President Donald Trump on Monday called for reforms to mental health laws and criticized violent video games after a pair of mass shootings over the weekend, saying he had also asked the FBI to identify resources needed to disrupt domestic terrorism.
Trump did not repeat his call for stronger background checks, as he tweeted earlier Monday.
“Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun,” Trump said in a televised address. “I am open and ready to listen and discuss all ideas that will actually work and make a very big difference.”
Earlier Monday, Trump tweeted about the weekend shootings in Texas and Ohio that left 29 dead and dozens wounded. He said: “We can never forget them, and those many who came before them.”
The Democrat-led House has passed a gun control bill that includes fixes to the nation’s firearm background check system, but it has languished in the Republican-controlled Senate. And Trump himself has reneged on previous pledges to strengthen gun laws.
“The shooter in El Paso posted a manifesto online, consumed by racist hate,” Trump said in remarks from the White House. “In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy.
“These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul,” Trump continued.
On Twitter Monday, Trump suggested that a background check bill could be paired with his long-sought effort to toughen the nation’s immigration system. But he didn’t say how.
….this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform. We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2019
Over the weekend, Trump tried to assure Americans he was dealing with the problem and defended his administration in light of criticism following the latest in a string of mass shootings.
“We have done much more than most administrations,” he said, without elaboration. “We have done actually a lot. But perhaps more has to be done.”
After other mass shootings Trump has called for strengthening the federal background check system, and in 2018 signed legislation to increase federal agency data-sharing into the system. But he has resisted Democratic calls to toughen other gun control laws.
In February, the Democratic-led House approved bipartisan legislation to require federal background checks for all gun sales and transfers and approved legislation to allow a review period of up to 10 days for background checks on firearms purchases. The White House threatened a presidential veto if those measures passed Congress.
At a February meeting with survivors and family members of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting in which 17 people died, Trump promised to be “very strong on background checks.”
Trump claimed he would stand up to the gun lobby and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But Trump later retreated, expressing support for modest changes to the federal background check system and for arming teachers.
In the El Paso attack, investigators are focusing on whether it was a hate crime after the emergence of a racist, anti-immigrant screed that was posted online shortly beforehand. Detectives sought to determine if it was written by the man who was arrested.
On Twitter Monday, Trump seemed to deflect from scrutiny over the manifesto, which had language mirroring some of his own. As Democrats have called on Trump to tone down his rhetoric, Trump blamed the news media for the nation’s woes.
“Fake News has contributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up over many years,” he claimed
In recent weeks, the president has issued racist tweets about four women of color who serve in Congress, and in rallies has spoken of an “invasion” at the southern border. His reelection strategy has placed racial animus at the forefront in an effort that his aides say is designed to activate his base of conservative voters, an approach not seen by an American president in the modern era.
Trump also has been widely criticized for offering a false equivalency when discussing racial violence, notably when he said there were “very fine people, on both sides,” after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that resulted in the death of an anti-racism demonstrator.
(AP)
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15 Responses
Can’t do much without a constitutional amendment. The constitution says guns are allowed. True, it was written when a gun was a single shot item that needed to be reloaded between shots and reloading required putting in the powder followed by the ball and stuffing it which took time. Nevertheless, we have it.
Anyone serious about real gun control needs to go that route orhe’s just making wind.
He will do nothing unless forced. The Republican Senate will do nothing unless forced
Last night he tweeted about needed actions on universal “background checks” to keep guns out of the hands of those who might possibly do harm to others. The obvious gap in current law are private sales (the so called “gunshow gap” ) which do not require an FBI background check.
Well, less than 12 hours later, NO mention of gun laws or background checks. He keeps referring to “bump stock” prohibitions which he supported but which according to his own FBI, were a factor in only ONE of the 100 most recent mass shootings. While restrictions on semi-automatic weapons and large magazines won’t stop true lunatics from finding weapons, they will likely reduce the carnage in terms of how many can be killed in the minutes before police or an armed bystander can take out the shooter.
