Since conservatives in Congress and state legislatures block every attempt to protect Americans from the nation's hideous gun murder rate, President Obama finally acted on his own through executive orders.
He asked federal agencies to identify private gun dealers who sell large quantities of murder instruments through gun shows and online ads, and force them to seek background checks of buyers.
He asked the FBI to notify local police each time a criminal or mental patient tries to buy a gun, but is rejected by a background check. In Virginia, follow-up investigations of rejected buyers led to 14,000 arrests.
He directed more federal money spent on gun safety research, and more spent to identify and "red flag" mental illness sufferers who shouldn't be armed to kill.
The president actually wept as he read the names of 20 school tots massacred by a crazed gunman at a Connecticut school. Some of their parents were in his audience. And he cited the years of suffering by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head by a psychotic mass-murderer.
Immediately, Republicans denounced Obama's lifesaving plan. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called it "illegal" and dubbed the president a "petulant child," a "king" and a "dictator." Other GOP candidates for president also lambasted him. So did Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., and
Sen. Shelley Capito, R-W.Va.
Clearly, these right-wingers serve the big-money gun industry, and care little how many thousands of Americans die from gun violence.
But the president is really just doing his job, instructing fedreral agencies to better enforce existing laws in an effort to prevent more suffering.
The New York Times commented on the president's bold effort:
"None of the actions will make a big dent in America's gun-violence epidemic, but that's because Mr. Obama can do only so much on his own. Congress could pass far more expansive and effective legislation, such as universal background checks, which have been associated with large declines in gun deaths in the 18 states that have implemented them. But ... members of Congress, almost all of them Republicans, have chosen to do the bidding of a gun lobby that is astonishingly out of step with the public."
Many surveys have found large majorities of Americans - even large majorities of Republicans - want screening to weed out dangerous gun-buyers. But the tiny fringe that carries hidden pistols or wields military assault guns blocks every screening attempt.
Charleston's West Side suffered three pistol murders in a week. Across America, the toll is in tens of thousands per year - vastly higher than in other democracies. President Obama acts in the best interest of the people.