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Who Was Tougher on Gun Control, Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan?

Ronald Reagan's statements on gun control would shock the current Republican party, who hold him up as a standard bearer.

"I do not believe in taking away the right of the citizen for sporting, for hunting and so forth, or for home defense. But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for defense of a home.'' ---Ronald Reagan, at his birthday celebration in 1989.

On the day President Barack Obama outlined his plan to make the country safer from crazy people with assault weapons, Ronald Reagan has been invoked in the debate by both sides.

Obama cited Reagan's opposition to military-style weapons.

“And by the way, so did Ronald Reagan, one of the staunchest defenders of the Second Amendment, who wrote to Congress in 1994 urging them — this is Ronald Reagan speaking — urging them to listen to the American public and to the law enforcement community and support a ban on the further manufacture of military-style assault weapons."

Reagan, who was shot while president in March, 1981, backed a ban on assault weapons and the Brady Bill, proposed by an anti-gun group formed by the family of Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, who was also shot. (See video here.)

Obama Wednesday signed executive orders to strengthen background checks on gun sales, research the causes of gun violence, encourage mental health providers to report patients who own guns and may be prone to violence. Complete list here.

He also encouraged Congress to ban assault weapons, step-up background checks on secondary sellers and purchasers and hire a director of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms department, which has gone vacant for six years.(see full text of his speech here.)

Reagan, cited by the likes of the Tea Party and Rush Limbaugh as the modern president who most represented their values, is the center of debate. Gun control opponent Erich Pratt, implied that Reagan supported gun control "in his later years," implying that he was less in control of his facilities, as seen in this MSNBC clip.

Supporters of gun control point to the strict legislation Reagan signed as governor of California, such as the Mulford Act of 1967, which forbid open carrying of guns. The act came at a time when the Black Panthers openly carried weapons.

“There’s no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons,” Reagan said at the time, according to Salon.com.

As with everything about this divisive issue, Obama's Wednesday speech got mixed reviews. Some, such as Earl Ofari Hutchinson, writing in Huffington Post, said he didn't go far enough. Others say he has gone too far and is breaching the Second Amendment. Missouri Republican representative Casey Guernsey, has proposed a state bill to ignore Obama's federal orders.

What do you think? Did the president go too far, or not far enough? What do you think of him citing Ronald Reagan?