Agreed. Almost anything in life can be utilized for evil or can be utilized for good/bracha. Such as wine- can be used for a kiddush, mitzvah, havdallah, arba kosos- or can equally be used for drunk driving addictions, and abuse. Fire can be used for heat, cooking, shabbos candles, or can burn down a house and ultimately kill. A gun can be used by law enforcement, the US and Israeli armies to protect and defend others- or can tragically be used in stories which occurred over the weekend. Sadly, mental illness and hate is not a new thing, and haters will God Forbid do whatever it takes to cause harm– if not through guns, then through knives, explosives, etc.
Yes, it’s true the mentally ill and the hate-filled are going to try to kill, even with a knife. However, note that:
1) The Dayton shooter killed 9 people in ONE MINUTE. The “good guys with the guns” stopped him, but not before nine families were devastated and many more innocents wounded.
2) Many of the assault rifles used in mass shootings were purchased legally, with background checks being passed by the purchaser.
3) Using a knife, you can only kill people one at a time, and it’s not that difficult to disarm someone carrying a knife if you have any training at all. Conventional handguns are also limited in how many victims they can claim in a short period of time.
4) Remember Las Vegas.? The guns were bought legally. The “semi-automatic” rifles were converted back to full automatic by the owner, something which is very simple to do. The point? The only way to reduce the number of people slaughtered is to ban assault rifles for anyone outside of the military and law enforcement. You don’t need an AR-15 to hunt deer, or to protect your family. The Constitution speaks about arms in general, not about a particular type. We have free speech, but you can’t falsely yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater.
5) Even if we ban the sale of assault rifles today, there are so many already out there that it would hardly make a dent. We need to make civilian possession of assault rifles illegal. There should be a ban on sales to civilians, and a mandatory buy-back program. After that, civilians possessing an assault rifle should do jail time.
6) Some people (mostly white nationalists and survivalists) claim that we need assault weapons (and bazookas and RPGs) to “protect ourselves from government tyranny,” as if a few guys armed with AR-15s could stand up to tanks, helicopter gunships and ground-to-ground missiles. The rifles are simply machismo-enhancing toys for guys with inferiority complexes, and easily end up in the hands of children or potential murderers.
7) Last I checked, the Torah forbids the possession of anything dangerous to the public, or a “bor b’reshus harabbim.” The ownership of an assault rifle surely falls within this. There is no legitimate civilian use for an assault weapon, so for sure no Jewish civilians should have one.
What are we waiting for? Someone to Ch”v shoot up 13th Avenue? It’s time we stopped being “wannabe” goyim and went back to our own values.
I Agree With NY Post to Ban all Military Style weapons and also increase secuirty checks for gun purposes.
No reason a Normal person would buy an assault rifle. Is he hunting in the jungle and being attacked by a dozen lions?
To Midwest2: Thank you for your sensible and fact-based post. And the answer to the question in your last paragraph is, “Yes, we are waiting for a gun massacre on 13th Ave.”
I doubt many folks here have been to a gun show. In the parking lots you’ll find dozens of men and women carry AR type rifles with their chambers zip tied open. Each and everyone of those people will sell you a rifle for about $225 and give you the business card for a machine shop who will turn your weapon into full auto for about $150. Who are the mentally ill? The folks selling these weapons or those buying them?
The universal background checks bill is languishing in the senate for months with zero action. It’s a pity that the president didn’t tell Moscow Mitch to call the senate back in session to pass the bill.
This past week has shown us just how deadly these AR type weapons and outsized magazines really are. Hundreds of shots fired in a minute. I can assure you that’s not a hunting weapon, unless you are hunting humans. I’m a gun owner and a former holder of a carry permit. I’ve yet to read of a mass shooting accomplished with an old Rossi 22 long barrel or a handgun.
Midwest2-
I agree with most of what you wrote. But you need to avoid the “assault weapon” land mine that the NRA parasiticly lives off of. The enemy here is semi automatic rifles and high capacity magazines(>15rounds). Once you say “assault weapon”, you have stepped into their trap of trying to define one. At the end of the day, what makes an AK or an AR style rifle with a pistol grip,fore grip, folding/telescoping stock and a flash surpressor just as deadly as a wooden M-14 without any of these features is the ability to rapidly shoot high velocity rifle bullets with superior accuracy and controlled recoil(more than a handgun) with each pull of the trigger, from magazines that hold between 30-100 rounds, and can be reloaded within two seconds flat. If you only ban rifles with these “assault style features”, you still have a semiautomatic rifle that can kill many people very quickly.
