Bringin' It, Part 2

(Editorial cartoon by Kevin Siers, published by the Charlotte Observer 1/17/13 and featured by McClatchy DC.  Click on image to enlarge and then return.)

This is pretty much an update from my post yesterday on the President's gun control proposal.  At that time I noted that he was fairly strong in his presentation, but I wondered whether he would hold to his position once the gun nut yahoos and the NRA got to their bought-and-paid-for members of Congress.  It appears that Obama is going to do more than sit back and watch on this issue.

From the Los Angeles Times:

A somber President Obama, launching a public campaign Wednesday for a package of gun-control measures that is likely to face very tough opposition in Congress, signaled that he was prepared to go over the heads of lawmakers to push for his proposals.

In an effort to capitalize on emotions from last month’s massacre at a Connecticut elementary school, Obama couched his initiative in the context of protecting children from needless violence, and White House aides placed four children onstage with him to dramatize his plea.

“This will be difficult,” Obama said. “There will be pundits and politicians and special-interest lobbyists publicly warning of a tyrannical, all-out assault on liberty — not because that’s true, but because they want to gin up fear, or higher ratings, or revenue for themselves. And behind the scenes, they’ll do everything they can to block any commonsense reform.” ...

“I will put everything I’ve got into this,” Obama said, but added, “This will not happen unless the American people demand it.”

In a sign of just how difficult it will be to force legislative action, Obama called on the public to demand that Congress bring the proposals up for a vote, and put pressure lawmakers who oppose his plan.  [Emphasis added] 

Apparently President Obama was serious about his plan to get the public involved.  I received an email from the White House signed by Joe Biden urging me to go here and sign on in support of the president's proposals.  I suspect I got the email because I signed the petition at the White House web site which garnered over 200,000 signatures in just a few days proposing our gun laws be tightened.  Dutifully, I clicked on the link and discovered a recap of the presidents proposals.

If this effort to reduce gun violence is to succeed, it’s going to require all of us coming together and calling for a safer country. Sign on to show your support for the President’s plan to protect our kids and communities, then share this page with others.

The sign in portion only really requires the signer's email address and zip code.  The zip code will come in handy for identifying the signer's congress critters and the email for further updates.  I think this is a canny idea and I'm pleased to see the strategy.  Apparently President Obama is serious about getting reasonable (if limited) legislation passed.

I did leave a comment, essentially noting that while I considered the proposals were merely a start, at least it was a start.  I suggest you make the trip over to the site and leave at least your email and zip code.  As I've noted many times, unless we-the-people make it clear to our elected officials that we're the ones who vote, who ultimately own the chairs they've plunked their backsides into, we won't get the government we deserve.

Do it.  Make a cranky old lady happy.