President Barack Obama’s views on many issues leave Conservatives, Libertarians and the GOP with a great deal of unease. There is nothing new in this statement. It’s in the Media and on the Internet every day. There aren’t many issues which emphasize this more so than the Progressive push for GUN CONTROL. In this note, I try to delve a little deeper into this specific issue, with the objective in mind of generalizing the reasons for this unease. This is not a matter of accepting any of the many “conspiracy theories” that are voiced in abundance. BUT IT IS a matter of, as Ronald Reagan would say, giving the benefit of: Trust . . . . But Verify ! In considering the many doubts, yet still digging for the root cause, it surely must have something to do with his Leadership, both in style and substance. So initially here, it’s some aspects of this Leadership that are assessed. This is done by looking at his management technique, which is often broken down into 3 key components of carrying out a program i.e., conceiving the initial Goal or Idea; developing a plan to carry out the idea; and then providing the Leadership to implement the plan and achieve the desired results. In the end, it is the bottom line result which is the gauge of the sum effort of the Idea, Plan and Leadership. Put another way, if the President were the CEO and you were on the Board of

Directors - - would you vote to retain or dismiss this CEO. Ooops, wait a minute!

The President IS the CEO of our Nation - - and each of us IS INDEED a member

of America’s Board. So let’s consider the matter in that light and then let’s undertake to do our official duty.

PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA - -

A CITIZEN’S ASSESSMENT

GOOD IDEAS ARE A DIME A DOZEN !

A GOOD IDEA & A GOOD PLAN ARE A FINE START !

BUT THE FINAL ACTION+ACCOMPLISHMENT WINS THE PRIZE !

GUN CONTROL - - OVERVIEW

A FEW BRIEF BRIEF OVERVIEW THOUGHTS

ON THE GUN CONTROL DEBATE:

ON ONE SIDE: citizens who believe it outrageous that our federal government has not acted to prevent gun violence in America by reducing access to guns. ON THE OTHER: gun owners and their defenders, who refuse to have their rights foolishly restricted because of the actions of criminals and the insane.

Number of people killed

by guns (2010): 30,923

… Homicides: 11,015

… Suicides: 19,308

… Accidents: 600

GUN RIGHTS SUPPORTERS ARGUE: • The best defense against crime is the ready availability of guns; if criminals don’t know which potential victims have guns and which don’t, they’re less likely to commit crimes. • Possession of a gun is a civil right, guaranteed by the Constitution, and should not be restricted. • The widespread possession of guns is the best defense against government tyranny.

GUN CONTROL - - OVERVIEW

A group of Police respondents were asked about

the best way to prevent future mass shootings. Of

the options presented, more expansive concealed

carry laws was the dominant (91.3%) choice.

GUN CONTROL - - OVERVIEW

A new poll, conducted by PoliceOne.com, that surveyed 15,000 current, former

or retired police officers confirms that when it comes to the White House’s push

for tougher gun laws the vast majority of law enforcement is not on board.

As noted by the author of the poll, approximately 85 percent believe that “the

passage of the White House’s currently proposed legislation would have a zero

or negative effect on their safety.”

GUN CONTROL - - OVERVIEW

A FEW BRIEF BRIEF OVERVIEW THOUGHTS ON GUN CONTROL:

ON ONE SI

Respondents were asked about the best way to prevent future mass

shootings. Of 8 options, the top 5 selected are noted below.

GUN CONTROL - - OVERVIEW

Customs, traditions, moral values and rules of etiquette, not laws and government regulations, are what make for a civilized society. These values -- transmitted by example and religious teachings – have evolved over millenia and summarize what has worked for communities. At best, the police and criminal justice system are a last resort for a civilized society. But the foundation rests on the inherent civility and goodness of the society. Sadly, some Elitists, want to replace what worked with what sounds good, such as school “zero tolerance” policies in which bringing a water pistol, or pointing a finger and shouting "bang-bang" produces a school suspension or arrest.