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Wire February 4, 2013 at 06:43 pm
Now if you noticed this shootout took place during the Feinstein assault weapon ban. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles on February 28, 1997, sure worked for the outlaws.
From a father that lost a little girl during that assault on Sandy Hook. Bill Stevens a Sandy hook dad you`ll have to take my guns from my cold dead hands. I'll call 911 after my house is secured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHbr0TRgcdY
ROBERT E. FISHBACK February 4, 2013 at 08:03 pm
I swear, you gun talkers must be so shallow you have to look up to see bottom. Nobody in their right mind will litterally try to take owned guns from solid citizens. Many of you need to go back to the target range..you shoot yourself in the foot way too many times....
Wire February 5, 2013 at 10:57 pm
Some more anti moral society
Home Intruders Make Fatal Mistake of Breaking Into Armed 72-Year-Old Man’s Home — Guess What Happened? http://www.8newsnow.com/story/20960881/1-dead-after-homeowner-shoots-at-intruders Are you a freeman? The second amendment should be shelf exploratory here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlkhQ6GybPs
Wire February 7, 2013 at 09:33 pm
Suspected L.A. Ex-Cop Cop-Killer Posted Pro-Obama, Pro-Gun Control, Leftist ideas
Want to read his wanting of gun control: The Killer LAPD Cop's Facebook Manifesto Has A Little Something for Everyone gawker.com/.../the-killer-lapd-cops-facebook-manifesto-has.
Wire February 9, 2013 at 12:33 am
Feinstein and Boxer Ask Californians the best course of action is to remove all weapons from law enforcement and private citizens so no one else gets hurt,” said a Senate communications intern. “When the gunman realizes that nobody else is armed, he will lay down his weapons and turn himself in…. that’s just human nature.”
Joseph Doaks March 28, 2013 at 01:24 pm
Over 1,000,000 aborted 2012.
Why are you concerned with this? Is it because you believe it is murder? OK Lets say there are no more abortions. We snap our fingers and overnight people stop having abortions and these pregnancies go full term. Who is going to pay for the social services that these families will need? Probably not you. Because the people who are against abortion are also the people who don't want to pay taxes for social services or schools. In 2009, it cost over $47,000 per inmate in the California Penal System. These pregnancies are obviously unwanted. Making these women keep and raise an unwanted is a invitation for disaster. Are you going to volunteer to raise some of these kids? Are you now planning to adopt a crack baby? How about a Down's baby? I doubt it. But if you are, I congratulate you for not being a hypocrite. How much of your income do you give to "Feed the Children" every year?
Wire March 28, 2013 at 02:58 pm
Joseph Doaks also commented on Who Was Tougher on Gun Control, Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan?.
"Over 1,000,000 aborted 2012. Why are you concerned with this? Is it because you believe it is murder? OK Lets say there are no more abortions. We snap our fingers and overnight people stop having abortions and these pregnancies go full term. Who is going to pay for the social services that these families will need? Probably not you. Because the people who are against abortion are also the people who don't want to pay taxes for social services or schools. In 2009, it cost over $47,000 per inmate in the California Penal System. These pregnancies are obviously unwanted. Making these women keep and raise an unwanted is a invitation for disaster. Are you going to volunteer to raise some of these kids? Are you now planning to adopt a crack baby? How about a Down's baby? I doubt it. But if you are, I congratulate you for not being a hypocrite. How much of your income do you give to "Feed the Children" every year?" So your comment is not here I'll post in this patch here as I can't find your post. One whom is responsible for SEX? Doesn't sex mean it's time for a family or do you want to be treated like my dog and get fixed.., oh we can't do that.
Wire March 28, 2013 at 03:00 pm
Tennessee's deadbeat dads: The three men who have 81 children ...
www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Tennessees-deadbeat-dads-The-men-81-chil... Jun 14, 2012 – The three men only occasionally pay a few dollars to the long-suffering mothers of their ever expanding broods. Desmond Hatchett, pictured Fix that!
Wire March 28, 2013 at 09:33 pm
So I'm guessing you don't believe in morals like my neutered male dog, then personal responsibility like me. I did give to United Way until their CEO was raping the funds. I did give to the Toy 4 Tots before the rampart migrators walking out into their newer cars than me and Obama phones picking up their Christmas packages for the poor. New cars and cell phones, YES I don't own one.
Well Joseph Doaks, I have been debt free for twelve years. Put a conserve son through a state college, own my home. Found out my credit rating was 806! Could I do it now HELL-NO! Not today. By the way I lost two retirements on the way to be debt free, my 401K is back up to 2001 numbers twelve lost years. My saving in the bank is making one percent from the banks, which have to much printed paper money backed up by Obama or NWO. Are you ready to buy into Brazil's and China's new banks? google: BRICS Nations Plan New Bank to Bypass World Bank, IMF ... www.bloomberg.com/news/.../brics-nations-plan-new-bank-to-bypas.. Should those men be neutered? How many are out there? Just keep drinking the progressive cool-aid.
Wire March 29, 2013 at 12:36 am
Joseph Doaks sorry that link to fathered 83 children doesn't work any longer.
