment
Todd
@WV Citizen, you need to do some research before rambling on about guns. The guns Lord Obama and crew is attacking are NOT TRUE ASSAULT RIFLES. An assault rifle is a gun used by the military which can be selected from semi-auto to fully auto, they are only produced to look like a assault style rifle and are only semi-auto - it's like putting race stripes on chevette and calling it a corvette.
"Do the average citizen have the right(s) to have grenades, rocket launchers, tanks, etc. An arguement could be made on that." - that's grasping for straws to make an argument against guns, isn't? You also forgot biological, chemical and nuclear weapons didn't you?
January 17, 2013 at 10:14 pm | Report comment
WV Citizen
@TOM,i know a little about semi-auto weapons.These type of weapons can be modified to become fully auto but that would be against the law.Where in the constitution does it state we the people have the right to bear semi or auto assault weapon(s). That my friend you would not find.
Also, back in my day I have seen little chevettes that out run corvettes.A trip to your nearest dragstrip will educate you on this.
Common sense will prevail in upcoming debate on gun control. The people will require it. Something that we both will have to deal with.
January 18, 2013 at 1:28 pm | Report comment
L Gill
No ban has ever worked so why do we need another useless ban? Get to the root of the problem mental illness, drugs, crime need I say more.
January 17, 2013 at 11:00 pm | Report comment
Benjamin Martin
We should limit congressional terms before we ban any types of firearms. Both require constitutional amendments.
January 24, 2013 at 4:34 pm | Report comment