Guns and politics

Listen

GUESTS: RICHARD FELDMAN and ROBERT SPITZER

Vice President Biden is in Philadelphia today to hold a roundtable discussion on gun violence with law enforcement officials. He’s been leading the White Houses effort for tougher gun laws including a limit high capacity magazines, a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks for gun buyers. President Obama is also expected to address gun control in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night. Despite universal outrage at the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, the administration faces strong resistance from gun rights advocates like the NRA, and from many in Congress. This hour, we’ll examine the issue of gun control and politics. Is there room for compromise?  Has anything really changed since Newtown shootings? And what is behind America’s strong feelings about firearms?  Marty talks with guests RICHARD FELDMAN, president of the Independent Firearms Owners Association, and ROBERT SPITZER, a professor of political science at the State University of New York at Cortland.

AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal