Bloomberg demands gun action from Obama and Romney
(CNN) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an outspoken advocate of stricter gun-control laws, said in a radio interview Friday the two candidates for president needed to take a firmer line in addressing gun violence.
Bloomberg's comments came as police and the FBI were investigating a deadly shooting in Colorado that left at least 12 people dead.
"Soothing words are nice, but maybe it's time that the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it, because this is obviously a problem across the country," Bloomberg said on WOR Radio's "The John Gambling Show."
Bloomberg continued, saying Friday's tragedy should spark greater focus on how guns reach killers.
"I mean, there are so many murders with guns every day, it's just got to stop," Bloomberg said. "And instead of the two people – President Obama and Governor Romney – talking in broad things about they want to make the world a better place, okay, tell us how."
"In the end, it is really the leadership at a national level, which is whoever is going to be president of the United States starting next January 1st – what are they going to do about guns?" Bloomberg asked.
Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney met with Bloomberg in May, but an aide to the mayor said Bloomberg remained undecided about making an endorsement in the presidential race. Bloomberg won his last election as a political independent, but was previously a Democrat, then a Republican.
In his interview Friday, Bloomberg said guns getting into hands of criminals wasn't solely a problem in cities like New York.
"This is killing people every day, and it's growing and it's not just an inner-city, east coast, west coast, big city phenomenon. Aurora is not a big city," Bloomberg said, referring to the suburb of Denver where Friday's shooting took place.
From CNN Politics
- Top US general says increased partnership between Iran, Russia, and China will make them 'problematic' for 'years to come'
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Fetterman to return to Senate week of April 17
- Trump appeals court ruling lifting executive privilege shield for former aides
- Untitled
- Jill Biden attends Nashville shooting vigil
@
July 20, 2012 11:02 am at 11:02 am |
kique AZ
This is the funniest thread I have ever read. You want gun control, look at what a weapons ban in Mexico has done to that country. You want gun control look at DC. Gun control never works.
---------------------------------------------------–
Gun violence is about poverty and mental illness. Governments (like Mexico and the U.S.) that eliminate the middle class and create poverty must deal with violent crime. Governments disregarding mental illness (like Mexico and the U.S.) must suffer the consequences. You might want to avoid voting for Republicans as long as they continue to protect only the fascist-leaning fat-cats who buy politicians like Mitt Romney.
My business is the only one in our are which has not been robbed. Yesterday a store was taken over by a man with a knife. We carry guns and people in the area know it. That's why we haven't been robbed. Most people who conceal and carry have gun training. I wish more people carried them.
Local police are "out-gunned" by assault weapons a lot of the time......Sporting weapons and guns to protect yourself OK, but why can't we "re-ban" assault weapons?
........I TRULY WISH the GUN and NRA lobby would disappear. That wont happen, and all I know is, that under all Mitt's hair on his head, ..............he has .. N – R – A ..tattooed.
Funny Canada has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world, yet there were 2 mass shooting sprees in Toronto this year .... How are those gun laws working ?? Bloomberg is an idiots idiot ....
Romney: " Let me check with the NRA and then I'll get back to ya."
Timothy McVay used fertilizer...there are many other ways to kill besides guns. The guy in NY was going to use propane tanks. Real issues are family disentigration, lack of discipline in schools, violence on tv/games/movies, etc
bloombers needs only to worry about his dinasty and stay out of our business
I have never understood why Republican do not want gun control but want abortion control... Someone explain this to me..
I don't like guns, but that doesn't mean that I don't think that responsible should not have them if they want them. But there is absolutely no reason for people to be able to have access to this assault weapons. What can they be used for except to do that this guy did. If people like to shoot those type of guns then let there be a shooting range where you can rent one and shoot all you want.
i demand that bloomberg just worry about n.y.
Yes what a grand idea! Give more people guns! I think that will solve everything! If more people had guns in that theatre then there would have bee more idiots shooting guns!! Are you telling me everyone that owns a gun is a crack shot with a handgun when people are running around screaming? Or would they just miss and accidently hurt/kill more people? I'm all for gun rights but something needs to be done. What are we coming to as a nation if all we can think about when a tragedy like this happens is "THEY ARE NOT TAKING MY GUN"???
yeah yeah yeah take away the guns from the people that obey the laws, how is that going to stop the guns on the blackmarket?
