The Talker: Will Americans solve the gun violence problem?
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CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Everyone wants to stop senseless violence, but we don't all agree on how.
The elusiveness of common ground was on display at the State Capitol in Connecticut. A state hearing about gun laws included testimony from two fathers who each lost a 6-year-old son in the Sandy Hook school massacre.
Mark Mattioli said a lack of gun laws is not the problem.
"The problem is not gun laws," Mattioli said. "The problem is a lack of civility."
Neil Heslin, an avid hunter, said assault-style weapons and high-capacity bullet-clips should be banned.
"I think both sides really need to work together to pass regulations that work for everybody," Helsin said.
The president's plan to reduce gun violence includes a ban on assault weapons, and on ammo-clips that hold more than ten bullets at a time. It would require criminal background checks for nearly all gun sales and it would provide funding to expand mental health programs for young people.
Mr. Obama's strategy to get the plan passed includes an outreach aimed at gun owners. He's been speaking publicly about the importance of the second amendment and the tradition of hunting.
In an interview just published Sunday, he said he and his guests at Camp David do skeet shooting, "all the time."
To get additional perspective, members of the Obama administration have hosted meetings with gun advocates, hunters' groups, and gun-sellers like Wal-Mart. Another meeting included the victims of gun violence.
The White House has a photo of Chicagoan Annette Nance-Holt whose 16-year-old son Blair was killed while shielding a friend from gunfire as they left school on a CTA bus.'
So, what do you think? Do you think Americans can/will come to some sort of agreement on how to solve the problem of gun violence? Tell us your thoughts on our Facebook page.
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