Trump's position will be whatever gets him the most exposure at any point in time to inflate his ego, until the real power behind the scenes (NRA, corporations, etc.) pull his strings!
What about the cold dead hands of the children killed?
Trump accused members of of Congress of being afraid of the NRA and caving to them. It seem he's afraid of them too.
I see we've reached Trump Stage #4: I'm gonna trundle away real quick and hide, but my disciples shall remain to deny I ever said what I said in the first place, and scream about how y'all isn't Real Americans.
Stage #5, I think, is to bluster about what a great job I did of solving the problem, just like Jared is gonna handle the Mideast or bring me back a sandwich or something.
1
Everyone - look up where the nearest Florida kids’ march/protest is on March 24 and participate in it !!! Support the kids.
6
If anyone believed that Trump would hold firm against the NRA, I would like those believers to meet my pet unicorn.
5
"You don't know until you test it, but I think, I really believe I'd run in there, even if I didn't have a weapon", and sell these school children down the river.
3
Flip flop. Up is down until it is up. Down the rabbit hole trump takes us yet again.
4
Can't say I'm surprised that Donald "Bone Spurs" Trump doesn't have the guts to stand up to the NRA.
9
I support the students and their efforts to get some common sense rules in place.
It was embarrassing to watch Trump taunt people in Congress about being scared of the NRA. For all Trump’s tough talk he’s almost acting like a lobbyist for the NRA. He certainly backed down on his tough on guns position after speaking (or whatever he does )with the NRA.
2
How can anyone believe this man? He has made the presidency a reality show. We (and that includes the media too) should not pay attention to him anymore. because the more we react to the crazy stuff that he says and does the more he does it.
3
We cannot let this happen! NYT has to keep the fire going and put gun control and the victims of gun violence on its first page every day until our politicians have nothing left to do but to listen to the people and bend to people's will. We all want less guns and less deaths on our streets.
Don't tell me you did not see this coming?!? Aim the camera somewhere else for one second and all is suddenly forgotten. Show up in Washington, DC for the march. We need to support this with all our might! The kids need us, the Orlando victims need us, the Vegas victims need us and everyone else who has lost their lives to guns. Do not ease the pressure, do not ease your grip! We can make this happen and put an end to senseless gun violence once and for all. WE HAVE TO!!!!
3
It's "fewer guns" and "fewer deaths", but more important, there is more to the U.S. than the many cultural Marxists who read the NYT. March as you might in the cities, it's the heartland that matters.
1
Pretty sure the heartland doesn't like people getting gunned down for no reason, either. Thanks for the grammar lesson. I think I do pretty well with ESL.
3
What do you expect from a man of no principles? He proves it daily, yet his so called "base" -- whoever you are, are too busy to educate yourselves about the damage his is doing in this country, to our children, and to our global allies. What are you thinking, if at all?
3
You can't believe anything this guy says, no matter on what subject or to whom he says it.
3
I’m tempted to purchase an AR-15 and destroy it the minute I’m out of the store.
1
Trump: dictionary definition amoral: "lacks a moral sense - unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of his actions!"
Bet he sleeps well every night - after all - he has never done anything wrong!
1
In the 11th grade elective called '20th century American Cinema,' the kids can watch 'Gunfight at the OK Corral' - and just a few days later, participate in an impromptu re-enactment starring a delusional, 18 year old former classmate and the school's wrestling coach... armed with semiautomatic military assault rifles, 100 round ammo magazines and high powered bullets that cause flesh to explode and virtually vaporize on contact.
I mean, how cool is that? That's an education!
The collateral damage probably won't be more than a dozen or so dead and permanently injured, but come on now, that's the price of admission. Or 'the price of freedom,' as Bill O'Reilly famously pontificated from his pulpit on Faux Cable News.
And a few days later, the survivors can study the Constitution and try to figure out what mind altering drugs Justices Scalia and Thomas were taking when they determined this self-inflicted idiocy and mass carnage is what the drafters had in mind when they spoke of a 'well-regulated militia.' Let's not even ask them to parse out the demented minds of Wayne LaPierre and Dana Loesch, however - that's deepest, darkest madness from which few would ever return to the daylight of sanity.
Just wow! Is this a great country or what?
2
Not unexpected. After his comments on TV he had dinner at the White Hour with the head lobbyist for the NRA. He walked back his public TV comments about DACA after conservative Republicans had a talk with him. More of the same. He cannot be trusted.
2
Is anyone really surprised by this? We all know that Trump is a liar, a con man and a coward. And yes, like most of the rest of the Republican politicians, he is owned by the NRA.
States need to step up: they can just ban gun sales.
Treat gun ownership like smoking: shame, shun and tax. Lives are at stake, along with huge financial costs for those who required medical treatment, therapy and, of course, the funeral expenses.
2
Trump's retreat is the least surprising thing in the world. Trump contradicts himself constantly, sometimes twice in the same day.
3
Constantly lying and flip flopping. He has no compass, political or moral. He has no credibility.
5
Mr.Trump's pitiful response to gun violence should not discourage the students from Parkland .He was never going to move one inch from the NRA and its arm everyone position.Arming teachers in school is just a ploy to sell more guns and have conceal carry.The March 24 gatherings to protest and let legislators know that students vote will get their attention.For years lawmakers have taken for granted that young people don't vote.Show them that you do and that your agenda must be heard.#I VOTE
2
Oh, here we are again.... Public support vs. "political " support, whatever that is.
2
The age limit is a mostly symbolic issue. The majority of mass shooters in the last two decades have been 21 or over. The one that caused the most deaths and injuries, Stephen Paddock, was 64. That the NRA and their Republican proxies are digging their heels in on this issue is laughable.
1
A sad day for the US. I allowed my self to think that DT might actually take substantial actions towards gun control and gun restrictions. I actually felt hopeful. But a quiet word in his ear by the NRA -- and it reverts to the status quo. Oh, not quite. With armed teachers and guards in schools, even more guns will be sold.
1
This is entirely predictable. The excited coverage of Trump's "change" was the mistake.
3
I think we should not say "BAN". It's kind of a psychologic trick. Instead, we should establish the tests to qualify those who deserve to have guns. That's the efforts that those gun enthusiasts have to make. Therefore, it's an honor to have guns since they pass the tests that qualify them as individuals who are mentally healthy and knowledgeable about guns. Everybody should know that owning guns is the right that comes with responsibility. That's why the people in the other countries have to go through so many procedures to own guns.
1
Absolutely shocking that trump was not true to his word. Shocking.
2
I submitted a March 1 reply to a Feb. 28 article in this publication, Trump Stuns Lawmakers With Seeming Embrace of Gun Control Measures. I predicted Trump would not follow through on his gun commitment. Indeed, it was mere seductive doublespeak, abandoned the instant that pressure was applied and approval was withdrawn. I wrote:
I would bet he will: stir the pot, raise hopes, see how palatable is his off the cuff recipe, get high caliber return fire from the NRA and others, weigh his choices--and run for cover.
Well, huh? More proof that NOTHING Mr. Trump mutters is reliable. His moral fiber follows the arc of his own dim sun. Highest conviction at noon; retreat at 6; darkness at 9; reversal at midnight. He is among the WORST salesman I have ever seen: body language (arms crossed, or a small variety of hand gestures), facial mannerisms he's gleaned or adapted from your-best-friend hucksters, the squishy language of gold-plated sincerity, the shifting-gear condescension, the pretense to in-depth knowledge while lacking all but the basics.
I repeat a passage from a column here in NYT, published Sept. 26, 2016, which quotes the famous poem of William Butler Yeats, and truer now vis a vis our alleged leader:
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Today's headline, folks: The Man on the NRA Leash Intends to Negotiate North Korea's Nukes
15
That Sarah Huckabee Sanders and DT are leading us on. It's one big gas lighting con job. It bears repeating. dt and his supporters are a point blank demonstration of white privileges and deep racism. Period. Who in the world are these people who support him and all his insanity. Teachers with guns. What is this Armageddon? If Barack Obama had paid for a prostitute to hush up he would have been impeached. I'm sorry but that whole anti rational Rebublican side of this country makes me sick.
11
So much for Trump's infamous counterpunch.
10
Mr. Trump says raising the legal age for buying an assault rifle lacks "political support." If he means support from politicians who, like him, bow to the influence of gun manufacturers via the leadership (much less the membership) of the NRA, that's true. But an alleged populist like Mr. Trump should attend to what most of the public supports. By every major poll, the public supports sensible gun control.
7
Trump must have missed note #5 on his Parkland High School listening session cue card: I hear you.
10
Anyone desiring to purchase an AR-15 should submit to a psychological evaluation to see if they are mentally stable. And the fact that they want to own such a weapon - a weapon designed solely to kill humans, should deem them mentally unfit to own such a weapon.
9
Further proof Trump is delusional--he thinks he is "good looking" and better looking than Connor Lamb? Ha ha ha ha ha.
3
We knew it would come to 'arm more people' instead of 'limit access to guns'. Who's afraid of the NRA?
7
The public officials accepting bribery from the NRA are very afraid.
March For Our Lives on Saturday March 24. Restore democracy.
1
Donald Trump is without a doubt the most ignorant man to ever hold the Oval Office.
Donald Trump is the Cave-In President, he takes a stand and then Caves In to who ever intimidates him, like Wayne LaPierre and NRA, and the Gun Lobby; so now he is backtracking on what he said about Gun laws, he doesn't mind wallowing in the blood of the victims, as long as the NRA stuffs his pockets with blood money.
13
The Dumpster just like to please whoever he is with at any given time. Tomorrow he may be with the people who survived the VA home shooting in California and promise them some other thing. No reason to think he is doing anything but lying to please whoever he is with. All day. Every day.
5
Except he eventually sides with whatever action will do the most harm to humans, animals, the planet in general.
The President’s cowardice, shortsightedness, and capriciousness are never surprising. Trust or the common good are not concepts we reasonably associate with Donald J. Trump.
3
"In a Twitter post, Mr. Trump said there was “not much political support (to put it mildly).”
Woo-hoo! Way to show strong leadership, Donnie! (barf)
8
"In a Twitter post, Mr. Trump said there was “not much political support (to put it mildly).”"
IOW, There is no support from the NRA, the Ultra Right WIng corrupt congress and the Deplorables.
IOW, Any amount of killing is acceptable to allow the gun fetishists to have whatever guns they want, and as many as they can afford.
3
I notice that the one and only part of his earlier proposal that he has now abandoned is the one and only part that would have reduced the profits of gun companies.
