What will it take for gun control laws to change?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The tragic shootings that killed six at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee yesterday come just over two weeks after that massacre in a Colorado movie theater.
And once again, it's sure to revive the debate over gun control.
It seems each time something like this happens, a great hue and cry for stricter gun laws goes up, and dies down just as quickly.
Coincidentally before yesterday's violence a group of mayors released an ad demanding that President Obama and Mitt Romney give us "a plan" when it comes to gun control.
The ad features three survivors from the 2011 Tucson, Arizona, shooting that killed six and wounded 13 others - including former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
But the reality is, the issue of guns is a political hot potato that no politician, Democrat or Republican, wants to touch - especially in an election year.
There's a reason: a lot of Americans want it that way.
In the aftermath of last month's Colorado shootings, background checks for people wanting to buy guns spiked more than 40% in that state.
Meanwhile a Pew Research Poll taken about a week after the Colorado shootings found very little change in Americans' attitudes toward gun control.
Pollsters say other recent major deadly shootings - including those in Tucson last year and at Virginia Tech in 2007 - had little effect on public opinion about gun laws.
The Pew Poll also found about two-thirds of those polled say shootings like the one in Colorado are just the isolated acts of troubled individuals.
Only about a quarter say shootings like this reflect broader problems in American society.
Here’s my question to you: What will it take for gun control laws to change?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
In light of the Colorado shootings, what kind of role should gun control play in the presidential campaign?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The massacre at a Colorado movie theater has shaken the nation to its foundation, but it's unlikely to shake up the presidential race.
Both President Obama and Mitt Romney have been relatively silent when it comes to gun control.
The White House says that the president doesn't have plans to push for new gun laws but that he wants to "take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law." Gee, that's bold.
As for Romney, he signed an assault weapons ban as governor of Massachusetts but has since said he's against gun control.
Romney recently told the NRA that the country needs a president "who will enforce current laws, not create new ones that only serve to burden lawful gun owners."
The NRA has an estimated 4 million members, and neither candidate wants to alienate these folks. Also, polls show support for gun control measures plummeting in recent years. Some Democrats think support of gun control is one of the reasons Al Gore lost in 2000.
There are close to 300 million guns in this country. We are the most heavily armed country in the world. It's unlikely legal gun owners will be willing to part with their firearms without a struggle.
On Friday in Aurora, 12 people were killed and 58 wounded, and Colorado police say the suspect bought his guns legally at stores in the Denver area.
And some on both sides of the aisle agree that even the tightest gun control laws might not keep weapons out of the hands of a crazy person who wants them.
Here’s my question to you: In light of the Colorado shootings, what kind of role should gun control play in the presidential campaign?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
What's behind the surge in women gun owners?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Gun sales are booming, and women are a big part of the reason why.
The Daily Beast reports on the National Rifle Association getting in touch with its feminine side at its annual convention. Companies sell all sort of things: pink firearms, guns that are small enough to fit in a small purse, black and pink shooting targets and even a bra holster.
As the inventor of the Flashbang Women's Holster tells The Daily Beast: "Nothing comes between a girl and her gun."
Of course if you're carrying a gun there, you want to be doubly sure the safety is on. The National Sporting Goods Association says nearly 47% more women are shooting today compared with 10 years ago, and a Gallup Poll last year found almost one in four American women own at least one gun.
The number of women at NRA shooting clinics has skyrocketed in the last decade. Gun ranges hold ladies' nights and enrollment in one women's conceal-carry class in Oklahoma is reportedly up 400%.
Female gun enthusiasts give different reasons for the spike in ownership. Some cite security while others say it's an extension of gender equality. The NRA denies it's going after women over any other demographic group. They say they want everyone to be a member of the NRA.
Overall, gun sales are way up in the U.S., with big profits for gun makers such as Smith & Wesson.
Some say the trend is because of fears of a second Obama term and a potential tightening on gun restrictions. Others say a weaker economy makes people feel unsafe.
Here’s my question to you: What's behind the surge in women gun owners?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Recent Comments