Obama Reviews Proposals to Curb Gun Violence

Obama Reviews Proposals to Curb Gun Violence

<h1>Obama Reviews Proposals to Curb Gun Violence</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>U.S. President Barack Obama is reviewing proposals to curb gun violence in the United States. &nbsp;The move comes a month after a shooting rampage in Newtown, Connecticut that killed 20 children and six school personnel. &nbsp; <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> A major political battle is brewing in the United States over gun control.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to propose legislation designed to reduce firearm violence - that kills an average of 34 Americans every day.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> &ldquo;The belief that we have to have stronger background checks, that we can do a much better job in terms of keeping these magazine clips with high capacity out of the hands of folks who shouldn&rsquo;t have them, an assault weapons ban that is meaningful,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Last month&rsquo;s massacre in Newtown stunned the nation and led to renewed calls for tougher laws on gun ownership.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Winnie Stachelberg is with the Center for American Progress.&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> &ldquo;You know the Newtown tragedy that sadly we are marking the one month anniversary of has changed the nature of the discussion around gun violence in this country. &nbsp;There is no doubt about it. &nbsp;There is a new paradigm,&quot; she said.&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Vice President Biden has been leading a task force on preventing gun violence.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> He has met with a number of groups interested in the gun-control debate, including gun rights advocates.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> President Obama says action is needed to protect the most vulnerable Americans. &ldquo;If there is a step we can take that will save even one child from what happened in Newtown we should take that step,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> However, gun-control legislation is very controversial in the U.S., where the right to bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Firearms sales have spiked as people rush to buy guns out of concern that stricter laws may be enacted.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Gun owner Bruce Bumgarner said, &ldquo;Gun control: all it is going to do is take the guns out of the people that obey the law. &nbsp;It is not going to control the outlaws that take the guns to do crimes with them.&rdquo;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Any new gun control legislation is expected to face fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association and its four-million members. &nbsp;</div><link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/us-heads-to-gun-control-debate/1583523.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/us-heads-to-gun-control-debate/1583523.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1583523&SiteId=415&r=967583746&it=0&pd=20130114171323&url=ArticleID1583523" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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