List of people with the most children - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_the_most_children 24, Desmond Hatchett, Fathered 24 children, according to Knox County, Tennessee Juvenile Court records. A Los Angeles Times article and Memphis television ... List - See also - References - External links
Wire March 29, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Do you think the urban youth of Pa. read the FBI report about the deadly hammers and bats?
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Reading-Brawl-200579961.html Please read the hate news comments how racist they are.
Wire March 29, 2013 at 02:00 pm
Obama yesterday don't forget those poor White kids at Sandy Hook, as he forgets about Detroit or Oakland, San Jose.
Reagan Assassination Attempt Used in Gun Control Ad Group Uses Reagan Shooting to Push Tougher Gun Laws | Gun ... nation.foxnews.com/gun-control/.../group-uses-reagan-shooting-pus. How low can they go?
Wire March 29, 2013 at 06:58 pm
What did I do today, walked three point miles, picked up my dog shit, other peoples dog shit, some dirty Kleenex, water bottle labels possible water bottle bombs, must be a manly thing to do. Rather see plastic water bottles banned not the bags. As people not like me saying what a nice old man. I offer a new dog shit bag and no one not one liberal has taken me up in helping cleaning the county park. Watching people bypass paying the yearly fee for using the county park system.
You know woman out there put their car keys on top of the left or right front tire. Not Good! NO ONE WATCHING ME! HEEEEEEEE HEEEEE! Oh by the way where I worked for over 34 years one roof was the only company that everyone took weekly payment out to help United Way, 100 PERCENT of the workers. First ever in the state. Great add for the republican owner. It took me over 25 years to turn conservative. My son beat me.
Wire March 30, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Have a good read about what "The Lookout Adam Lanza search warrants released"
By Jason Sickles and Dylan Stableford | The Lookout – Thu, Mar 28, 2013 NEWTOWN, Conn.—Police investigating the school massacre here seized a sizable arsenal of firearms, knives and samurai swords along with medical records and computer equipment from the 20-year-old gunman's home in the days after the shootings, court documents released on Thursday reveal. Also on Thursday, Connecticut State Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III, who's overseeing the case, said Adam Lanza killed 26 people within five minutes of storming into Sandy Hook Elementary School before turning a gun on himself. The documents—50 pages of affidavits and evidence logs that include a list of items seized from the car and Newtown home Lanza shared with his mother, Nancy—paint a chilling picture of a killer who had been stockpiling weapons in the weeks and months leading up to the Dec. 14 massacre. What is missing? Well they found NRA stuff there in the home, this should seal the deal RIGHT, the big evil NRA BOOKS, Video games, but the most important item is missing. What is it? Adam Lanza search warrants released | The Lookout - Yahoo! News news.yahoo.com/.../adam-lanza-newtown-search-warrants-r... You get to hear me as the first caller around the thirty minute mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nIP5tBs-4
Wire March 30, 2013 at 01:33 pm
Babe in the Bunker KSFO radio show as the drug companies suppress autopsies of violent persons. Noticed his answer to his very first question. Who is suppressing the reports! If you care.
Wire March 31, 2013 at 12:15 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpAOwJvTOio
Well, no, again it’s not that simple. For one thing, ThinkProgress supports its reference to Reagan with a link to FactCheck.org, which does not reference Reagan at all. ThinkProgress seems to be reaching hard to associate the Lifeline phone service program with Reagan, when it actually began in 1996 under a law signed by Clinton (isn’t it interesting how ThinkProgress leaves out his name?). For another thing, the government forces phone providers to pay a fee in support of the Lifeline program, and phone service providers in turn force their American customers – taxpayers – to pay a fee. It’s not unreasonable to call this a tax, even if it’s a tax that’s trying to avoid being called a tax. But the really interesting question is: Who has been marketing this as the “Obama Phone”? Visit Obamaphone.net now, and you’ll get something like a blog with no pictures of Obama, as though they’re in the process of dismantling the site. But surely there’s nothing to see here, folks! Let’s talk about Mitt Romney’s tax forms!
Wire March 31, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Now my boss had one of the very first cell phones in his BMW, the control unit in the trunk was as big as a overnight case, had to be late 80's. The phone it's self looked like a WW2 walkie talkie, it was huge.
GOOD TRY! Blame really goes the the sex offender Democratic Clinton. Yes it's a tax on your phone bill, cell or lineline.
Pam April 2, 2013 at 11:38 am
When issues concerning gun deaths is mentioned, why do we have to discuss every means by which people die (diversion?). Steps can be taken to improve (not necessarily solve) each issue that we face. Gun violence would be one of those.
grim April 2, 2013 at 01:00 pm
none of the above changes the fact that Ronald Reagan, the recently adopted paragon of conservative ideals, supported, and requested firearm restrictions and gun control legislation (that was the actual point of the article, I do believe...)
Pam April 2, 2013 at 01:17 pm
Grim - I agree
Wire April 2, 2013 at 03:44 pm
When did you ever hear Obama say God in a speech? Reagan many times.
