Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Obama on “epidemic of violence”

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I’m glad to see that a permanent assault weapons ban and other forms of gun control are being raised as a topic of the presidential primary.  Likewise after-school programs to help keep youth off the streets and further from the reaches of crime, something that seems to have disappeared from the radar screen in recent years.  The statistic about more Chicago students being murdered this year than Illinois servicement killed in the war in Iraq is staggering…

(From boston.com)

Obama told churchgoers at the Vernon Park Church of God on Chicago’s South Side that too many young lives are being claimed by violence and more must be done to combat the problem.

“From South Central L.A. to Newark, New Jersey, there’s an epidemic of violence that’s sickening the soul of this nation,” the Illinois senator told the crowd. “The violence is unacceptable and it’s got to stop.”

Nearly three dozen Chicago students have been killed this year, according to Chicago Public Schools. Obama said that figure is higher than the number of Illinois serviceman who’ve died in Iraq in 2007.

“We need to express our collective anger through collective action,” Obama said.

He said the government needs to permanently reinstate an assault weapons ban and close regulatory loopholes that protect unscrupulous gun dealers.

He also said government should support and fund more after-school programs to keep kids off the streets. But some of the burden must also be shouldered by residents who need to do more to raise and protect at-risk children, he added.

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Comments

  1. I’m glad to see that a permanent assault weapons ban and other forms of gun control are being raised as a topic of the presidential primary.

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    Really??? The previous “Assault Weapons Ban” never reduced crime, nor has crime risen since it was allowed to sunset.

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    And gun control as a political topic is a surefire loser.

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    Are you really sure these are winning topics in the upcoming election? Personally, I’m not so sure.

    • The previous “Assault Weapons Ban” never reduced crime, nor has crime risen since it was allowed to sunset.

      Both these statements would seem to require delicate methodology to prove. They both require very robust predictions of crime. Further, we cannot expect that assault weapons bans will effect mail fraud or shoplifting. Even if it were totally successful, we would expect such a ban to avoid a small number of really horrendous crimes not a large number of breaking and entering, assault and battery, or spouse abuse.

  2. a campaign stop.  That action is generally frowned upon as a violation of you-know-what.

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