The US President Continues To Exploit The Assault In Tucson For More Gun Control

Introduction

This blog post was previously posted, but then withdrawn.

Unbecoming Of A President Of The United States

Again, the President of the United States exploits the rare incidence that a mentally ill young man went on a shooting rampage. On March 13, 2011, Obama published an op-ed in the Arizona Daily Star titled “We must seek agreement on gun reforms”. An authoritarian demand. Once more he is so pathetic. This is a cheap political stunt unbecoming of a President of the United States.

Too Much Baloney

In this op-ed he claims another 2,000 people died due to gun violence since the assault happened in Tucson. Does he really believe that with more gun control these homicides would be significantly reduced? What does more gun control do to prevent an event like Tucson or Virginia Tech (also explicitly mentioned by Obama)?

He claims “Likewise, advocates for gun owners should accept the awful reality that gun violence affects Americans everywhere, whether on the streets of Chicago or at a supermarket in Tucson.” This is just baloney.

The US President Is In Denial

Not one word in his more than 1,000 words long piece mentions that the shooter was most likely mentally ill. In Obama’s euphemistic words “a man one of our colleges deemed too unstable for studies” and “an unbalanced man”. He is in denial and therefore his exploitation of the assault in Tucson is a shame. His ideological blindness also prevents the US President from recognizing that more needs to be done to treat or to commit involuntarily to a mental institution or to research better treatments for the mentally ill. The US President does not have the guts to face a societal stigma and taboo like mental illness.

The Tucson Shooter Was Not A Criminal

“I'm willing to bet that responsible, law-abiding gun owners agree that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few - dangerous criminals and fugitives, for example - from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.” This man is incredible. Really, he is willing to bet? Never mind that the NRA and probably countless police officers for decades have advocated just that. The Tucson shooter was not a criminal.