I also notice that each and every one of the other parts will increase the profits of gun companies.
1
Honestly, if this country cannot manage even this pitiful half-measure, it doesn't deserve to survive. Bring on the nuclear fire, I'm ready.
6
Whoa. Let's fight the good fight to see if we can MASA (Make America Safe Again) before we burn the house down. If the American people want something badly enough, they can have it.
I want guns licensed. How about you?
2
Who cares about "political" support? The citizens of America, by clear majority, want gun control. Are you saying that Republicans on Capitol Hill are a law unto themselves? Third grade civics says those people are "representatives."
Where's the representation?
8
Trump would rush into a school, unarmed, fighting any evil-doer, only if there were free cheeseburgers in the cafeteria.
We're on our own in this movement against gun violence.
8
I think we should all tweet (let it be the trending topic) - Trump, afraid of the NRA, backs down from pledge. Let's see if that doesn't get him to jump.
4
Somebody got his marching orders from the NRA. This is not business as usual. Him and his ilk are on the way out. The teens will not stand for it. They have lit the conscience of the world.
4
The teens have voters of all ages supporting their actions.
1
Just say no to gun toting teachers. Please. This is a knee jerk reaction, something with some NRA style panache to appease its members. We need politicians to think more deeply of the risks and consequences before they devise a response. This option is just a flashy response to make it look as if something is being done for school safety. Insurance companies evaluate risk all the time. What do they say about arming teachers? I imagine the risk factor is increased, not decreased by arming teachers. People need to remember that Betsy DeVos thought it was a good idea during her confirmation hearings. This idea has been in the works before Parkland.
2
This is the Trump we have come to know and love. Unprincipled. Erratic. Chicken.
The other Trump, that is, the presidential one, is not real. It exists only on TV and in the minds of his febrile cult.
6
the nra got through to trump on gun issues through the bizarrely robotic mike pence; it's purely a political decision based on gop belief that pursuing meaningful change on gun control will cost them dearly in the nov. midterms. so much so they would lose control of the house.
this belief is probably correct but the gop is quickly running out of time on this issue as it becomes more and more a single issue voter motivator.
2
The trumpster has the spinal integrity of a soaking wet noodle. What a surprise that he immediately backed down on this. Can't wait to see generalissimo bone spurs saluting actual soldiers at HIS "ego parade".
So SAD that millions of dollars which could have gone to impoverished schools or to veterans in need will instead be wasted on yet more trumpeting of trump's "great", "amazing" unbelievable "genius" on Parade.
Sure are living in the "bizzaro world"
4
I yearn for the day when politicians legislate based on morals and a sense of duty and responsibility, not on some cold assessment of how many votes they'll get in November.
4
"Not much political support" for raising the age limit for buying a semi-automatic weapon? Perhaps not among Republican politicians, but what about the desires of the public? And using the NRA's lawsuit over the age limits enacted by Florida Legislature as an excuse to avoid taking action is disingenuous, to say the least. The lawsuit itself is ridiculous: age restrictions are a reasonable basis for all types of public safety laws, from alcohol consumption to driver's licenses. This president, like the NRA, is out of touch with the majority of voters in this country.
19
And the kids in Florida now learn a lesson about American politics.
13
A lesson about Trump Republican American politics.
Blair wrote:
"And the kids in Florida now learn a lesson about American politics."
Donald, why not support raising age limits just because it's the right thing to do … oh, I forgot, The NRA told him not to. Drawing the swamp?
10
Don’t forget the body armor.
3
Body armor for all students would be a better idea than arming teachers. Not that either is a good idea.
1
President Obama tweeted to the high school students that "we have been waiting for you." I say to the students that you have to continue your marches and protests. And if any of you are of legal age, vote the republicans out in November. You got your governor to actually enact a few things against guns and that's a huge start. I have a feeling that other governors may follow. But don't give up whatever you do. Your generation may be the one to fix this horrible problem. The country needs you.
22
Never have believed for one second that the lair-in-chief was going to push for raising the age that people are allowed to buy guns. First of all he is in the pocket of the NRA. For another he always seems agreeable in front of the TV camera - after all it is a reality show only. Finally he always lies so how can you believe him?
8
In actuality trump is a “non-realtiy” show.
What is it about the hold the NRA has on our politicians ? The NRA can turn its members to vote out a politician who does not agree with them , so what does that say about any politician that is afraid to stand up and take the chance of that happening ? Speaks volumes about our elected politicians , who only legislate for lobbies like the NRA , the corporations , even foreign governments , disgusting! Vote them out people , your children are in peril .
2
Shameful. Why doesn't the president spend some political capital and show political leadership? It's also a shame that that question is so easily answered.
4
Translation: the NRA gave $31M to my campaign and that makes me obligated to dance to their tune.
6
While the cameras were running, Trump momentarily forgot that he has no opinion until the NRA reminds him of his opinion.
8
I watched that 'listening' meeting (the one with the notecard reminding the President to appear empathetic). I hope those kids at least got a souvenir from the White House. You know, something like an "I Visited the White House a Week After My Classmates Got Shot and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt" t-shirt.
6
As long as the big gun sellers decide on their own to not sell to anyone under 21 because that's what they feel is morally right, why bother trying the change the law anyway? Just don't tell wedding cake bakers that they have the same power themselves to decide for the same reason who they can sell to as well.
1
At least a generation will be trying to undo damage Trump Administration has and is doing. Our serial adulterer populist president likes the stage as long as he gets most of the spotlight.
6
"But after a meeting with the powerful National Rifle Association, Mr. Trump appeared to back down from that proposal, raising questions about the influence of the N.R.A."
Yet, Trump had the nerve to accuse Republican Patrick Toomey in a staged meeting of being "afraid of the NRA?" What a joke of a man who doesn't even remember what he said two weeks ago--or, more likely, doesn't care because his "base" will continue to support his lack of leadership. No one should ever believe his shallow comments to be anything other than lies. The youth of this country who are at great risk just going to school know this and are taking action-- Republicans in Congress and Trump supporters do not and will not. This will only end when everyone exercises the right and responsibility to vote, and revolts against the corruption and incompetence that has usurped our government.
3
Whenever you see Trump in front of cameras you know whatever he says is a lie. All he wants is to sound reasonable when it is shown on Trump TV, this particular set of lies after the student survivors demanded action was as low as a man can get.
Simply calculating and repugnant, there is no bottom of the barrel with him and the people still support him.
7
Recall Trump recently castigating members of Congress for being afraid of the NRA. We now know that was simply a projection and that Trump is the one most intimidated by the NRA. He reversed gears after a meeting with the NRA.
It's a pattern. Same for DACA. Say one thing and then backtrack. Shameful.
7
This is how Trump is dealing with the NRA and the gun problem. Waffle House special with lots of syrup.
Now, lets see what he does with Kim and the Korea issue. Is IHop still open 24/7?
3
Ah yes.
The brave man who would run into a building, unarmed, to fight off a mass murderer runs away from a confrontation with the NRA.
Trump is our national hero.
4
So Trump must be afraid of the NRA. How does this not surprise me.
2
The latest Trump- NRA plan : label AK-15’s “not for public school use.” That should do it.
2
Waffler-in-chief shows he has no moral center. With Putin pulling the marionettes' strings, Americans are left to wonder what this man stands for, if anything (other than Trump branding).
1
Of course, did anyone expect anything else? The only question is, how much lower can this presidency go? SAD!!!
2
Be patient, it's certain to go lower.
1
For the record, Trump did NOT cave to the NRA. He was lying to everybody else. Shocker.
1
Sounds like Trump is "petrified" of the NRA.
Big Surprise.
2
President Trump has probably never read 'Profiles In Courage' by John F. Kennedy and thus I will forgive him somewhat for a lack of knowledge of the fortitude available in politics. I remember him saying previous to being elected that he was by no means a politician. That was part of his 'charm' to some. However, President Kennedy considered a life in politics an honorable pursuit, in fact a potentially courageous pursuit at that. President Trump has just shown he has no courage or honor in the face of political pressure. He sat in front of the nation, stood in front of Parkland parents, just a few short weeks ago declaring he would act on behalf of Americans, and act expediently on the issue of guns and public safety. His character, or lack thereof, has been in constant question during his young tenure in office. He had a chance here to vindicate himself somewhat. He has chosen to again coddle the special interests at play, instead of honoring the lives of those who live on and those taken. Courage, honor, and truthfulness are certainly not high on his list as components of personal character.
2
Fear not.
He'll probably have a different position tomorrow.
2
"...not much political support (to put it mildly)."
Does he know he's supposed to LEAD, not follow?
2
Not to nitpick, but we are quibbling over an age limit to acquire assault rifles, when we should be arguing on a ban on assault rifles for anyone of any age.
4
Firearms training should be part of the HS curriculum. The fear of a tool, and the creation of "gun free zones" (criminal enterprise zones) is the real problem. I'm afraid of heights, but I don't want to ban ladders. I also hate the subway...
2
You are way off base. Solve the gun problem with more guns? Also, you can't take a ladder into a school and start killing masses of people with it. Nor with "the subway". Having gun free zones is not the real problem. Do you truly believe that eliminating gun free zones will automatically stop the mass killings?
3
The more guns there are in schools, the more people will be killed by them.
2
President Trump has probably never read 'Profiles In Courage' by John F. Kennedy and thus I will forgive him for any lack of fortitude in politics. I remember him saying previous to being elected that he was by no means a politician. That was part of his 'charm' to some. However, President Kennedy considered a life in politics an honorable pursuit, in fact a potentially courageous pursuit at that. President Trump has just shown he has no courage or honor in the face of political pressure. He sat in front of the nation, stood in front of Parkland parents, just a few short weeks ago declaring he would act on behalf of Americans, and act expediently on the issue of guns and public safety. His character, or lack thereof, has been in constant question during his young tenure in office. He had a chance here to vindicate himself somewhat. He has chosen to again coddle the special interests at play, instead of honoring the lives of those who live on and those taken. Courage, honor, and truthfulness are certainly not high on his list as components of personal character.
So it's easier to buy an assault weapon than a beer. Nice. And now the kindergarten teacher will be packing. Nice.
I am strongly encouraging my children, aged 22 and 25, to move to a country without Republicans.
4
So the Sec. of Education said that we protect people in large gathering places so why wouldn't we want teachers to be armed.
