Gun control: A ray of hope

GOP: Fear mongering tactics

In the annals of history, the era of President Obama will certainly be chronicled as a historical period in which the GOP deliberately -- and cynically -- employed a strategy to obstruct our democracy and block the will of the people.

Take an issue: health care, job creation, Main Street stimulus legislation, fair tax codes, immigration reform and now gun control -- on all these issues the overwhelming majority of the people are on one side and the GOP on the other.

Over 90% of Americans want sensible gun control laws

One would think if over 9 out of every ten Americans want stricter background checks that passing sensible gun laws would not be heavy lifting for congress in order to keep guns away from those that may be mentally disturbed, criminal or terrorist.

One would be wrong.

The NRA, gun manufacturers, 2nd amendment rights fringe groups, home grown militias and gun nuts have lobbied, cajoled and intimidated congress into a catatonic state when in comes to gun control laws. The pro-gun lobbyist has morphed sensible gun control laws into a life or death threat by big bad, new world order government. Their red alert chant:

Obama wants your gun!

Well, this past week, sensible gun control law advocates have a glimmer of hope:

Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey announced a bipartisan compromise today seeking to expand background checks for the sale of guns – both at gun shows and online – that could help break the impasse in the gun-control debate in Congress.

The deal would be added as an amendment to existing gun legislation in the Senate. It opens the door to the biggest potential change in U.S. gun laws in nearly two decades, but still faces deep questions and lingering opposition when the Senate begins voting Thursday on whether to proceed with the gun debate.

The compromise is not expected to be debated until next week.

“Today is the start of a healthy debate that must end with the Senate and House, hopefully, passing these commonsense measures and the president signing it into law,” Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said.

“The event of Newtown, truly the events at Newton, changed us all. It changes our country, our communities, our town and it changed our hearts and minds.”

The agreement is intended to make the legislation on guns more palatable to Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who have voiced skepticism about some provisions. The proposal calls for exempting background checks for guns sold among between family members, which was a key sticking point for many supporters of gun rights, including hunters and sportsmen.

When asked by ABC News whether he was worried about risking his “A” ranking with the National Rifle Association, Toomey said:  “What matters to me is doing the right thing. And I think it’s the right thing.”  source

As Jesse Jackson states: Let's keep hope alive!