Seeing as some have decided that we should rely on gun laws to control behavior, what should be done to regulate clubs and hammers? After all, FBI crime statistics show that 5 times more people are murdered by knives, clubs, hammers and fists than by rifles and shotguns. Ref: http://tngunclub.com/forums/showthread.php?2424-Murder-Victims-by-Weapon-2007-2011

The U.S. Congress was designed by the Founders as the National deliberative body for developing a consensus on the specific, tough National issues assigned by our Constitution. Unfortunately, PBHO has generally assumed his vision is the best, and worrying Constitutional niceties ISN’T part of the equation. Nor is introducing Legislation with a careful, transparent discussion of all issues, including whether the subject is fully Constitutional. Unfortunately, “springing” desired Legislation on the Congress and the Citizens, for political advantage, IS part of his equation.

So at a Jan 16, 2013 press conference, VP Joe Biden leads off, claiming an “emerging consensus” for gun control. PBHO takes the podium saying he is introducing 23 Executive Actions. He calls on Congress to pass legislation that would force background checks before a private citizen could sell their gun to another private citizen. He claims to be implementing “common sense” measures, but sadly says nothing regarding Constitutional issues and their protection of the Citizen’s liberty. Not exactly an invitation for careful deliberation, sharing ideas , and building a consensus.

GUN CONTROL - - IDEA / GOAL / “HOPE”

AWAKENING HOPE - - OR JUST STAGING

SUITABLE PROPS FOR

HIS (i.e., President Barack H. Obama’s

(hereafter, PBHO’s) RULES ?

Significant evidence illustrates that gun control measures do not reduce gun violence. (The opposite may be true.) All but one mass shooting in the last half century has taken place in "gun free" zones. But many of the Liberal persuasion don't seem to care much whether their advocacies work or not. They mostly savor success based solely on their declared good intentions, not necessarily on results achieved.

So, often the initial idea or goal of a problem solution , isn’t based on empirical data; often it is stimulated by exploiting a hapless group of Citizens, some number of whom have just been harmed by a sensational news event . This is buttressed by a sense of timeliness to “strike while the iron is hot”. Thus the infamous quote of Rahm Emanuel, PBHO’s chief consigliere, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste”. Emanuel is now mayor of the strictly gun-controlled , but gun-murder capital of the world, Chicago. So naturally, the big-government, anti-gun Elitists saw opportunity in the December 14, 2012 Newtown , CT. school massacre, effected by crazed gunman, Adam Lanza (above picture), to push the total gun ban they’ve been long advocating.

GUN CONTROL - - IDEA / GOAL / “HOPE”

Part of Leadership is the ability to plan: to think ahead about ways to convert a “hope” to reality. The President of our Nation must plan within the realm of many important National needs. These must be prioritized . Additionally, the Plan must be funded in accord with anticipated funds available. Two important ways to assess planning expectations are : (1) past achievements, and (2) the competence of those chosen by him for support and for handling delegated tasks. The 2 charts below illustrate some basis for expectations for PBHO: (1) The first term record shows a tendency to overspend and underachieve in some important areas, (2) The President surrounds himself with those , like himself, whose experience inclines to government as a solution - - as opposed to Private Enterprise.

GUN CONTROL - - PLAN / “CHANGE”

ref: www.allenwestforCongress.com

But Chief Executives planning simply to implement their own vision for America isn’t what

the Founders intended and isn’t what many of the Citizens expect from their President.

Laws are to be formulated by the Legislative Branch; the President is charged with

enforcing the laws. Both are expected to operate within the framework of the U.S.

Constitution. When the President acts more like an Emperor, ruling by fiat, it is reasonable

to expect some significant Citizen resistence. And so on April 17, 2013, in the U.S. Senate,

PBHO’s gun control proposal ran into a headwind and was defeated, much to his and his

Congressional Leaders’ chagrin.