But gun laws would REDUCE the number of crazy people who can get guns. Just cut that number by one, and we would be better off than we are now!! Idiots. Such black and white thinking... only by true conservatives. Its not all or nothing. Its in moderation. Cut access to guns some so a terrorist like this psychopath cannot just order them on the internet... or walk into the local gun show and walk out with a powerful weapon. Just make a tiny effort to reduce this ability and it would change the conversation for the better. But oh no; don't want to upset those NRA folks do we now. they are protecting our rights to kill each other... isn't that wonderful?
So let me get this straight:
guns kill people, soda > 16ozs make you fat and then kils people. So with this logic -cars kill people, falling off bikes could kill someone, food can lead to choking therefore can kill people. So lets just go ahead and ban everything in the world and live in a bubble. Wait do bubbles kill people too?
@electrovibe11: Actually you can make an AK on your basement floor, check youtube or google the plans are there and its not too difficult.
Gun control is not the option. The man was sick, if he didn't have a gun he would have just used a bomb and killed more people. Sometimes you just cannot solve sick.
If we could punish people for their intentions instead of their actions, then we can have the conversation around how guns don't kill people. But that is not how our laws work. The law says you didn't commit a crime until you act on your intention. So with that rule, we have to prevent people from acting on their bad intention. That means we have to keep them from getting guns. Because its already a given they are going to kill someone because that is what they want to do.
Change the law so we can punish a criminal just for wanting to shoot someone, then we can let everyone have guns and play all they want with their guns...
Well I think if we really look at it. the root problem seems to be over education. here lately at least the mass killings are being done by well educated, or on their way to being well educated individuals. So obviously the answer is to stop all forms of higher education! Sounds ludicrous right? well it is very much the same argument about taking guns away from the law abiding. The root problem is as old as time itself. some people will kill other people for a vast number of reasons. Take away the guns, the death dealers do not need them in the Middle east, they use explosives...so maybe we should ban all cell phones since they are frequently used as the trigger, or perhaps we could ban all cleaning agents and fertilizer since they too can be used incorrectly. the point is when a lone individual decides to bring death to the masses, there is not a law or a politician that can stop them. We need to get away form looking for the easy fix, and recognize the simple fact that we as a society have moved form being a society that looks out for each other, into a society that only cares about self promotion. If the neighbors knew this guy, and actually took the time to know him possibly this would have been uncovered before it started. How well do you know the people in your building, on your block, next door to you? We can blame guns, or whatever tool is used as the instrument, or we can simply be honest with ourselves, and say this guy could be living two doors down, and I never knew..... America is quickly turning into the land of it is not my fault, let's blame something else.
Egad, Bloomberg has got to go. Why in the world would anyone have voted to give this bozo a 3rd term???
What's worse Mr Mayor, the guns or those supersized sodas?
Criminals will always be able to get guns and police are only a reactionary force now. I'm a ccw carrier, would you rather me be with you armed or not if something like this happened?
Guns are banned in the city limits of NYC, yet crimes with guns continue to occur there. Laws restricting guns only impact law abiding citizens, and prevent them from having guns to protect themselves. Those that have no regard for laws and that are willing to commit crimes such as robbery, murder, etc., will not be impacted by any gun laws. They will still find a way to get guns, and use them in their crimes. How about we come back to reality?
Well guys – you can chalk up the next freedom that is going to go by the wayside. There are idiots in every group – now the masses will suffer from it. The story is horrible yet a criminal will find a gun in the black market anyway -criminals do not follow the law – duh. Bye Bye second ammendment rights – welcome to the peoples republic of the USA.
AK's are deadly assault weapons and they shouldn't be sold by gun shops, they aren't hunting weapons.
Banning is not the answer. Cocaine is illegal to have, sell, or use. Yet the streets are full of it, and criminal enterprises prosper from it. If a ban is passed a much larger black market will develop and criminals will find a way to bring the product to the market. Needless to say how many hard working Americans would be unemployed after manufacturing facilities to shut down like Smith and Wesson and Remington. And not to mention your law abiding average citizen now has their right to bear arms right revoked and the choice to defend themselves with a firearm has been made by the government. People will always find a way to inflict harm and suffering upon each other, guns are a means to that, it just as easily be a bomb. A determined aggressor will find a means regardless what the item is. Do you trust a government that can not trust you with guns?