January, 14 2011, 11:39am EDT
Brady Campaign Lauds President Obama's Commitment to Preventing Gun Violence
Encourages Creation of National Commission
WASHINGTON
Brady Campaign
President Paul Helmke today issued the following statement in response
to President Obama's and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs'
comments on preventing gun violence:
"I watched President Obama's moving speech in Tucson Wednesday night with great interest.
I was happy to hear him say the following:
'Already
we've seen a national conversation commence, not only about the
motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits
of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system. And much
of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such
tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of
self-government.'
And he also said:
....'Yes, we
have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will
not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to
challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such
violence in the future.'
This is the first time in President
Obama's presidency that he has mentioned gun laws, and it seems to
indicate that he, too, has become weary of the destructive force of guns
and the toll they are taking on our nation.
It also was good to hear White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs re-affirm Thursday the president's commitment to restrictions on assault weapons,
as well as high-capacity magazines, like those used by the Tucson
shooter that made it so easy for him to maim and kill so many.
And
while these statements are encouraging, we urge the President to go
even further. After the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger, President
Reagan created the Rogers Commission to investigate and document the
causes of that tragedy. The causes were determined within a matter of
months and resulted in changes that made space shuttle travel safer.
Given the approximately 100,000 Americansare shot by guns
every year in this country, we believe a Presidential Commission is
among the most substantive responses that President Obama could offer to
the tragedy in Tucson.
Brady United formerly known as The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and its legislative and grassroots affiliate, the Brady Campaign and its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, is the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence. We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.
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