Obama Solicits Stories of “Gun Violence”

To further his gun-ban efforts, President Obama is using his permanent campaign organization, Organizing For Action, to solicit stories about “gun violence.” Some of the stories are no doubt sincere, some–since they are anonymous–are likely fabricated, and some are merely political, like this one from “Keith K.”:

As a high school teacher, my students ask me why their lives are not as important as an NRA money. “that’s just the way it is” is a terrible answer to have to give kids. so we can make a rational decision about guns.

Is he really a high school teacher? I hope not.

OFA posters don’t necessarily have any idea what they are talking about. Matt W. writes:

Given the increase in gun violence and mass shootings in the last two decades it seems unbelievable that we can’t agree on some form of legislation to monitor and regulate the purchase and use of firearms.

Actually, homicides, and homicides using firearms, have been cut almost in half in the last 20 years. And there is already an enormous amount of “legislation to monitor and regulate the purchase and use of firearms” at both the state and federal levels.

I wondered whether Obama had gotten any gun stories from my home state of South Dakota, where just about everybody is armed. Despite all those guns, so far there is only one, from “Jared L.”:

Living in South Dakota I have the luxury of enjoying a lifestyle free from fear of violence as many inner-city neighborhoods experience on a daily basis. I also have the luxury of having grown up on strong traditions which includes hunting and know what it takes to be a responsible gun owner and say definitively that what we need in this country to reduce gun violence isn’t needless legislation, but a comprehensive approach that examines whether or not current laws are being properly enforced, digging into the underlying issues that lead to increases in violence, and a focus on providing adequate healthcare coverage to those with mental health issues so that no one seeking help is turned away at the door when the clock hits 5PM. This is the approach that will have the greatest impact on violence in our country, everyone needs to be sure to let their legislatures know that this is the approach to reduce violence in our communities.

Sensible thoughts, but probably not quite what Obama had in mind. It would be nice if lots of gun owners submitted “gun stories” to the OFA site. Who knows, the liberals who frequent that site might actually learn something.

The Democrats must know that they have zero chance of getting a gun ban through Congress; they probably can’t even get it through the Democratic Senate. So what is the point of this kind of effort? Like so much that the Obama administration does, it is not intended to achieve any practical goal, but rather is designed to keep the party’s base in a state of hysteria to maximize turnout in 2014. A perpetual campaign with no apparent objective other than to achieve perpetual power; that is today’s Democratic Party.

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