Like most Americans, I believe the Second...

Thursday, January 17, 2013

“

Like most Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. There are millions of responsible, law-abiding gun owners in this country who cherish their right to bear arms for hunting, or sport; protection, or collection.

But I also believe most gun owners agree that we can respect the Second Amendment while keeping an irresponsible, law-breaking few from doing harm. I believe most of them agree that if America worked harder to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be fewer atrocities like the one in Connecticut. And that’s what these commonsense reforms are designed to do.

None of this will be easy. Already we’re seeing pundits, politicians, and special interest lobbyists warning of a tyrannical, all-out assault on liberty — not because it’s true, but because it gins up fear, or higher ratings, or more revenue for themselves.

The truth is, there’s only one voice powerful enough to make this happen: yours. If you think we’ve suffered too much pain to allow this to continue, put down the paper, turn off the computer, and get your Members of Congress on record. Ask them if they support universal background checks or renewing a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. And if they say no, ask them why not. Ask them why getting an A-grade from the gun lobby is more important than giving parents some peace of mind when they drop their child off for first grade.

This is the land of the free, and it always will be. As Americans, we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights that no man or government can take away from us. But we also recognize that along with those rights come responsibilities. Along with our freedom to live our lives as we will comes an obligation to allow others to do the same.

It’s time to do the right thing — for the 26 innocent children and devoted educators who lost their lives in Newtown, for the men and women in big cities and small towns who fall victim to senseless violence each and every day, and for this country we love so much.

” From an op-ed in today’s Connecticut Post by President BARACK OBAMA. (via inothernews)