The White House on Tuesday came through on its plan to gather state and local officials from across the country to develop strategies to tackle gun violence. Not surprisingly, “commonsense” and not “Constitutional” was the word of the day.
Looking forward to a good discussion at today's @WhiteHouse Gun Violence Prevention Convening #StopGunViolence pic.twitter.com/27TCD80BUC
— Robin Kelly (@RepRobinKelly) May 24, 2016
We are so thrilled by leadership at the state & local level to reduce gun violence & make communities safer pic.twitter.com/9grXE4RJ1f
— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) May 24, 2016
The 50-State Gun Violence Prevention Convening included mayors, attorneys general, and governors, including Connecticut’s Dan Malloy, who called shooting deaths in the United States an “absolute crisis.”
At WH conference on Gun Violence, Gov Dan Malloy, D-CT., decries "absolute crisis" of deaths from shootings. pic.twitter.com/REyrtAS1rv
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 24, 2016
If a government program had led to the massive last-two-decade reduction in gun crime, Malloy would be hailing it. https://t.co/U6fJoupn5w
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) May 24, 2016
Malloy, who in 2013 revealed his own five-point gun control plan which included a ban on any gun capable of firing more than 10 bullets without reloading, had been in talks to lure an AR-15 manufacturer to the state before the Sandy Hook massacre caused him to withdraw the offer suddenly.
The gathering was hosted by White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and capped by an address by Vice President Joe Biden, who has confounded gun safety groups (including the NRA) by suggesting more than once that Americans buy shotguns and fire them into the dark to frighten intruders.
"Whether we like it or not," says @VP at WH Gun Violence Prevention Conference, "there is a Second Amendment and it must be upheld."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 24, 2016
“Whether we like it or not”! Still, at least he accepts that it exists. https://t.co/LSM7iTYy6r
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) May 24, 2016
"Gun violence is ravaging our communities," says @VP. "It doesn't have to be this way," he tells WH conference. pic.twitter.com/Z6ge3qQP1C
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 24, 2016
Biden, Jarrett, and Malloy were all featured at the event in lieu of gun control success stories like Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is planning his own slate of events for the city’s #PutTheGunsDown initiative.
At the @WhiteHouse for Convening on Gun Violence Prevention for State & Local Officials. #StopGunViolence pic.twitter.com/3ArizjfOiQ
— Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) May 24, 2016
Also on the agenda was a push for the development of smart gun technologies. Sure, smart gun vendors were nowhere to be found at the NRA’s recent convention, but Biden insists that the “overwhelming majority” of Americans fully support smart guns, even if they have no idea whatsoever what the actual technology entails.
.@VP #Biden at @WhiteHouse: "Overwhelming majority support background checks for #guns, research, smart #gun technology." #StopGunViolence
— LA City Attorney (@CityAttorneyLA) May 24, 2016
Mayor Edwin Lee from San Francisco encourages cities to require smart gun technology in their own firearm purchases. #StopGunViolence
— Rep. Brian S. King (@RepBrianKing) May 24, 2016
"Smart guns won't be viable until gun owners want to own smart guns." Good point. The technology has to make gun owners want to own them.
— Rep. Brian S. King (@RepBrianKing) May 24, 2016
.@VP says stores selling firearms with "smart gun" technology tell him they come under pressure against it from @NRA and others.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 24, 2016
Cool story, bro. We’d really, really like to see a list of these gun store owners who have approached the vice president about being pressured by the NRA not to stock smart guns.
As mentioned above, attorneys general were among those in attendance, and a group of 12 emerged with a demand for Congress.
Also, @MassAGO says 12 state AG's demanding Congress allow @CDCgov to study gun violence & trauma. pic.twitter.com/cmc8Yph1B6
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 24, 2016
Yes, that’s a call to involve the CDC, currently under pressure to slow the spread of the Zika virus, in studying gun violence.
If you're a gun owner they now want to investigate you as a disease. #ObamacareIsWorking https://t.co/CXLgiPPT4E
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) May 24, 2016
Well, gun ownership is infectious. Just take a non-shooter to the range and watch the infection take hold.
— Chris Tucker (@ChrisTu96019184) May 24, 2016
@markknoller @MassAGO @CDCgov Do the whole study one night in Chicago.
— BewareThePhog (@gestes57) May 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/res151/status/735188948151066626
Related:
They didn’t build that: White House takes credit for ‘jump-starting’ smart gun development
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