But opponents to the proposal cited important shortfalls. From Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) (picture below): "There are responsible steps that can be taken to stop criminals and

others who are already prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from

obtaining them. This includes mental health gaps in the criminal justice system. … I believe

that restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners will not prevent a deranged individual

or criminal from obtaining and misusing firearms to commit violence. “

“While steps must be taken to improve the existing background check system, I will not support the Manchin-Toomey legislation, which I believe would place unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and allow for potential overreach by the federal government into private gun sales.“ … Senator Kelly Ayotte

GUN CONTROL - - PLAN / “CHANGE”

A reasoned Plan for Gun Control must be based on some evidence of

past effectiveness for reducing violence to Citizens. It is surely not

enough to simply react to the hullabaloo of some recent public

mayhem. Moreover the impact on Citizen’s Constitutional protections

and freedoms must be kept in the forefront. Below are a few thoughts

in that regard and on the following 3 charts, some examples of actual

incidents and the resulting lessons.

ON THOUGHTS / METHODS FOR BEST GUN CONTROL

THOUGHTS FROM THE LEFT THOUGHTS FROM THE RIGHT

Outlaw most types of weapons and ammunition

Support the broad 2nd Amendment Constitutional protections for Citizens’ Rights to bear arms

Create registries of gun / ammo sales and transfers

Do not encumber Citizen rights to arm for self defense

Keep in mind that criminality stems from Deprived Youth. Don’t clutter our Jails and Courts with too many criminals

Effect positive controls for the criminal and mentally impaired. This includes serving full sentences for past convictions of gun violence.

Constitutionality is not a primary consideration

Assure safety for 1st Responders

GUN CONTROL - - PLAN / “CHANGE”

CASE STUDY #1: PHILADELPHIA POLICE ACTION Gun control laws will not protect us from murderers. We need protection from the criminal justice system that politicians have perverted. According to former Phila. Policeman Michael P. Tremoglie's article "Who Freed the Copkillers?" for the Phila. Daily News (5/8/08), all three murder suspects had extensive criminal records. The murdered officer was Phila. Police Sgt., Stephen Licbinski. On the day of his murder, he was in his patrol car chasing three men who had robbed a Bank of America branch in a Shop-Rite Supermarket. After the police vehicle and the fleeing car stopped, Howard Cain fatally shot Liczbinski. Other officers later returned fire and killed Cain. The other suspects, Eric Floyd and Levon Warner, were arrested and convicted in 2010 of first-degree murder. All 3 had prior violence records and prison sentences.

Howard Cain had been convicted in 1996 on four counts of robbery and sentenced to five to 10 years on each count. Eric Floyd and Levon Warner had similarly been released from prison, long before they served out their sentences. If the 3 criminals had been retained in prison for their full sentences, Officer Licbinski would be alive today.

GUN CONTROL - - PLAN / “CHANGE”

CASE STUDY #2: BOSTON MARATHON MASSACRE According to Reuters, the heavily-armed Boston terrorists cheerfully ignored the strict gun laws of Massachusetts. In the confrontation with police on the streets of a Boston suburb, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were armed with handguns, at least one rifle and several explosive devices, authorities say. But neither brother appears to have been legally approved to own or carry firearms where they lived. The recently-rejected U.S. Senate bill to expand background checks on gun purchases, would have done nothing to curtail the Tsarnaev brothers from buying guns illegally. Two months ago, columnist Jeff Jacoby wrote in the Boston Globe that Massachusetts passed “what was hailed as the toughest gun control legislation in the country ” back in 1998… AND GUN CRIME GOT WORSE.

The 1998 legislation did cut down, quite sharply , on the legal use of guns in Massachusetts: “There were nearly 1 .5 million active gun licenses in Mass. in 1998,”the AP reported. “In June 2002, that number was down to just 200,000.” Unfortunately, since 1998, gun crime in Mass. has inflated: with a recorded 122 murders committed with firearms in 2011, - - a near doubling from the 65 in 1998. Related, but more general data is shown here:

GUN CONTROL - - PLAN / “CHANGE”

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-top-5-gun-control-graphs-their.html

CASE STUDY #2: BOSTON MARATHON MASSACRE BOTTOM LINE: gun control laws didn’t slow down the Boston terrorists. Their presence in existing law enforcement databases didn’t prompt anyone to keep a close eye on them. The gov’t isn’t processing very well the information it already has. And of course, the Boston bombers demonstrated the horrifying carnage that can be inflicted without using guns. Moreover, during the frantic hunt for Dzhokar Tsarnaev, the city of Boston was closed for an entire day. Citizens were told “stay inside and lock your doors.” Had Dzhokar been in better shape, and decided to barge into a legally-disarmed Citizen’s home, that encounter could have made the government a murder accomplice. No one seemed eager to display window signs proudly declaring their homes to be “gun-free zones” while Dzhokar was on the loose. But then the Citizens typically have more sense than some of the “do-good” bureaucrats.