By that thinking we need to arm the clergy or the parishioners as some churches are huge, and arm citizens when at political rallies as those can be huge (god help the person running for office though), and arm concert fans as I'm sure the people of Las Vegas will tell you that would have made a difference.
I think the Sec. of Education and this administration badly need an education.
1
Although it should never have come to this, in the absence of any rational gun control calculate the cost of adequate security for all schools nationwide, and enact a dedicated tax on all guns and ammunition sales to pay for it. The exercise of Second Amendment rights need not be cheap and the financial impacts need not be imposed on non-gun owners. I suspect the numbers involved would put a significant dent in the supply of guns. Of course this ignores the moral and empirical foundations for reasonable gun control which are lost on our current elected officials.
There are no 2nd class citizens. It is unconstitutional to deny any citizen, beyond the age of consent (i.e. 18) their natural right to life and to its protection thereof.
2
Sounds good - so you are for gun control then - great!
2
Trump will say anything then do nothing. His track record includes multiple promotions of things that end up in litigation and/or bankruptcy as a result of broken promises, assurances, etc. What we need to fear is when America becomes involved in a critical global concern,e.g., war or trade, and other nations are left to rely on Trump's word. Indeed there are few -if any- countries left that are dumb enough to have faith in anything coming out of Donald Trump's puckered lips. We're way past, "..... but you can't fool everyone ALL of the time..." and have entered a surreal realm where our leader is not so much distrusted as he is rendered irrelevant and ignorable. All this thanks to that segment of our citizens that, indeed, can be fooled ALL of the time.
"If there's a Republican who has demonstrated he's not afraid of the NRA, that would be me," Trump said in a meeting with Congressional leaders in the White House nearly two weeks ago.
President Donald Trump asked Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican who's worked on a bill to strengthen background checks for gun purchases, whether he left a proposal to raise the gun purchasing age to 21 out of his measure because senators are "afraid of the NRA."
In an exchange during a meeting of a bipartisan group of senators at the White House, Trump asked Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Toomey if their background check bill they authored in the aftermath of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 included a provision that would have raised the age at which individuals could purchase rifles from 18 to 21.
Toomey said it did not.
"You know why? Because you're afraid of the NRA," Trump said.
Turns out, Trump is afraid of the NRA.
Another lie, told by the Liar-in-Chief, President Trump.
9
Wait! What? Trump walked back something he said? Something he promised?
Say ain't it so!
12
Kind of hard to say "no" to the group who spent $30 million to put you in the White House, isn't it, Mr. President? I suppose one could say that they had you over a barrel, but that really isn't the best metaphor is it? No, I think the better metaphor is that they put a gun to your head.
13
The NRA put $30,000,000 to Trump’s head. And that is only the amount that we know of.
And with expert armed teachers in the building I suppose there will be no need for Donald Trump to rush in (unarmed) and subdue the gunman himself, as he has previously tweeted he would have done, had he been there.
Makes (im)perfect sense.
3
For once, Trump listens to someone. Unfortunately, it's the NRA.
13
It's hard not to flash back to Trump's meetings just after the shooting when reading this. The room full of students and parents at the White House who raised their hands to say that arming teachers is a bad idea. Trump's claim that raising age limits on semi-automatic weapons is only common sense. Accusing a room full of senators of being afraid of the NRA. Well, who's afraid now, Mr. President? Good thing it's not the next generation. Look out the window on March 24, and see them march. Oh, that's right, that's a Saturday. So you'll be down in Palm Beach, golfing.
6
Isn't it President None Spurs job to build political support for issues that are important?
3
And here it is, out of his own mouth: we need a leader and instead we've got a man whose only barometer is the shifting winds of what's popular at the moment.
5
It is so sad that I have to keep writing letters of this type, but our elected officials do nothing. As a Vietnam veteran who was there for 13 months, I had been shot at by AK-47s, and now the kids in Parkland, Fla., have gone through a similar situation. They have now served in combat — unlike our cowardly president, the governor of Florida, most of the legislature of Florida, most of the U.S. Congress and the CEO of the National Rifle Association.
To that end, these officials are still not banning assault-style weapons. They probably never lost a loved one to a weapon of this kind, nor were they ever shot at by one. Just maybe if they had, their sad decisions on how to handle the issue of a ban on these weapons would be stronger. Furthermore, a ban on bump stocks is worthless without a ban on assault-style weapons. We have had more mass shootings since the Brady Bill expired in 2004 then ever before. I want to be wrong, but I believe it will happen again.
Our officials did nothing after Sandy Hook, the Pulse nightclub, Las Vegas and now Parkland, Fla. When will they wake up and pass a ban?
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2018/03/09/Kids-in-combat-th...
21
My first thought upon reading the NYT article that cited "President" Trump's support for gun control was "Why do they bother printing this when he is just going to go back on his word next week?" I thought of the "inspirational" and "incredible" meeting he had had televised during which he declared his support for Dreamers, and I knew the same thing was going to play out here. I don't have a crystal ball. I'm just an observant citizen. Why give him the attention he so craves by printing every promise he makes and breaks?
9
Understand that the Swiss require their military veterans to maintain weapons in their respective homes under secure lock and key. Shades of the Second Amendment " a well regulated militia necessary.....". The problem in this Country seems to be the want-to-bee's of a certain politicall and psychology profile who need thirty round clips and military velocity dumdum rounds of 3500 fps that are guaranteed to wreak mayhem upon the innocent with both "quality and quantity". Whatever happened to simple deer hunting with a bolt action weapon.?
9
Armed teachers "Armed guards OK, deterrent"
Pathetic. Why settle for deterrent (a costly, dangerous and non-workable one at that) when you can simply remove the gun from the equation.
From what I have read about these shooters, help and care would seem to be the only deterrent, stop them before they even think of planning a mass shooting. But that means being serious about the future, making a plan, spending money that does not have an immediate return on investment. All of which is a far cry from the instant gratification of enriching a few favored friends with millions more in sales and further entrenching the idea that a gun is the cure for every ill. A cultural norm that will rake in more billions but will do nothing to to benefit society and more than likely see even more shootings than now, which means even more guns, means even more shootings, means even more guns, ad infinitum. Violence breeds violence. A business strategy to keep the NRA and bought politicians coffers filled, while others weep over the coffins.
3
Why bother with raising the minimum age? It is another half-measure. There is no need for people to own weapons, especially assault type weapons. If you want to go hunting get a hunting rifle, not an assault rifle.
The second amendment was written more than 200 years ago and does not address today's environment. It needs to be changed. The gun culture in America is destroying lives.
14
Trump flipping with the public then flopping back among his base. Where Trump stands on anything depends on where he is. In reality he stands for nothing. He is the poster boy for convenient moral and political relativism.
4
“The end cannot justify the means, for the simple and obvious reason that the means employed determine the nature of the ends produced.”
– Aldous Huxley.
2
Why the big push to arm school employees? Because- it sounds good to Trump's ears? Does this extend to Libraries, Preschools and Daycare Centers too? I would not want any teacher to possess a weapon (concealed or strapped around the waist- fanny-pack style) any more than I would want trash haulers, grocery clerks, school bus drivers or Zoo Docents.
What happens *when* a jittery or too-confident teacher accidentally shoots one of their favored students or a colleague who happens to enter the classroom during break-time; recess or after school (times when teachers often are in their rooms and other staff and students drift in and out): Can we not come up with something better than this?
3
Just a suggestion. Instead of covering meetings with victims or a meeting where the President laughingly mocks Congress people for being afraid of the NRA, televise the follow up dinner with the heads of the NRA. At least we'll get a general idea of what his proposals will be.
8
Better to train teachers to carry weapons than raise age limits for purchase. More sales for the NRA that way. No loss of sales to the young set.
2
So much for Trump not being a politician.
I thought he was going to 'shake up Washington' and 'drain the swamp' and 'make America great'. Over 34,00 people a year are killed by guns in America. Is that 'great'?
Trump is doing what every Republican has done before him; no action, just talk. He's just another politician whose afraid of the NRA.
4
Thought Trump was all about not beholden to anyone - the deal maker genius and billionaire businessman who didnt take guff from anyone or their money. Now he's worries about political support? His supporters cited his wealth and outsider status which would drain the swamp and tell special interests where to go - oh well, guess that was the usual hype and voters got suckered again.
6
At the next PTA meeting I would like all the parents who believe that it is more important for 18 to 21 year olds to be able to buy assault weapons than for their children to live stand up and so acclaim.
6
What country and reality is he living in? By political support, if he means the American people, someone might want to tell him that like 90% of the country favors common sense gun reform. When that 90% who no longer wants to have their kids and families gunned down at schools, movies, malls, concerts, church, vote this fall the GOP is in for a rude awakening.
What there is not support for is the ridiculous idea of arming teachers or school employees, given the fact that guns are rarely used successfully for self defense but instead usually end up in the wrong hands, or in an accidentally shooting. As soon as a teacher either accidentally shoots a kid, or is disturbed themselves and shoots someone, or a kid gets hold of one of the guns, they would realize they had actually armed the school shooter themselves. yeah brilliant.
2
At the meeting with Senators, Trump blamed Obama for not leading on this issue (which is not true). Now he's giving a perfect example of not leading. No doubt the Trumpbots will not notice.
23
This is not complicated:
Want action on guns? If your member of Congress has an A+ rating from the NRA, vote them out.
34
The party that is responsible for the flooding of over 350,000,000 guns into our society is, as Hillary Clinton so aptly phrased it, deplorable.
Their twisted and patently wrong interpretation of the 2nd Amendment continues to insulate them from all reason and sensibility. They have become the enemy of our nation.
27
When we get legalized bribery out the election process, we won't need children to fight for effective gun control legislation. We the people can dictate through our legislature what the 'arms' limits are. Policemen and the military are the only groups that need firearms, The rest may be armed with stun guns and tear gas.
But insanity has ruled the day, to the point that assault rifles with suppressors, drum magazines, bump stocks and night vision scopes are all the rage with these so-called 'sportsmen'.
10
“Not much political support,” he said. Come November, when Republicans are creamed at the polls, he’ll have plenty of political support. Of course, we’re assuming he won’t be in prison by then.
11
We now know who is really afraid of the NRA. Coward!
21
Why am I not surprised. So Trump, after jeering at members of Congress for being afraid of the NRA, turns out to be as lily-livered as they are. Next he will probably propose lowering the gun-buying age to 14 and arming schoolchildren as well as their teachers.
14
New line of handguns from XYZ toy company with superhero, princess, and Pokemon decoration for the little one in your life. a little pricier to pay for the merchandising licensing.
