Now is the time: The President’s plan to protect our children and our communities by reducing gun violence

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
The Making of a True American Hero.

White House
The White House, 2013
The President’s plan is prefaced by a statement of his support for the second amendment’s guarantee of an individual’s right to bear arms and his belief that most gun owners are “responsible and “law-abiding.” The plan is four-pronged. First, close background-check loopholes, so as to keep dangerous people from purchasing guns. The intent is to require that all gun sales be accompanied by background checks, whether the sale is handled by a federally licensed firearms dealer or private sellers, who are currently exempt from this requirement. The plan details how to strengthen the background check system. Second, ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and take other common-sense steps to reduce gun violence. The intent of this measure is to reinstate and strengthen the ban on assault weapons, limit ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and get armor-piercing bullets off the streets. Third, make schools safer. This includes putting up to 1,000 more school resource officers and counselors in schools, ensuring that every school has a comprehensive emergency management plan, and creating a safer climate at schools. Fourth, increase access to mental health services. Objectives in implementing this recommendation are to ensure that students and young adults receive treatment for mental health issues and encourage insurance companies to cover mental health treatment.