What you need to regulate are semi automatic rifles. They must all be converted into single or lever/slide action rifles that can only be fired again after a two step, backwards and forwards reloading cycle that is completly operator performed and unassisted by spring or any other mechanism. In addition, magazines must be fixed (non detachable) and limited to 10 rounds.(in California the gun manufacturers have been working to circumvent the definition of a fixed magazine by adding switches that open the breech, so this must be defined super well).
The ban on possesion with a mandatory buyback program is ideal, but almost impossible to legislate in Washington.
Incidently, I find it interesting that while the NRA guys are swearing to fight to the death over high capacity magazines, the actual conceal carry public has mostly transitioned from double stack handguns with 12-17 round magazines, to thinner,single stack options(S&W shield,glock 43, walther pps) with 6-9 round capacities. That sort of undermines their whole argument.
AmillZ
Just to clarify the handgun statement- several of the worst mass shootings were commited with only handguns- Lubies restrnt. in Kileen, Texas 1991, Fort Hood just up the road in 2009, and Virginia Tech in 2007.
A ban on high capacity magazines would have possibly helped. This is why 9 states and DC limit all magazines to 10rounds.
BAN GUNS. The gun issue is the one issue I agree with the democrats. The 2nd amendment is not part of the Aseres Hadibros. In the 1700s there were no assault weapons or weapons of mass destruction. Its time to amend the 2nd amendment to reflect the realities of 2019 rather than 1819. I wouldn’t have a problem if someone had a gun for hunting or protection, but it should be t least like driving a car. you should need a license and register with the local police dept. and of course, a background checks every 2-3 years.
@ Midwest2
You wrote: “The “semi-automatic” rifles were converted back to full automatic by the owner, something which is very simple to do.”
Have you heard of 80% Arms. they are unidentifiable and can be converted to fully functioning weapons with basic machine shop equip. Maybe we should ban the sale of metals and machine shop equipment also?
Next: “You don’t need an AR-15 to hunt deer, or to protect your family”
And: “There is no legitimate civilian use for an assault weapon”
Couple questions for you
1) What if you have minimal time to take out multiple assailants?
2) What makes you think criminals / terrorists would abide by gun laws?
Next: “There should be a ban on sales to civilians, and a mandatory buy-back program.”
We just had one of those in Baltimore. I heard guys where buying ammo and selling it to the “buy back program” for a tidy profit.
Next: “Some people (mostly white nationalists and survivalists) claim that we need assault weapons (and bazookas and RPGs) to “protect ourselves from government tyranny,”
The first step of every single rouge regime from the time of sefer Shoftim ad hayom hazeh has been forcibly disarmed the populace.
non political-
The difference that NRA members ignore between every single rouge regime and the USA, is that our government is representative of the people that elected them. It is THE PEOPLE that want/demand an end to this madness, not some rouge regime.
The government/ATF/FBI does the will of the people. If you believe otherwise, you sit among David Koresh,Tim Mckvei veChaveirav. Good luck with that.
While banning semi auto rifles and high cap mags, Congress could throw the NRA/2nd amendment diehards a bone and pass an amendment solidifying citizens rights to posess handguns(defined to exclude pistol carbines) and pump action shot guns for self defense; and manualy loading bolt/lever/ slide action rifles for sport.
In 2017 the President signed a bill that rolled back Obama era legislation that made it more difficult for people with mental illness to buy a gun legally. Today he’s saying mental health laws need to be revised…
Chareidi, you do realize you can get more shots off with a semi auto glock than you can with the .22 Colt I have in my nightstand. I’m not gonna play the numbers game with you. The data is there, semi autos and autos are used in American mass shootings far more often than single shot weapons.
@ CA
You, AZ, GH, Midwest2, Mrs. Clinton, AOC, et al are not “The People”. “The People” of this country are obviously divided on this issue. Unless of course you consider those who disagree with you not entitled to an opinion.
I remain,
Non Political