1
This Presidency has been brought to you by the NRA. Right after Trump's televised flirtation with sanity, the very next day the NRA brought him back to reality: "We own you, your presidency was paid for by us. You will change your mind, justify it how ever you want, but you will change your mind."
8
Speaking to a group of first graders, the President today announced his plan to require all school children to bring firearms to school.
"Nobody's gonna mess with a gun-toting first grader!" the President declared. "Much less with an armed classroom!"
When a teacher protested, the President told the Secret Service to remove her.
"You kids will be the future leaders of the country!" the President announced. "And I'll probably still be President."
7
Thank God, you made me laugh at a time when nothing seems funny about this man.
"Watching court cases and rulings before acting"; noting the political winds? Is this sign of a new, less rash Trump? No; he's just terrified of the NRA and his own rabid base, just like the politicians he was castigating over the same thing a week or two ago, and proposing the NRA's preferred "solution" of armed schools after calling the armed guards in the Parkland situation cowards. The only things consistent about Trump are his spineless hypocrisy and inability to think rationally.
5
How many more times are people going to look toward this man to do the right thing, the things he says he is going to do while wooing voters , only to be disappointed when he does the opposite. He is the best example of what he shows you first, how he acts from the beginning , is how he will always be. This man has had more opportunities to help us, to do the moral thing, than anyone has a right to. And , no surprise, he had failed at each one. Charlottesville, Las Vegas, DACA, UN, Russian election interference, etc. Now after making big show of having students and parents at WH and saying he would help them, once more a failure. Who's in whose pocket!? Trump- NRA.
5
No surprise there, he's simply playing both sides against the middle. Few people will remember that he waffled. They'll hear what they want to hear.
2
Surely, at this point, no one took Trump at his word, did they? I mean, what evidence does anyone have that Trump's word is worth anything? Particularly, if it is spoken on one of his orchestrated reality TV meetings.
Trump views his role as the puppet master, manipulating the actions of all the bit players around him for the viewing pleasure of his audience. At the end of the day, like with the NRA in this case, his donors, and his base, he knows, and they know, he'll toe the line on the agenda set for him -- that means what the NRA tells him, what the Mercer family tells him, what John Kelly & Stephen Miller tell him, what his 'base' cheers loudest about.
No of this is going to change while the Trump regime remains in place. The way to change this is get active for change locally and to vote when you have the chance. Trump's reality TV and Tweets are just distraction and media candy. Don't fall for it.
6
Just another of his daily series of lies, lies, and more lies.
8
Hey Sullivan, Assault rifles are capable of automatic fire and are used by the US military and police ONLY. No-one in the USA can buy or possess machine guns or assault rifles short of having a very hard to get authorized Federal firearms license and no machine guns or Assault rifles made after 1985 can be sold to or by these people to other FFL 'licensed "individuals.
1
Way to miss the point.
3
Fine. We'll start calling them military-grade weapons. That covers them all.
Gun nuts like to "correct" proponents of gun safety by reminding them that fully-automatic rifles are highly regulated and increasingly rare. What they don't understand is that this is a perfect model for semi-auto military-grade weapons.
Are you telling us that SEMI-automatic weapons are harmless because one needs to pull the trigger for every round rather than spray multiple rounds with just one squeeze of the trigger? Dozens were killed and wounded in Las Vegas with semi-automatic weapons. Even if bump stocks are banned it's easy to make one at home using a simple rubber band. How many children need to die in order to allow a small number of gun fanatics to indulge their gun fantasies?
1
Of course, there's no hurry. It doesn't matter!
Another the many lies from the White House. Trump never intended to do anything but hold that phony press conference to pretend that he cared. We saw the index cards of talking points that Hope Hicks wrote for him. The question is how could he do that performance with people who have suffered beyond comprehension. Why cant he stand up for the American people in the same manner he stands up for Russia. Every day someone is dying from gun violence.
Midterms are coming hopefully we will all get out and vote. This slaughter needs to stop. Outside of the vote there is no common sense to listen to the fact that this is human issue not a political one
This is the Leader of the Free World we should all be ashamed that we can not and will not address the violence of these weapons.
3
"Fully backs?" Sorry, I don't see that. He'll probably hedge on bump stocks too. The only thing he'll do is put more guns in classrooms. In other words, a total capitulation to the NRA.
5
I own an AR-15 and I bought an AK-47 when I was 18 years old. I don't think I should have been allowed to buy an AK-47 as an 18 year old.
I don't believe in banning assault rifles, but I do believe that an 18 year old shouldn't be allowed to own pistols or assault rifles. 18 year olds are impulsive, their brains aren't fully developed, and they have been infantalized by society. 18 used to be the age a person became a mature adult. For the Millenials, it's more like 21 years or later.
I probably would try to hide my AR-15 if there was ever a confiscation, and I think A LOT of AR owners would probably do the same. I bought my assault rifle in a private purchase so there is no record of me owning an assault rifle anywhere (that should definitely change, I believe in Universal background checks as well). That means the government doesn't know I own an AR and therefore won't know to confiscate it.
People that live in cities just can't accept that life in rural areas might be different. The nearest cop to my house is like 20 miles away. If a person attacks me or an animal attacks me, I can only rely on myself. I also use my AR-15 to deter attacks. Once, three men from Texas pulled up to my campsite in the middle of nowhere and started telling me I was so hot and that it was brave I was camping alone. I took out my AR from behind the tree and said I didn't need to be brave. They got respectful really fast. Interestingly, I've never actually killed a living thing with the AR.
2
The problem is they also could have had guns. Then your AR would have been useless.
4
Some of us do know what real rural living is, and know that your argument is without merit.
3
I place a lot of blame on Democrats on the gun control issue, they allow the Republicans to dictate the terms of the argument.
Democrats should, un-apologetically,
1. Define what is an 'Arms' (hand gun with six bullet limit, hunting rifle, etc)
2. Set the conditions for gun ownership (licensing, tests, taxes, etc)
3. Set the age limit
4. Define the terms of punishment for violating these rules
The regulations we are discussing, like bump-stocks and age limits, will not ignite the passions of anyone that believes in gun control. If we want real action, stop being submissive to Republican and assume control of the debate. Grass-roots action will follow and real change will happen.
The supreme court rulings were 5-4 decisions, they were not slam-dunks. Fight on!
4
Trump is a know nothing, do nothing, doesn't give a hoot President. November can't come to soon.
6
"Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks"
Lie. The GOP bill will leave all the loopholes open. It's apparently important to the gun nuts that criminals be allowed to buy guns. After all, what would happen to their phony fear mongering arguments if criminals started having a harder time getting guns?
6
Sounds like the President's taunt of Congress being afraid of the NRA can be applied to him. Are we surprised?
9
Of course! It is SO SIMPLE ! Why didn't I think of that: to decrease the number of murders in any school, just increase the number of guns in the school. And, we can extrapolate that to - in order to decrease the number of murders in America, simply increase the number of guns.....and shooters...and guns...and gun owners. And, we can even increase the number of knives....and machetes....and clubs. And use the Gym! It is right there waiting! Forget the Minimum Age.....you can get a machete at any age.....and a gun in most states......We are really making it much too easy for killers in schools.....let us make it even easier!!!! A GUN FOR EVERYONE! And classes to teach the use of them.......
2
“I think I’m gonna have a heart attack and die from not surprise!”
Iago, in Disney's "Alladin"
Did anyone think this would turn out differently? The next step will be Trump saying that he never said anything he said about age limits in the first place. And so it goes ...
Why does the media, including our august NY Times, make a big deal out of every one of Trump's stage shows and utterances.
• DACA -- Big deal. The president said THIS and THAT. But he doesn't mean it.
• GUNS — Big Deal. The president said THIS and THAT. But he doesn't mean it.
• KOREA — Big Deal. The president said THIS and THAT…But he doesn't mean it.
Ho Hum. The next time there's a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT at the White House, how about running it on page 6?
9
Of course, there is "no political support" amongst existing politicians and Trump. Everyone already knows that. BUT there is huge support amongst the citizenry who need to vote for political leaders that represent the will of the voters for reasonable gun control. This means the spineless minions of the NRA need to be voted out and courageous new leadership needs to be installed, starting in November 2018. Do we have a democracy of the peoples' will, or not?
13
Amazing at 18 you are allowed to kill not drink.
9
It's nuts. You can buy an AR-15 at 18, but not a beer. No common sense involved in that at all.
4
Who's afraid of the big bad NRA? Trump is!
9
The NRA is just getting their first payback on their $30M investment..
17
“Under federal law, the minimum age to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer is 21. But the age limit drops to 18 if the gun is being purchased from a private, unlicensed seller, which could be a neighbor or someone online, or at gun show. For long guns, which includes rifles like AR-15s and shotguns, the minimum age of purchase from a licensed dealer is 18 under federal law. But there’s no minimum age to purchase a long gun from an unlicensed seller.”
Am I living in an insane asylum? Under this arrangement, there’s NO minimum age to buy an AR-15 if you get it from Uncle Fred or Fast Eddy down at the gun show. Add a bump stock and a 100 round drum magazine and you’re unbelievably dangerous. As many people have said, “If you want an assault rifle...enlist.” How the GOP lemmings can follow the NRA on this is mind boggling. EVERYTHING for them, including our so-called President, is a political/financial calculation, irregardless of whether its the right and honorable thing to do.
14
If 21 is an unconstitutional age limit for gun purchase, what is the principled argument for any age limit? Children armed with guns can protect themselves from 18-year-olds shooting up their school or home. If there is an argument against background checks for internet gun purchase, what is the principled argument for background checks for any gun purchase? If an AR-15 should be legal, what is the principled argument that a fully automatic weapon, bazooka, grenade launcher, or other weapon of war should not be legal? The NRA has no principled position. Their only goal is how to make the most money by selling weapons that kill people. They got the Supreme Court to buy into the self-defense lunacy, which is nowhere in the 2nd Amendment (Scalia reveals the bogusness of his claim to being a strict constructionist). It is the children, teachers, and grieving parents and family members who pay the price of putting profit over safety.
15
No collusion?
Ok, Russia has infiltrated the NRA. And the NRA just pulled Trump’s strings.
Trump is OWNED!
It’s collusion!
8
The NRA and GOP would allow arms to kindergartners if they could.
6
I just do not understand why we need to have age limits to get a drivers license?
May be we need to enforce people to buy "gun insurance " that can force NRA into submission!
