In his speech, Obama mentioned a number of goals and his office released the following list outlining those goals in more detail. So here’s the list and my take on what it means:
Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
Great. So now were are REALLY serious about making the government cooperate with their own background check system?
Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.
Wait, the President is finally on board with getting the government out of the way (big government=Bad) in order to accomplish something of substance? A little late to the party, but hey, Welcome to the GOP Mr. President!
Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.
Mixed message #989: Now big government is good, let’s spend more of the people’s money.
Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
Been there done that. No crazy people: check. No felons: check. No minors: check. What’s next, no conservatives? (Check)
Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
Any law enforcement agency that isn’t doing this already? I didn’t think so… Let’s make a rule everyone already follows and call it progress and take full credit when you confirm everyone is doing it.
Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
They already know this, they run the federal background checks every day, it’s not rocket science. Let’s publish instructions to everyone who already knows them and call it progress and take full credit when you confirm everyone knows it.
Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
We have those already, but go ahead and spend more of the people’s money on material the NRA already provides publicly, I’m sure they’ll appreciate the help in getting the word out.
Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).
Yes, they already do this, so an empty review is only going to tell you to keep doing it.
Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
Once again we go down the road of least intelligence: All gun recovered in criminal investigations are already traced, that’s why it’s called an investigation; idiot.
Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.
Wow! That one actually makes sense, so why hasn’t it been done up till now?
Nominate an ATF director.
Like this is going to affect anything? Yeah a political appointment will solve all the problems.
Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.
The current training is called run, hide and fight. I don’t think that’s going to make a difference, since the most effective thing that will stop a killer is a bullet.
Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
Translation: Take our guns away so we can’t defend ourselves against criminals.
Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.
Let’s close that loop early: Stupid, evil, crazy people cause gun violence. The threat of being shot dead by legal gun owners protecting themselves prevents gun violence.
Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.
The private sector has been doing this for years. The government is not going make new inventions pop out of the ether.
Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
Gee. Looks like you just did that, but wait, unless the Doctor is treating a gunshot victim, what business is it of his? You may not prohibit Doctors from asking that question, but I sure as hell will prohibit them from getting an answer.
Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.
They already know this. Why does he keep stating he’ll do things that are already being done?
Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
Unless those resource officers are going to be armed, you’ve missed the point of “Protecting the children” completely.
Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.
You mean like the response plans every community has been working on since this happened? Those plans? Houses of worship? The government? Really? You won’t even allow us to pray in school and now you have the nerve to attempt to dictate to religious organizations? Wow…
Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.
Gee, I’m struggling here… Trying to figure out how this has anything to do with safety or preventing violence…
Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.
Still has nothing to do with violence or keeping our children safe…
Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.
Yeah, still waiting on the connection here to safety and preventing violence…
Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.
I suppose that would be useful if it resulted in the Government getting out of the way so that it is easier to get dangerously insane people placed in institutions, but given what’s been said so far, I won’t hold my breath.
Just my view from the cheep seats…
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