Support Obama's efforts to reduce gun violence

On the Jan. 2 Bradenton Herald front page was the headline, "Murders mar first day of New Year!" Beneath that were two articles: "Two found dead in Bradenton apartment" and "Shooting leaves one dead, one hurt outside city home." Beneath these two articles was another: "Obama calls for end to epidemic of gun violence."

The president is considering using executive orders to do what our cowardly Congress refuses to do ... something, anything, to try to stem the heartbreak of gun violence that is destroying our once safe and peaceful nation. Congress is immobilized by their fear of the NRA and other gun advocates who have threatened to primary them when they come up for re-election or to cut off the money that flows into their pockets if they dare to support legislation that goes against their agenda.

Some gun advocates say we don't need any new laws or reforms if we enforce the laws already in existence. The fact is that there are too many loopholes in the current laws, which render them ineffective.

Law-abiding gun owners should have no fear if the president is able to close these loopholes. Instead, they should feel the same relief we should all feel, that the mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or former felons will no longer have the easy access to weapons that they currently have. The NRA and other gun advocates are lying when they say the government is trying to take away our guns. The Second Amendment guarantees this right, and the Supreme Court has recently affirmed this.

We should be supporting the president in his efforts to curtail the gun violence in our nation.

Carol Gazell

Bradenton

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Support Obama's efforts to reduce gun violence ."