7
“not much political support (to put it mildly).” Like in most else, DT provides no leadership. Who has he talked to? the NRA and their congressional supporters? The NRA and their supporters solution to the gun problem seems to be the mentally il!. Turn schools into armed fortresses! More guns! Putting limits on gun purchases to adults who are responsible by having been trained by a licensed instructor, registering all fire arms, limiting magazines, bullet ID technology. None of these restrictions prevent 2nd Amendment Rights. NRA and there supporters want no restrictions, only more guns and more deaths.
4
Ban all privately owned assault rifles.
There is no other rational solution. Trump will
not support this essential change, therefore don't expect anything useful from him on guns. Add it to the ever growing list of reasons to vote him and his party out of office.
9
I learned a simple but valuable lesson years ago: "Say what you mean, and do what you say". It is as simple as it is true.
Unfortunately, President Trump is a living embodiment of the opposite.
5
The high school students showed infinitely more leadership on this problem then our POTUS. This is clear.
11
I'm all for gun regulations, but people are kidding themselves if you think that somehow you can restrict a Constitutionally protected right to an otherwise law-abiding citizen base solely on age. The fact that this is even being attempted should make everybody uneasy.
Which brings me to my main point: That every single "solution" on the table is bound to appear to be sub-optimal due to one simple fact. That is, that the best solution - severe restriction of gun ownership and tight regulation of existing owners - is precluded by the 2nd Amendment.
2
It is only a "constitutionally protected" right because of a 5-4 Supreme Court decision that many view as unsupported by the facts, the Constitution, proper rules of interpretation, historical context, and a blatant ignoring of the clear Constitutional language that refers to a militia and intentionally omits any mention of self-defense. In any event, no Constitutional right is absolute.
5
everyone has a right to vote, but there is an age restriction, so why not guns?
2
Amendment ll (1791)
"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The gun ownership laws in this country have absolutely no relationship to the original intent of the Second Amendment, which was created because our young country had no standing army in 1791.
4
Once again, the issue is why one very troubled individual in Florida--and who was known to "authorities" to be so--should affect the lives of those good citizens in Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma et al.
At the same time, if done at the Federal level, the question is: What happens to all the assault rifles already legally purchased and owned by those citizens under the age of 21? Can they still own them, sell them, transport them, buy ammo, and shoot them? Federal authorities stomping through homes searching for same using a national database?
Seems this remains a state problem, e.g., California v. North Carolina.
3
The NRA and its supporters have blood on their hands. Truly they are the enemy of all Americans. Guns are dangerous and are routinely used to kill people. The romantic notion of a gunslinger taking down a bad guy is a complete fantasy. Guns are used to commit suicide and to murder others. They are rarely useful in self-defense, where an attacker has the element of surprise. Republicans and the NRA know this: that is why they block funding of research that would establish these FACTS. Republicans routinely deny scientific facts (climate change, evolution) or label them "political", but it is easier to deny facts when the most recent research is 20 years old.
7
As long as this party of soulless sycophants remains in power, we will continue to see our loved ones slaughtered at the barrel of a gun.
March on the 24th and vote in November. Vote out anyone who stands in the way of sensible gun control. This includes a handful of Democrats as well.
COUNTRY OVER PARTY
COUNTRY OVER THE NRA
6
"Not much political support" means that the NRA is against it. We know he is only a mouthpiece for that organization.
6
"States are making this decision"
Truly, the great leader of our time.
6
Let's make this clear: Trump called out Republicans for being afraid of the NRA, yet everything he does and says is dictated by the NRA. Trump fears the NRA. He has no spine. Spineless Trump takes his marching orders from the NRA. That is clear on his "bold" gun statements followed in less than 24 hours by spineless Trump having a conversation with the NRA and then doing a complete about-face on his "bold"ness. The coward Trump makes up facts to support his waffling. Waffling coward Trump-GO HOME
9
"not much political support", correction: not much NRA support.
Always someone else's fault (to put it mildly).
He is master of delegation, he has 'delegated' the presidency away to the highest bidders.
6
He's probably right, if "political support" means "support of bought and paid for politicians".
If he was referring to the public, then that's simply an outright lie.
3
One can only hope that this generation. having to live through active shooter drills in their schools hoping it will never become their reality, will remember this ridiculous inertia and run for office with the purpose of changing it.
3
I have seen weathervanes in a tornado hold more consistent positions than Trump has shown on any issue presented to him since he became president. If he folds so quickly when being confronted by the NRA, then imagine what he will do when sitting down with Kim Jong Un. My bet is that at the end of his meeting with the North Korean leader he will be offering up US missile technology in exchange for the building of a Trump hotel in Pyongyang opened by a big North Korean military parade celebrating the hotel's opening.
7
I though Trump was supposed to be 'so rich' that no one could influence him.
8
The NRA must have issued a threat to Trump during that Oval Office meeting.
It's disgusting that this lobbying group was even allowed into the Oval Office, and demonstrates the stranglehold it has on our elected officials.
Washington has reached the height of corruption. The Swamp is thriving.
5
Too bad your article does not mention the fact that respected national polls show an overwhelming desire by US citizens to raise the age of firearms purchases to 21 years of age. When that information is contrasted with the president's claim of"...not much political support (to put it mildly)." one can conclude that to the president and his party, politcial support has only to do with dollars and not with citizens (especially shot-dead-children, to put it mildly).
7
No one who was paying attention ever thought anything Trump said about guns wasn't subject to change as soon as the NRA told him what position to take. Trump and the Republican Party do what the NRA tells them; they're bought and paid for.
In fact, Trump's policy positions should be ignored until he actually does something. He'll change his policy statements to match the last person to talk to him or the person who controls his money.
3
I will bet that the people of Las Vegas will laugh at the idea of raising the age limit to 21 for a semiautomatic assault rifle.
Their shooter was 64 years old.
It's not the age people, it's the type of fire power.
6
OK, Mr. President. Push your party to finally do away with all loopholes in the federal background check system. That would be something. Make the SSN field in the application form required instead of optoinal so accuracy will be improved, and law-abiding citizens will be less inconvenienced.
Arming the schools? How long a project does the NRA tell you that should be? Is this the infrastructure bill you've promised us, because I can think of better things to repair than to simply decide schools need bulletproof glass and more hired guns.
But if the NRA pushes you to harden our schools, then the shooters will then cause the NRA, after tragedies, to announce we're hardening school buses, and putting an armed guard on every yellow bus in the nation.
I know who would benefit from a program like the "harden and arm - for the kids" approach, but I don't think it's the kids.
So the NRA kicked your butt on a simple change in age limits. Get the background checks all fixed up and that would be something.
1
It's not just that Trump lies constantly. He also lies about anything, to anyone. In this case, he's chosen to lie to the bereaved. And it almost appears that he knew this lie would represent a betrayal, that this lie would cut into a fresh wound, and cause real pain for people who were so desperate that they appealed to him for relief.
I don't know what on earth happened to this man, but the larger issue is the 40% of my country who admire such baseless, needless cruelty.
5
Of course, everyone knew that he would fail. Why take this man seriously?
1
Of course not. His son and grandkids will have armed security paid by us for the rest of their lives.
4
Why is the most recent massacre always the start date for any action on guns? DeVos acts like Parkland was the first school shooting, and now is the time to take action to prevent a recurrence. What about Columbine? What about Newtown? What about the various shooters in Texas? What about Dylann Roof? Meanwhile Republicans have voided any accountability on shootings beyond the shooter, who often is killed in his own massacre. The point is that guns are inherently dangerous. There is no "gun safety" because there are no safe guns. Every gun can be used to kill someone. Regulations on cigarettes are stronger than on guns. Is every gun stamped "this gun may be dangerous to your health"? Our society is gun-crazy, and no politician can represent otherwise. Even if we raise the age limit, what about the 300 million guns in circulation already? Without a gun registry, the horse has left the barn and anyone who wants a gun can get one.
4
Make The Next AR-15 Massacre Great Again !
TRUMP 2018
(Sponsored by the National Terrorist Association, the Guns Over People political party, and our gutless, heartless, mindless Liar-In-Chief)
10
I said it, I changed my mind, I didn't ever say it ever - the devil in trump's brain...
2
So, the coward bully retreated once more before the assault of the NRA.
8
Not much support among the NRA lobbyists who changed the djt's mind, eh? Why does anyone pay any attention to anything this guy says?
5
Spectacle. It's all about spectacle.
2
The biggest liar. Nothing he says can be trusted.
5
No guts no glory, Donald. And you should know that.
6
I'm afraid Trump is likely as subject to blackmail from the NRA as he is to Putin. Whatever comes out of his mouth you can just interpret as Ack, Ack, Ack.
3
Cigarettes don't cause cancer; people smoking them do. So cigarettes should be readily available to everyone.
Alcohol doesn't cause alcoholism; people drinking too much does. So alcohol should be readily available to everyone.
Nuclear weapons don't cause nuclear holocausts; using nuclear weapons does. So nukes should be available to everyone.
8
OF COURSE there is no plan to put any restrictions on ...
This is the tried and true strategy by the extreme radical right :
> a massacre occurs
> thoughts and prayers are offered
> '' We will do something ... ''
> Wait
> and wait
> and wait
> a new massacre occurs
> repeat
It is time to vote out all that wait and do not act. It is that simple.
4
Trump has the backbone of a jellyfish. When do we know that he is lying? Just watch his lips if they are moving, he is lying. It is not the age limit on buying guns that will reduce the killing because many of the killers can always "borrow these guns. MISTER "PREIDENT" IT IS THE AVAILABILITY OF THE GUNS THAT IS THE PROBLEM NOT THE AGE IF THE KILLERS.
We must ban military style weapons, bump stocks, and high capacity magazines. We must also take away the NRA's non-profits tax status. They are a shill for the gun industry, not the average gun owner.
5
We need to disarm America. There is no reason for anyone to own a gun. Even hunting is cruel and unnecessary. That's what supermarkets and butchers are for. If Americans who spend their time playing with guns read books instead, we'd be much better off as a country. Total disarmament now! There, I said it.
6
Donald Trump retreating is normal. Trump used bone spurs to retreat 5x from carrying an American armed force automatic weapon in an American military uniform during the Vietnam War era. Trump's sons Don, Jr. and Eric have displayed the same level of cowardly dishonorable unpatriotic hypocrisy as their father. Both Trump boys prance, preen and pretend to be hunters. But they are shooters at best and poachers at worst.