Everything one does has an end game (responsibilities, morals). You or me can't legislate responsibilities and morals from the top! It's what inside of us. Take God and parents to a single parent out of the system, it's coming or has started. Do you drive and talk on the phone, text, eat, drink, this could kill someone? People can't even walk doing those things take a sip and stop. Lets take California's death roll when was the last execution? It's been up to us voters several times we win and the progressive have prevent the executions. Same with gay marriages the voters won and the court over turned the masses by voting. So we are wronged by the court system again. We can make laws to banned the the gun, plastic bag, is that the cure? If you can't be responsible for our actions, then maybe being a Muslim is the way to go. No more gay's, women are covered up to prevent rape, no drinking or porn. Sounds good for you then. Be a Muslim. I do think they have the perfect world for what your for looking for that's missing in your life or faith. Do you really know all the laws and regulation there in California? Where the Ten Commandments are only needed. There is pure EVIL out there. Laws passed in the most gun free states have failed why? Did you know the NRA founded by Christian men to help arm the freed African ... constitutionalley.us/.../nra-founded-by-christian-men-to-help-arm-the...
Wire April 2, 2013 at 04:03 pm
The part of history I bet you didn't know.
NRA founded by Christian men to help arm the Blacks in today words www.constitutionalley.us/.../nra-founded-by-christian-men-to-help-arm-the
Pam April 2, 2013 at 04:20 pm
I don't understand all this rhetoric about religion. Religious....pro-gun, not religious...anti-gun? I'm a religious gun owner that would like some sensible legislation. Back to the original subject...Reagan wanted gun legislation.
Wire April 2, 2013 at 05:01 pm
12:53 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2013
OK you don't like the morals, sense libs really can't live by them. Regan after he got out of the hospital the press asked him about his thoughts on gun control since he'd been shot and he told them he supported the peoples individual right to keep and bear arms, and he was against gun control. The person that wanted gun control laws from the attempt to murder Reagan was Sarah Brady, who's husband took a bullet to the head in the attempt. She pushed for gun control, Reagan never did. When you don't know what you're talking about ask someone that knows the truth. Look up history on a non-partisan website. When you get your info from propagandists you get a bunch of lies. I realize you're to young to know this at this time, but maybe one day you'll grow up. Here what is going on is this the truth or propagandists lies. The add., remember Senator Feinstein's first assault weapon law was 1994. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ZULLbEwMY Now the propagandists lies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCxRl5vglqU
Wire April 2, 2013 at 05:15 pm
Regardless, Reagan's record on gun control is not black and white. In 1986 he signed the Firearm Owners Protection Act, which according to the Hartford Courant, "was hailed by gun rights advocates because it included numerous protections for gun owners. However, it also banned ownership of any fully automatic rifles that were not already registered on the day the law was signed."
NOTICE FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. Come back when you find the truth. Oh, in his later years, read his books then.
Wire April 2, 2013 at 07:25 pm
The Reagan Library ... "It's a nasty truth, but those who seek to inflict harm are not fazed by gun control laws."
This must mean most of all news agencies today. 1989 Reagan being asked about hunting straight out of the horses mouth, not the twisted lies as reported in the news. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG4V_6pCLVo
Pam April 2, 2013 at 07:26 pm
Reagan supported gun legislation.
Susan April 2, 2013 at 10:50 pm
Not only did Ronald Reagan support the 1994 assault weapons ban, he aggressively campaigned for it. Congressman Scott Klug, a Wisconsin Republican, stated his opposition to the ban the day before the vote, but changed his mind after a handwritten note from Reagan:
”Dear Scott: As a longtime gun owner and supporter of the right to bear arms, I, too, have carefully thought about this issue. I am convinced that the limitations imposed in this bill are absolutely necessary. I know there is heavy pressure on you to go the other way, but I strongly urge you to join me in supporting this bill. It must be passed. Sincerely, Ronald Reagan.” Another former Congressman, New Hampshire Democrat Dick Swett, said he made up his mind after direct lobbying from Reagan. After his vote in favor of the ban, Swett received death threats and wore a bullet proof vest. The bill passed 216-214, a margin of two votes.
Pam April 3, 2013 at 01:21 am
Thanks for your input. President Reagan's efforts were critical in the passage of this legislation.
Wire April 3, 2013 at 03:02 am
So who was tougher? Don't forget the cover up of "Fast and Ferrous." it was to make Obama look tough as American weapon being shipped were killing the free peoples of Mexico. NOT SO TOUGH!
By George Prudden | 07/23/2012 | DOJ Study Fails to Show 1994 Assault Weapons Ban Worked. So looks like Reagan was tougher, then! Obama does look good with using the little childern hanging around him though, hits the old heart. With Sandy Hook and Aurora, Colorado murders with a semi-auto used as a murder weapon the total numbers are still low compared to other weapons. More people are killed over a three day Holiday weekend in one of the strictness gun law States, Chicago.
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