Here’s a statement from President Obama, released via WhiteHouse.gov:
One year ago, our dedicated military and civilian personnel at the Washington Navy Yard were targeted in an unspeakable act of violence that took the lives of 12 American patriots.
As we remember men and women taken from us so senselessly, we keep close their family and friends, stand with the survivors who continue to heal and pay tribute to the first responders who acted with skill and bravery.
At the same time, we continue to improve security at our country’s bases and installations to protect our military and civilian personnel who help keep us safe.
One year ago, 12 Americans went to work to protect and strengthen the country they loved. Today, we must do the same – rejecting atrocities like these as the new normal and renewing our call for common-sense reforms that respect our traditions while reducing the gun violence that shatters too many American families every day.
For those not familiar with Obama-speak, “renewing our call for common-sense reforms” is another way of saying we need to embrace the president’s anti-gun agenda, which includes banning modern sporting rifles, magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition and criminalizing private transfers or sales made between law-abiding gun owners.
Those 12 American patriots died at the hand of a madman, not because of lax gun-control laws. After all, D.C. has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, which did nothing to stop a determined foe from killing innocents.
Instead of attempting to disarm America, the Obama administration should promote lawful gun ownership and empower the people to take responsibility for their own safety because, as all 2A supporters know, when seconds count the police are minutes away.
Thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. But let’s remember that “common sense” doesn’t include disarming good guys so they are helpless to defend themselves against bad guys.
Obama et al need to respect the Constitution, as interpreted by three major SCOTUS precedents, namely, U.S. v. Miller (1939) which created the two-pronged test of what types of arms are protected (clue: semi-auto magazine-fed rifles and pistols in general, AR-15s in particular, meet both prongs), D.C. v. Heller (2008) which affirmed that bearing arms is a fundamental right of individuals that make up the American polity, and McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) which held that pursuant to the 14th Amendment, the 2nd Amendment is also binding on the states and their subdivisions.
As soon as Obama & Co. acknowledge those precedents and adhere to them instead of inventing counterfeit ways around them, we will be willing to listen to anything they have to say.
Forgive us if we don’t hold our breath.