President's gun control announcement does not mention the most popular gun- handgun

[ellenrr]

"Every single day an average of 33 people die to the gun – or to express that terrible figure another way, since the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school on 14 December most more than 1,000 people have been killed at the end of a barrel. And of those deaths, the clear majority are inflicted by common handguns."

" in the 2,400 words that Obama used to make his historic announcement, one word was missing: "handguns"."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/18/obama-gun-control-assault-rifles-handguns

[Whovian]

1. Too true.

[Hoyt]

2. I agree. Handguns should be part of solution. But, politicians are hesitant to touch that right now.

[Denninmi]

3. Isn't it kind of implicit.

Handgun purchases are part of the current background check. That doesn't mean more can't be done to control them, I think it's implied any new gun control measures not specific to assault weapons will apply to both handguns and long guns.

[hack89]

4. But often the conversation revolves around "why do people need assault weapons"

as if strict controls on semi-automatic rifles (ie an AWB) will have a significant impact on gun violence.

Ignoring the fact that any proposed AWB is not retroactive and easy to circumvent, if all semi-automatic rifles were to magically disappear, it would have a minimal impact on gun deaths or mass killings. Besides rarely being used in murders, rifles are even less frequently used in suicides. Considering that suicides are a majority of gun deaths, that is a huge oversight.

This article shows the real danger.

[Proud Public Servant]

5. Handguns are especially difficult

to go after since the Heller decision, which basically singled them out as the gun people have a right to. Plus, the overwhelming majority of people who own guns, own handguns. That will be the toughest battle of all; it's not the place to start.

[rgbecker]

6. The 11,000 homicides are only 1/3 of total gun deaths.

Truth is, when there is a gun around, people get killed. Suicides, and accidents are leading causes.

But other countries have found a way.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/21330/there-are-32-000-gun-deaths-a-year-in-the-u-s-here-is-how-we-get-that-number-to-zero

[Ter]

7. What do you want him do do?

He's powerless on this issue. The SC ruled there is a constitutional right to a handgun.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. Ummm.....Errrrr

Every last one of Obama's Executive Orders would be applicable to handguns and handgun violence.

I'm really not sure with the author is wanting here.