Yesterday President Obama announced twenty-three executive orders aimed at stopping mass shootings like the one at the Sandy Hook elementary school in December. The orders cover issues like mental health system improvement, tightening background checks, and streamlining law enforcement reporting on guns and dangerous individuals. The President also announced he would like to pass an assault weapons ban with the new Congress. Reactions from gun rights advocates was swift and intense. Politicians who support the gun lobby have declared Second Amendment rights non-negotiable and called for drastic actions to resist the new regulations, signaling a tough battle ahead for the President and gun control advocates.
Before President Obama had even announced his orders and recommendations, the National Rifle Association released this incendiary ad that was widely criticized:
They also launched an aggressive new web page urging Americans to Stand and Fight.
Not to be outdone, The Daily Caller is asking readers to sign a White House petition to remove President Obama’s Secret Service detail to protest new regulations.
However, the calls for action did not just come from lobbyists and pundits; GOP lawmakers from around the country have called for resistance to any new gun legislation and have even threatened to refuse to enforce the law.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant called on his state’s legislators to pass a law that would make “any unconstitutional order by the President illegal to enforce in Mississippi by state or local law enforcement.” Additionally, State Rep. Chris Brown is drafting legislation exempting Mississippi gun manufacturers from federal regulations.
In Tennessee, a state legislator is calling for the arrest of federal agents who seek to enforce gun laws, while Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas has called for Obama’s impeachment.
Rep. Stockman went on to vow that if he finds President Obama’s executive orders infringing upon the basic human rights of his constituents, he is “prepared to fight back with peaceable legislative force,” up to and including articles of impeachment, if absolutely necessary. “Impeachment is not something to be taken lightly,” said Stockman. “It is a grave and serious undertaking that should only be initiated in a sober and serious manner. It should be reserved only for most egregious of trespasses by the President. I would consider using Executive Orders to engage in attacks on a constitutionally-protected right and violating his sworn oath of office to be such a trespass. The President cannot issue executive orders depriving the people of full access to an enumerated constitutional right.”
Conservative action group Freedom Watch has already filed a lawsuit to block implementation of the orders saying that the task force that drafted the proposals violated open meetings laws. According to Freedom Watch’s chief Larry Klayman, the administration must give fifteen days notice to have task force meetings and that since they did not, the legislation should be thrown out.
The forceful outcry does not bode well for the President. Additionally, the almost violent rhetoric (which we talk more about in another post) signals that this will be an ugly fight for the American public that is still reeling from a year of mass shootings. However, there is one group of people who are undoubtedly benefiting from the strong emotions generated by the gun debate. Gun retailers are reporting record sales (especially of assault rifles) and stock prices for gun manufacturers are rising in the wake of Sandy Hook.
This post is part of the Crasstalk Gun Policy Project, which seeks to engage the Crass community in the issues surrounding gun control and gun violence. To be part of the team, or to send us a tip, please email [email protected].
Image via Wikipedia.
