It's becoming more and more obvious that efforts at meaningful steps toward effective gun control legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hill massacre are going to be painfully slow, and that any progress at all will be contentious, at best. Many progressives are urging the White House to use the power of the executive order as a means of circumventing the NRA and its controlling grip on members of Congress.
Rush Limbaugh has taken a position on the possibility of Obama using an executive order to mandate sweeping gun control restrictions that I find compelling, and it pains me to admit that the asshole has a good point.
On his show yesterday, Limbaugh pointed a question directly at the cable news network CNN when he said this:
Limbaugh continued on to say that if Cheney had gotten up, the way VP Joe Biden has, and advocated for the use of executive orders as a means to mitigating a problem, CNN would be “having cows,” shouting, “You can’t do that! You can’t do that! You can’t do that! Abortion’s protected by the Constitution!”
I'm sure there are basic standards that apply when presidents are considering the use of executive orders. It probably involves some sort of "emergency" situation that calls for rapid action on the part of the president, such as a natural disaster or a threat to national security.
But if you consider the scenario Limbaugh proposes, it's easy to see his point. We would have been apoplectic if Bush and Cheney had used executive orders to command an immediate end to abortion in this country while their reign of error was in office. Gun rights advocates feel just as strongly about the protections of the Second Amendment as abortion advocates feel about reproductive rights, if not more so. And they're armed...
I believe any solution to our gun madness in this country is going to have to be worked out through a thoughtful, yet painfully slow legislative process, and not circumvented by executive order from the president, no matter how much or how quickly we want this insanity resolved.
5 comments:
I propose a new manufacturing standard for guns. Minimum weight of 15 lbs for handguns, 36 lbs for all other weapons. All should be required to kick stoutly when fired. They should all be automatic with no single shot option, pull the trigger, all 36 bullets go. All surfaces should be highly polished with no edges or grips. Guns must be loaded at all times and kept on either the front seat, kitchen table, or with your liquor. Teachers must either carry or leave the gun on the desk at all times.
Any executive order can be countermanded by Congress pretty quickly if Congress really wants to cancel it. It can be an effective way to force the weasels in Congress to take explicit stands on an issue they'd rather tap dance around indefinitely.
I feel differently and would have no problem with an executive order banning assault weapons and high volume magazines. And, Nan has a point.
But, here it is - the NRA and the gun lobby has a lot of influence in Washington - all of it with George Washinton's (and others) pictures on it.
We need to speak up - write your Senators and Representative and raise hell - I do.
PS: I ain't gentle - no siree...
Sarge
I believe my post the other day to be quite relevant to this conversation
http://bustednuckles.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/let-me-put-it-another-way/
It is an example of how the executive order can be used in a ficticious scenario that closely resembles what we are seeing with the gun control and shows how it can be universalized to just about any subject.
Knuckles, I took the link and read your post, and could see some relative logic to the wooden churches argument. However, I REALLY liked Teri's take on things! The insurance requirement for gun ownership was brilliant, especially with the resultant higher health/life/property insurance for household members in proximity to a gun.
Love that plan! (I don't think your readers did, though...)
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