However while mass shootings are increasing in schools and elsewhere they are still a minority of shooting deaths. Of the 33,000 annual gun deaths about 2/3rds are suicides. And 80 per cent are white men who tend to use handguns.
There is no apparent significant correlation between the age of the mass shooter nor their use of semi-automatic weapons nor their mental health in these school shootings. Most mentally ill and sane people of whatever age do not become mass shooters.
3
30 million for a 'president' -- I think the nra got a pretty good deal.
4
I have yet to hear a single plausible argument for the possession of an assault rifle - just saying "second amendment" isn't enough, especially when you can't site any of the other amendments (other than the first).
The insanity of this country is appalling - I don't want my son going to school in either A) a warzone or B) a prison
Fix this Democrats. Or we will lose our patience with you and leave.
3
They call it a right because we don't need permission to exercise it.
"I have yet to hear a single plausible argument for your religious beliefs"
"I have yet to hear a single plausible argument for not allowing your house to be searched"
etc.
Roughly 70% of Americans are for tougher gun safety laws, which includes raising the age to buy firearms.
Trump has been bought and paid for by The NRA.
6
Ahh..the GOP kowtowing to the NRA once again, heaven forbid they even try to take a step toward progressiveness, this cannot be a surprise to anyone. I just pray all the 17-18 year olds across the nation are seeing this, recognize that the current "leadership" (the GOP "president" & GOP Congress) of their country don't have a care in the world about them and remember it - come their turn to vote.
5
It will soon be November election day and Trumps time in the barrel.
3
Why would anyone believe a word this President says , he is the most prolific liar to ever be the President , Trump is such a disgrace to the nation that i can't believe that any real American would support him .
4
Of course raising the minimum age will fall by the wayside in the hands of Mr. Trump. Did anyone expect him to honor his words?
3
Interesting how being able to own any gun at any time at any age seems to be more important to some people than the safety of every person. I do not understand why or how any one or any organization can believe that owning a gun, particularly one designed to kill human beings, is a right no matter what the Constitution says.
Trump, in his reversal on age limits, is displaying his tendency to go along with whatever the last person or group he spoke to said to him. I guess it's more important to have the NRA on his side than supporting a reasonable age limit on who can own a gun. Shall we expect him to lower the age at which people can drive cars legally in every state down to the age of 4 or so? There's a reason we don't let children drive. It's the same reason we shouldn't allow children to purchase guns.
4
!8 year old people are not children. At 18 I was in the Navy and owned a car and a loan for it. I was old enough to sign the papers for all three because I was an adult.
1
18 year olds are not allowed to drink. And 18 year olds today display far less mature behavior than we did at the same age. Furthermore, a great many 18 year olds display a distinct lack of good judgement when it comes to drinking and driving, doing drugs and driving, or just acting like adults. As far as I'm concerned no civilian needs to own a weapon designed for the purpose of killing people but if there has to be a lower age limit, 21 will do quite nicely.
Everyone knows that with trump you pay no attention to what he says but watch closely what he does.I'm still smarting from his "let's kill elephants again"decree
of last week.The machinations to end school killings are appalling.A 9 year old can figure this out….get rid of all guns but let's start with assault weapons.I no longer recognize my country and am mortified by trump and the GOP.
2
Not much political support?? Why I thought now that Trump was the president political support wasn't necessary to get things done because he was going to be the kind of leader the likes of which we have never seen before!
6
He is the kind of leader the likes of which we have never seen before. Just not at all in a positive way!
4
He is.
1
Business as usual in the GOP (a wholly owed subsidiary of the NRA). Thoughts and prayers, then MORE GUNS.
9
By "not much political support" for raising the age to buy assault rifles Trump means that that the NRA is against it.
9
Maybe he's being honest. He'd like to do it, but politically, he can't.
This would be similar to Obama, who'd have liked to see single payer health care, but was stuck with what he can do politically.
Of course, I have no way of knowing, but the tweet seemed transparent enough. He tried to find political support, from Congress, presumable, and couldn't.
4
This tweet struck me as the most honest and accurate tweet Trump has ever written!
Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has weakened the background check system by eliminating mental health information usually available, and allowing felons to get guns in state.
3
How did we get the guy who has every character trait we detest in a person?
19
The GOP and a gullible electorate can be thanked for this low life travesty.
4
So it's come to this in the U.S.: Teachers and other staff allowed to conceal and carry guns in school! What an environment for learning and a sad commentary on the state of gun worship and gun lobbying in the States.
That this is actually being considered boggles my mind. Normalizing gun culture. Again, why I'm so, so, so glad to live in Canada.
Of course, Trump has backed down from raising the age limit to purchase weapons and he has the gall to say there's not much support for it. Exactly who's afraid of the NRA Trump?
4
As a bearer of a US passport and a former landed immigrant in Canada, I deeply regret circumstances in my life which did not allow me to stay long enough in Canada to acquire Canadian citizenship. I am deeply ashamed of the US flag and everything it represents.
2
Raise the age to 21 unless you are active military.
3
No surprise here. There was never much doubt that Donald Trump wouldn't leave the comfort of the NRA's support and his core base, no matter how many people died in that tragic high school shooting.
The again, what else could one expect from the person who finds mandatory background checks before purchasing a firearm unnecessary?
Sadly it will only be a matter of time before the same thing happens again.
Expect nothing to change outside of the number of victims.
6
Who didn't think that this was entirely predictable? He sat in a room full of bereaved students and parents and took nothing away from it but a determination to put more guns into the mix. It is clear that any politician that is a part of the republican party has no concern for the lives of the American people, but plenty of concern for the gun lovers' hobby and their own careers. Trump remains a rubber stamp for the gun lobby and Putin's will.
11
To Wayne
I view Trump's pro-NRA stance as a new form of proxy war instrumentalized by his Russian confederates. Only a hostile foreign power could be behind such a detestable policy posing an existential threat to the American people.
1
Still waiting for any justification for semi-automatic guns being legal regardless of owner age. Absolutely without hope that any consequential change in gun laws will occur unless a massive shootout occurs at the next NRA convention.
4
Remember when he argued that he wasnt owned by the NRA? It turns out it was just another lie. So the "values" promoted by the NRA are now more important that the lives of children.
3
This confirms my view that Trump is purely personal politician. He takes no stand against what's either profitable or popular. He's clearly not a man for the people, the majority of whom favor more sensible gun regulations. Lead, for god's sake. Take stand, and stick with it.
3
Trump and his supporters are focusing on where the recent mass shooting occurred. The issue is the availability of guns in the United States not where gun related crimes happen. To focus on school safety is to ignore the many shootings that have happened in movie theaters, concert venues, hospitals, work places, etc.. All the victims are important regardless of where they were killed.
1
Not surprising for the walk back on the raising the age to 21. We all know who is afraid of the NRA. I guess reasonable gun control is too much for the White House and Congress to take. They would rather take risks on more children being killed.
3
I say we build a great big beautiful wall with slats to see through, and solar panels, around each school in america.
That will keep the mass shooters out!
1
This article is written like this POTUS action is a surprise. It's not, whoever the last person was that talks to Trump and has a better financial return for Trump wins the day. This happens on everything.
2
Here are two points to keep in mind as the plan to arm teachers and other staff moves forward. First, who is going to pay for the very expensive insurance that will likely be required when people who are not primarily tasked with carrying weapons in a school start packing? And are school districts prepared for the financial catastrophe if there is an accident, and one of the armed "deputies" kills a few students or teachers by mistake? More guns in schools means that eventuality becomes more likely. There is a reason why most people on a military base are not permitted to carry weapons, although many or most have qualified with various weapons.
Second, what are the consequences for an armed teacher who fails to engage a shooter, for whatever reason? Once authorized to carry a weapon in school, will they then carry the burden that they are required to intervene, no matter what? Don't forget, there was an armed off-duty policemen or guard in the Orlando nightclub who declined to unholster his weapon, because of the confusion. Will armed teachers who don't stop a school shooting instantly be labeled as 'cowards' by the Hero-in-Chief, tweeting from his TV room couch?
I think the answer is not more guns, to stop what is actually a rare occurrence, but better procedures and systems for spotting problems well before they become catastrophes.
2
How many of these mass shootings have to take place before our elected "leaders" stand up to the power of the gun lobby?
How many children will be slaughtered in classrooms before these leaders say "enough is enough" for more than a couple of days after each tragedy?
I have news for Trump. He has the political power to take the lead and challenge the NRA.
He is tweeting like he is powerless. But we know this much, he is a spineless hypocrite, fully owned by the NRA.
3
Dirty Don is a charlatan. The only reason he lied about this in the first place was to try and take some of the steam out of the crowd coming to DC March 24. But he doesn’t even have the guts to not reverse himself until after that event.
You can be sure he will slink off to Mar-a-lago March 23, hiding from the children coming to call him what he is - a pathetic little cowardly baby of a man.
4
Haven't Democrats and the media learned by now that whatever Trump says during these laughable televised "listening" sessions is the opposite of what he's going to do?
Fool me once shame on you....
2
Trump is an antiquated moral leper. I think, as a Vietnam Vet, that they shouldn't even be SELLING assault weapons-- to anybody! These are obviously combat weapons, and purchasing them is tantamount to stating that you want to kill humans in high volume. Absolutely disgusting, as is Trump and the cowardly GOP.
7
What, Trump reversed himself after maximizing the public's and the press's attention spans? What's next, the tariffs? But only after the Pennsylvania election is over, right?
1
“I’m not afraid of the NRA!”
Until after a meeting when they reminded him how much they put towards his campaign!”
3
"Not much political support" means the NRA doesn't like it. The answer is to vote out all NRA owned politicians, and replace them with public servants who respond to public opinion, not NRA dollars.
36
As a school teacher, I have seen bullies like this before, all talk and bluster until someone like the NRA tells them to shut up. He is so afraid of them, that even though he knows the solution is to remove high capacity killing machines from the shelf, his solution is more guns. This just happens to be the NRA's position completely. There should be a BOLO for his backbone. Hillary would have been better.
15
When Trump says "not much political support," he is looking in the mirror.
19
One thing you have to say about TRUMP. No matter what he says, he stays bought. Follow the money!
3
It's okay. There will be other mass shootings to build up political will to make changes to gun laws.
2
What an empty bag of gas this man is. Most of us would like to BAN assault weapons.
13
Another victory for ISIS. Yes, ISIS. Because every terrorist organization in the world understands one thing: No one kills Americans better than Americans.
