Obama, Gun Violence, & Gun Solution Narratives

Guests: Eric Lichtblau, Paul Barrett, and Laura Cutilletta

Yesterday, President Barack Obama gave a speech announcing a series of executive actions aimed at combating gun violence in our country. He cited both newsworthy mass shootings that have occurred over the past few years, tearing up at the mention of the first graders killed in Sandy Hook, and also pointed out that gun violence is a daily reality in major urban areas such as Chicago. His speech mentioned two narratives that have developed around guns – one being the outrage over mass shootings, and another being the vastly more-common gun violence that manifests itself in the form of homicides and suicides. Today on Radio Times, we’ll look at some of the facts surrounding gun violence in the US, get reaction to Obama’s speech and his plans, and think about how firearm-related deaths, injuries, and accidents can be mitigated. We’ll hear from ERIC LICHTBLAU of The New York Times, PAUL BARRETT of Bloomberg Businessweek, and LAURA CUTILLETTA of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.