GUN CONTROL - - PLAN / “CHANGE”

SOME SUMMARY THOUGHTS ON PBHO LEADERSHIP RE GUN CONTROL Despite significant efforts, PBHO and his Congressional Leaders failed on April 17 to pass a significant part of his gun control package. Let’s review the likely causes of that failure: • PBHO’s basic idea and plan were at odds with much of the relevant data relating to effective reduction of violence in America: much is due to criminals and the mentally impaired, who historically do not concern themselves with obeying the law; possession of weapons for self defense and defense against tyrannical gov’ts. has a centuries old history that proves its validiity; data show that Right-To-Carry States have less violence that those with weapon-carrying restrictions; the recent Boston Massacre shows that dangerous fugitives can be driven to seek shelter in the homes of innocent civilians;. • PBHO does not show courtesy and obeisance to the Constitutional processes of:

• legislative deliberation, which requires: developing political consensus; transparency and time for Citizen evaluation of proposed legislation; • separation of powers between the Executive and Legislative branches, and between States and the Federal gov’t; this is vastly worsened by PBHO’s many unilateral Exec. Appointments/Orders/ Regs. • The 2nd Amendment: i.e., “the Right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”

• PBHO does not show courtesy and obeisance to those American people who may disagree with him. His “royal disdain” includes such put downs as his remark about “bitter” rural voters who “cling to their guns and religion.”

Well, Mr. President, speaking as an American Citizen: we do

not need, nor under any circumstances want, a Leader who

basks so deeply in his own righteousness and wisdom that

our American Heritage means little. Yours is a Leadership,

focused on increasing centralization of power - - that is both

abhorrent and wrong-headed to many Americans. It’s a style

and Leadership which must be given a grade of: FAILED.

GUN CONTROL - - LEADERSHIP EXHIBITED

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 “OBAMA, LIBERALS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF GUN CONTROL, MORAL

ISSUES”, Jack Kelly , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 11, 2013,

2 “ARE GUNS THE PROBLEM?”, Walter E. Williams,

townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2013/01/16/are-guns-the-problem-

n1488804/page/full/ 1/8, Jan 16, 2013

3 “HOW OBAMA MISREAD THE POLITICS OF GUN CONTROL”, Josh Kraushaar,

National Journal, April 18, 2013

4 “CONTROL CRIMINALS NOT GUNS”, Walter Williams, www.creators.com,

April 24, 2013,

5 “GUNS, VIOLENCE, AND GUN CONTROL”, www.newsbasics.com/2013/guns-

violence-and-gun-control/, April 26, 2013,

6 “POLICE POLL: MAJORITY FAVORS ARMED TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS AND

EXPANDED CONCEALED CARRY RIGHTS”, S.H. Blannelberry,

www.guns.com, April 9, 2013 7 “GUN CONTROL VOTE FAILS IN SENATE - - Obama Lambastes The Senate In

Angry Speech”, Brett LoGiurato, www.businessinsider.com, April 17, 2013,

8 “GUN LAWS DIDN’T STOP THE TSARNAEV BROTHERS”, John Hayward,

Human Events, April 22, 2013,

9

THE END ACTUALLY, IT’S NOT THE END - - YOUR VOICE IS

IMPORTANT TO OUR NATION. CITIZEN INTEREST,

DIALOG AND DATA ARE CRITICAL TO GOOD CIVIC

OUTCOMES. AND THAT INCLUDES OUTCOMES WHICH

SIMPLY ASSURE PROPER CONDITIONS FOR THE FREE

MARKET TO WORK.