14
So Trump, after caving to the NRA on gun control, will now negotiate de-nuclearization of North Korea. Best outcome: You must be over 21 to fire a nuclear weapon.
19
Jong-un already knows that whatever Trump agrees to in the meeting, he will take the complete opposite position the next day.
If there's "not much political support" then we need to elect new politicians. The NRA is holding our nation hostage with their insanity and lust for increasing the number of firearms in circulation and endlessly loosening both the requirements and ferocity of the weapons available. They are domestic terrorists. Enough! Any politician who takes money from the NRA should be thrown into the gutter where they belong.
17
As a teacher, I can surely count the Trump administration as an enemy. I work in a suburban school district, where teachers and students are now afraid to respond to fire drills. Very few teachers own guns, and most of them fear them, and none of them are interested in packing one at school.
At the same time, eighteen year olds will still be welcomed to bury semiautomatic weapons so that they can continue the slaughter at will. As I've said, Trump is my enemy. With his policies, he may as well be pulling the trigger himself.
228
For all you know, Trump's homicidal pro-gun policies are being fed by Moscow. Only an adversary from abroad could foster such a stance so hostile to the majority of the American people. Trump is a horrible madman, as out of kilter as Jim Jones.
8
Jargon sucks us into joining a gun culture we should not be a apart of. Specialized words, probably developed by the NRA, cover up what is going on. Let's use words that tell it like it is: "gunman" instead of "active shooter", "deaths" instead of "fatalities", and "military weapons" instead of "assault rifle". In Parkland, a gunman used a military weapon to kill children. Does the 2nd Amendment really protect this?
4
Why would you fear an inanimate tool? Are you also afraid of hammers? Nail guns? Superglue? The government? (You should be of that last one).
Trump could, of course, make gun and opioid control bargaining chips in a comprehensive healthcare bill. If he was the master negotiator he claims he is. And if he wasn’t afraid of the NRA and Big Pharma.
5
Trump told us he would self-finance his campaign because he is very rich then he took $30 MILLION from the NRA. Trump told us he couldn't be bought but then the NRA bought him. Now he is just like the other NRA kiss-ups.
Trump is weak on gun safety and can never be trusted. The NRA owns him.
8
My response is not printable but we should not be surprised. He stands for nothing. Nothing will ever happen in this Congress.
9
I thought if Trump does one positive thing to regulate guns, maybe his presidency and all its foibles are worth it, for this one thing. Silly me.
3
After his taunts to those actually opposing the NRA, Trump just proved himself a coward by his own words. But, of course, he'd still run into a gunfight without a gun. Yeah right. It's easy being brave when closeted behind $120million-dollar security, ain't that right Bone Spur?
8
“Not much political support”? Americans have an opportunity this November to show this coward and his NRA overlords just how much political support there is for real gun control.
7
We should raise the age to something reasonable like 250.
5
Once again Donald Trump proves to be a reverse Theodore Roosevelt. He walks (and talks) loudly and carries a little stick.
6
How about a law that says that one cannot be president of the United States unless they have reached the emotional age of 21?
7
Scene: Reality TV Star Donald Trump is seated in the middle of an oval table, flanked by a couple of aids, camera on the opposite side, telling people that they are fired.
Scene: President Donald Trump is seated in the middle of an oval table, flanked by a couple of aids, news cameras on the opposite side, telling people he is a "different president," that while they "are afraid of the NRA" he is not, that first we should "take the guns and then deal with due process."
And then, as this article by Ms. Sullivan points out, he caves because, hey, the cameras are gone, the ratings are in, the "truthful hyperbole" once again reigns. This president is treating the Oval Office like a sound stage.
Only in November, if the Dems take back control of the House and the Senate, it very well might be his turn to be fired.
6
Trump caved to the NRA! He quivers in his loafers when they put the hammer on him. No different from the rest of the GOP Cowards who are bought and paid for. The only true fix is to ban assault rifles and across the board background checks for all other firearms. Period. Time to rise up and vote these cowards out.
3
Again we witness the hypocrisy of this president and his Congress. What is beyond the pale is that they are so sacrilegious as to call upon the name of God to pray for the victims of mass murdering and their grieving families. Their god is not my God. Their god is made of gold, to be worshiped in the name of greed and power. They are shameful and shameless.
I am going to say something that I have been resisting in fear that readers will take it the wrong way. So I will add that by all means I do not want this to happen in any way. That is: How would this sorry group feel about assault weapons if it were one of their children who was targeted with the result of death or life-long scars both physically and psychologically?
I say to our youth and our parents who care: Do not stop fighting. Do not let these political representatives and fanatic NRA leaders and members aim their guns at us anymore.
183
Kathy, you do not need to go that far. The question for the president and congress is what is their message for the thousands and thousands of victims and their families who have won the gun violence lottery but do not know that yet...what is their excuse for not having protecting them? what is their excuse for their inaction? The president and the GOP were very quick to criticize the deputy that didn't spring into action in Florida to protect the kids. They are doing something much, much worse because they are standing by in front of every mass shooting that will occur in this country and they are doing nothing about it even though we gave them the tools to do something. Who are the real cowards?
1
Unlike you I would love to see these military weapons turned on the leadership of the NRA and their accomplices in congress. That's the only thing that will get their attention. They live in fear of having these weapons used against them. That's why guns are banned at NRA headquarters and conventions. If many innocent men, women and children die that is the price of "freedom" isn't it? Most conservatives don't care about anything unless it effects them (and their finances) directly. They see empathy as weakness.
1
Well said. After the assault on Democrat House member Gabby Giffords and Republican GOP Whip Steve Scalise, I would have thought for sure something would be done. After Sandy Hook I thought for sure something would be done, after Parkland I thought for sure something would be done...well nothings done and nothing will be done. Too much money is changing hands, and lets be realistic, after every shooting NRA contributions increase, gun makers sell more guns, and politicians get more money.
4
First he tells us he wants affordable health care for all Americans and then signs off on every Republican proposal to deprive Americans of affordable health care. Then he tells us he wants an immigration deal that would protect the Dreamers before reneging and insisting that he also wants an end to "chain immigration" and to the "immigration lottery" system to go along with it. Now he changes his mind yet again- under pressure from the NRA, after accusing Republican legislators of being fearful of that organization. Duckin' Donald quacks again! He's been steadfast on only one issue- "No collusion!" How long before Mueller has him confessing "Okay, there was collusion- but everyone does it!"?
37
Now who's afraid of the NRA?
298
Well of course it Trump himself !
1
Yup, Trump is scared of the NRA too. Did anybody vote for Wayne LaPierre for president/ruler-in-chief?
3
I guess Trump is afraid of the NRA, too. Coward. Sad.
14
So- President Trump, NRA-
The rationale here is that I’m allowed to buy an assault rifle before I am legally allowed to drink in most states?
It’s insane to me that I even have to write that phrase, much less explain it to my daughter.
And Trump, you, just last week were accusing Senators of being afraid of the NRA. You are a hypocrite Sir, a sad, sad hypocrite.
365
There's no constitutional right to drink intoxicating beverages. There is a Second Amendment, though.
1
no right to own machine guns either
Trump is nothing but a useless blowhard. The Republicans are determining what laws are passed. Trump is simply a rubber stamp. What a goofy coward we have as president. Thank you Republican voters.
19
'not much political support'
yet - 82% of WE THE PEOPLE do support raising the buying age along with a host of other gun control measures.
but - the weenies who run for office don't CARE.
77
A zebra can’t change it’s stripes......
6
Trump is a puppet for the NRA.
Put it on the ballot and let the people decide
24
Trump would run into the school and face an assailant with an AK-47 to save the students but he's afraid of the NRA. Pathetic and SAD!
25
Big brave Trump, who called out a GOP senator for being "afraid of the NRA", is himself afraid of the NRA.
What a surprise.
32
As always. Lies to whoever is in front of him at the moment, then goes right back to being a lackey of those who own him. In this case was totally predictable since the NRA is apparently now a subsidiary of not just the arms cartels but also the Kremlin, and is under investigation as such.
Republicans are sacrificing the American public, and American children, to Mars. Just like Aztecs cutting out the hearts of sacrifices to the corn gods....
14
Not surprising, considering Trump's breathtaking ability to lie or to change his mind on a whim (or after watching Fox & Friends). The truth is that any legislation regarding guns is being honchoed by the NRA since our elected politicians sold their souls to that group. And the only legislation the NRA will accept is to address mass shootings with yet MORE guns. They have made that clear to the individual currently in our White House. Unfortunately, it is probably going to take a few more mass shootings in schools that are staffed by armed teachers before Trump and his NRA have the epiphany that MORE guns are not the answer.
7
This is straight from Webster's College Dictionary: "The gun represents the phallus, a representation of the penis and used as a symbol of male generative powers and a belief in male superiority." Certain professions have the legal right to carry guns, but when guns are scattered among the general public and the mentally unstable, there are numerous problems. They are killing machines. This constitutional right has become blurred and dangerous.
6
So now we see Trump is the one who is terrified of the NRA.
5
Trump says that there's "not much political support" for raising the age to purchase an assault rifle. As the president, shouldn't he be setting the agenda, rather than following the political winds?
Trump has the courage of an unarmed man who would rush into a burning building to save a cheeseburger.
6
should we be surprised that #45 would put the NRA ahead of loss of life. not me.
8
Leadership means guiding the public to your conviction.
This is the antithesis of leadership.
186
Astute comment, Charles. Thanks.
I'll add that the prime directive of leadership is listening; leaders have to know what their constituents need, not decide for themselves. Resident Trump is our most visible public servant, and his inability and indifference to listening is his worst attribute, and our greatest impediment.
Well, they (right-wingers, NRA, Trump and the Trumpettes, etc) ARE guiding people to their conviction - that there is no amount of killing that justifies ANY gun control whatsoever. People just LIKE to kill people, or themselves. NOTHING you can do about it. According to their convictions...
wouldn't want to be led to this man's conviction, no thanks.
What a shock! Who could have predicted that?
7
Trump is the biggest flip flopper there is! You can't trust anything he says. So dishonest. So sad!
7
trump's stance changes on the issue. You could use this on almost any issue on almost any day and be correct. He is weak and easily corrupted and seeks only to take credit when he wins. Spineless.
His strengthening of background checks is the most tepid measure offered in the Senate and it still may not pass. An executive order on Bump stocks will be challenged in the courts. And studying the issue of schools (and more guns in schools, which is ludicrous) reminds me of every "blue ribbon panel" ever assembled: worthless.
5
Trump just lies about everything. I don’t understand why you print his statements because you know he is going to renege on them.
I can’t wait for this person to be removed from office.
18
And now Trump puts Betsy DeVos in charge of a panel to address gun violence in schools!! That should go well.. He could not have found a better way to make sure nothing sensible happens! Vote Them Out Everywhere!
14
Trump, after boasting of his ability to “get things done”, instead folds like a cheap suit. Again.
7
"...not much political support..."
March 24th. Stand up America. Show this ignorant, unprincipled man that we do not want assault rifles to be available to any citizen.
23
Turn March 24th into a Ceaucescu 1989 moment, since checks and balances in the United States are utter jokes.
march 24th!
1
The rest of the world is wondering whether American politicians value the lives of Americans. It has come to that.
245
To the Rebel
Thank goodness for the existence of Canada which will always remain as the United States Which Could Have Been, for the good of the American people.
1
I don't think we wonder anymore.
4
I stopped wondering when George W. Bush took office. As soon as they started saying that it was fine to use waterboarding on people whom we suspected of being terrorists I realized that American politicians didn't value any person's life at all. If they did they would have thought harder about how that decision could (and has) affected Americans.
9
Pure cowardice. What more evidence do we need that Donald Trump is vulnerable to blackmail. Wayne LaPierre yanks the leash and DT sits up and barks. This country has no president - Trump is a mascot for the 0.1% of the country that is making all of the decisions about how the rest of us live - and die.
15
Is anyone really surprised by this? We've seen this movie over and over, from Trump, the NRA, gun advocates.
It was small potatoes in any case, would not have had an impact on most of the well-known mass shootings.
1
The NRA already said two weeks ago he wouldn't do what he was claiming so none of it is surprising. Same with our do-nothing GOP controlled Congress - we've seen this song and dance before. If the gun happy, GOP controlled state of FL can pass legislation then there's proof it can be done when politicians stand up to the NRA. Much of Congress needs to be voted out office in favor of politicians who actually work for the people who elected them, not who paid for them
1
Thoughts and prayers, wait a month, and then go back to the way it was. Hopefully Parkland teenagers have a longer attention span.
311
March 24th with the Parkland survivors!
5
Well, now you know the worth of "Thoughts and Prayers".
Since Trump is the world's greatest expert in lawsuits, I guess when he saw that the NRA was suing the Florida government for attempting to raise the minimum age for buying weapons to 21, he got cold feet. He stated it wasn't "politically viable". How about the polls "Donnie" which overwhelmingly confirm that the citizens(not the politicians) want background checks and raising the minimum age of the purchasers of such deadly weapons?
Once again, Trump and Republicans don't really care about the vast majority of the American public.
6
Here’s an idea. If anyone under the age of 21 wants to purchase a semi-automatic weapon let them do so, on condition that they first sign up for active service in the military, pass boot camp training and do a two year tour overseas. Then they can have the gun.
345
Right. That's the well-regulated militia mentioned in the Second Amendment.
5
Your idea dovetails nicely with the concept of a well-regulated militia. That's the original intent of the 2nd Amendment. Let's keep it that way. I can't think of anything more haphazard an unregulated than a teen legally stocking up on assault weapons and ammo with no strings attached.
4
Seems fair. Let's also have the same requirement for exercising your 1st amendment rights as well. See you in two years.
1
Donald Trump and his GOP guttersnipe deserve the permanent label of Enemy of the American People.
He and his ilk should be wary in the event of another atrocity similar to the Parkway massacre in Florida. The righteous anger of victims' parents and that of survivors could easily snowball into an event of extreme civil unrest.
Remember, the Arab Spring started with just an obscure bit of police brutality in Tunisia which led to the ejection of several veteran Arab heads of state. In contrast, Trump is an interloper who garners the sympathies of virtually no one outside of his caste of oligarchs and phoney patriots more beholden to their overshore accounts than to the basic welfare of the American people.
18
If we have learned a lesson it is to never believe anything trump says, just pay attention to what he does. He must be the biggest liar in the universe.
84
Of course he changed his mind. Even his hard-core supporters will eventually realize--if they're paying attention--that his word can't be trusted. Surely the North Koreans know this as well.
46
After Trump berated fellow Republicans for being "afraid of the NRA??" Now he says there's not enough political support? What a back handed and cowardly way of flip flopping. Trump cannot be trusted at his word for anything except that which pads his pockets.
146
Someone recently likened Trump’s presidential announcements to someone calling in to a sports talk radio show (“And now here’s Donald from Queens on the line”). I think we all know that the man in the White House is a gross embarrassment for the United States, willing to say almost anything on the spur of the moment while taking zero responsibility for his statements and actions.
61
Another day, another Trump lie. Another hour, another Trump lie.
55
Again,the toothless NRA has paid off politicians,trading our safety for cash.
Boycott those who accept cash for lives and vote out those who accept it.
63
More important, They supply them with rabid uninformed voters who can not remember that there was a time when no one thought getting assault rifles off the street, most certainly the NRA, which backed the measures to stop the sale of machine guns to civilians, meant hunters would be deprived of their guns, and who are only interested in maximizing the availability of guns to the mentally unstable, domestic and foreign terrorists, wife and child beaters, and any other unsuitable person.
2
The Republican vision for this country as relates to guns is simply insane.
Who in their right mind would want their children to be taught by people with guns?
This sounds like something out of East Germany or North Korea.
52
Neither North Korea or East Germany would ever arm teachers. I doubt Yemen would either. There is only one country insane enough about guns to even contemplate this, let alone act on it.
2
In other words, the only thing he's doing is pandering to the NRA. The bump stock reg changes will be tied up in courts for years; nothing on assault rifles or age limits; the "fix NICS," legislation is hollow nonsense.
Gosh, what a surprise.
Gee, what happened to that whole bravely standing up thing?
23
Should we also raise the age to vote back to 21? The Courts have supported the right to bear arms, even if one disagrees with the legal interpretation. The Courts have also ruled that voting rights at 18 should not be infringed. Yet, evidence is presented about undeveloped brain function at 18 that restricts the use of alcohol to 21 to ensure a more fully developed brain. The voting age was only lowered to allow those being drafted to have a say in the government that was sending them off to war. You cannot be trusted to use a firearm appropriately not to ingest a substance that is easily accessible in other countries, but you can be allowed to make important political decisions with a mind that is supposedly not fully developed. This process defies logic. I voting no less dangerous? I submit that Donald Trump was elected president as an example of how voting (or not) can be just as dangerous and foolhardy as misusing a weapon. Let's reduce the age of all of these to 18 and simply have better background checks and training requirements to own weaponry.
I had to punish Soldiers for underage drinking after they were caught enjoying a beverage after returning from a grueling overseas deployment for their country. Old enough to fight and die, but not old enough to enjoy a beer. Sheer stupidity.
3
Suggest looking at data regarding drunk driving and speaking with representatives of MADD.
Better idea: let's ban all semi-auto rifles since the only people who "need" them are the ones who want to shoot up schools, kill cops, and overthrow the government.
5
I would really love to know why there is a need to buy an assault rifle. I understand you want to arm yourself with small hand gun for protection, but a assault rifle is pretty much a military weapon. We do not need these guns in the streets. As long as america provides the guns their will be mass shootings.
126
That's easy: because if you have an assault rifle(s) (I'm sorry. I mean a rifle that resembles an assault rifle, doh!) you can fend off the U.S. military when they come to take all your guns (as happened numerous times during the Obama administration, right?) because if they know you're armed with AR-15s, they'll turn tail and only take the smaller guns at your neighbors' homes! 'Merica! Plus, they look so cool and you can impress your friends.
11
Truth. The desire to own an assault rifle, a machine whose sole purpose is murder, is a de facto admission you are too mentally unstable to have one.
10
There is an answer to your question, though it is not discussed much openly. Those who want to be sure we have access to such weapons are imagining a completely lawless time when they will have to defend themselves against their enemies. Dig a little deeper and you find that this fear is largely race-based, and the feared enemy is all of those violent, heavily armed residents of our urban centers. Never mind that most of the victims of urban violence are African American, or that school shootings are mostly done by young white men. To the extreme, hardcore NRA elite, this is an existential question. They believe that someday the defense of their American freedoms will require their possession of an assault weapon. To this remote (some would say delusional and fantastic, even paranoid) possibility, they are willing to sacrifice our youth, and others, to the continuing mass shootings that have become our new American normal.
6
His backtrack was predicatable. I'm waiting for him to claim he was "just joking".
60
Or the other phrase - that's not what I meant.
There is plenty of support for gun control.
It is only the NRA's control of the GOP that prevents it.
Trump is simply complying with the demands of the NRA lobbyists , who control him on these issues.
184
You don't understand Trump's meaning. What he is saying is there is not a lot of political support among the deplorables, the minority of voters who pulled for Trump on November 2016. The vast majority of Americans do not matter to Trump in the least, so their opinions do not matter. And yes, the vast majority of Americans support gun control, even the majority of gun owners and even a surprising percentage of NRA members, maybe even a majority.
So, Trump is right within his box. There was not a lot of political support for raising the age among NRA lobbyists, his puppet masters. Bullies never have courage, and Trump, the consummate bully, has shown time and again he lacks spine, stomach, heart and whatever nether regions courage is supposed to dwell in.
Don't believe anything the Trump says - He's a weathervane. Particularly if there is money for him to make out of it. What next? God help us all.
47
Once again we are reminded that we have a tragically unprepared and dangerously unprincipled ‘fake’ president who is an unabashed leech and an unrepentant liar.
101
Trump reversing himself,.. shocking,.the only surprise is that he took so long.
72
It might have taken longer than usual for his puppet masters to get his ear.
Wait, Trump was completely full of it in everything he said earlier? Hmm, couldn't see that coming.
This article could have been written the day he made the original statements.
122
The only way people change is if it affected them. If that was Baron school you can bet that their would be a complete overhaul. When you don't know or care about kids in that school nothing will change.
3
no surprise here. his promises as always are meaningless.
50
...not much political support? Not much leadership from the President either.
91
Yes. I thought he said this time was going to be different, now that he is president. What a disgraceful retreat and lack of backbone! Sometimes, presidential leadership is needed to change the "political reality." Sometimes, presidential leadership is the only thing that can do so. Now look whose afraid of the NRA? Fortunately, these courageous teens will vote one day. Now that will change the "political reality!"
1