Gun debate served on a gun sandwich

After all the shootings and the outraged public, president Obama decided to take action signing 23 executive orders to curb gun violence. See the White House list below:

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

11. Nominate an ATF director.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

As responsible adults, we can all agree that those are very important changes dealing with the increasing gun violence. However, the core of the shootings and killings are committed by criminals. Yes South Side Chicago, that's you as well. 

With all those knee-jerk laws dealing with a long overdue problems, those executive orders are essentially worthless. 

Why? Because with 270,000,000 private weapons in the United States (www.gunpolicy.org), the real issue behind the gun violence is the criminal underground. And what criminals do? Yes, they don't care about any laws. 

Let me illustrate this UberNibbler style with the gun sandwich. Usually, the general population responds better to visual aids. So bite on this.

As you can see, the legal gun owners are the squeezed cheese and the crazies are a baloney. So you can issue as many executive orders or new laws as you want – they won’t solve the problem. BTW, Congress, get to work already. Enough with the party line this and party line that nonsense. We are the people and we demand real actions from the Congress and the States. Get to the bottom of the violence: poor areas, uneducated people, lack of jobs, lack of support, single-parent families. Heal the society and you will disarm the violence. 

Like what you see? Spread the sandwich. Where’s Jared Fogle when you need him?

Lessons from the second 2012 presidential debate

What valuable lessons have we learned from the second presidential debate?

The Town Hall debate style blows.

Watching the debate, I had a urgent feeling of wasted time. Why? Staging together some random people, aka undecided voters, in front of Obama and Romney with their whining gluteus maximus questions was just unbearable to watch.  Perfect example, question from Jeremy Epstein aka Jeremy the College Kid:

Mr. President, Governor Romney, as a 20-year-old college student, all I hear from professors, neighbors and others is that when I graduate, I will have little chance to get employment. What can you say to reassure me, but more importantly my parents, that I will be able to sufficiently support myself after I graduate?

Guy, you are 20 years old, still in college, having fun, possibly binge drinking, although I highly doubt it, and you’re asking the government officials about how to get your first real job?

The real question should be: have either of you ever had munchies after a wild frat party?

But really, how about showing some initiative and getting your face out there to get an internship or work-study job? What is this? A college student version of the lady in 2008 yelling that Obama will pay for her gas and mortgage? Whatever happened to that lady anyway?  That would be a great follow up story for this election.

I’m sure with the national exposure, Jeremy will be employed soon. Perhaps a syndicated reality show called “I Epstein Your Honor” dealing with courtroom hardship of a rookie attorney trying to make it right in the wrong reality.

Did I mention that Town Hall debate style blows?

The other gem question from Michael Jones, just reassured my thesis about houses built before 1978 containing way too much lead paint and affecting nervous system of an average American: 

Mr. President, I voted for you in 2008. What have you done or accomplished to earn my vote in 2012?  I’m not that optimistic as I was in 2012. Most things I need for everyday living are very expensive.

Really Mike? Really? What gave you that idea?

Yes, we realize that the cost of living went up. The price of gasoline pretty much dictates the cost of our existence. Food, common goods, utilities, services, daycare – everything is going up with the salaries being stagnant. We all know that. We also realize that the President of the United States doesn’t directly control the cost of gasoline. The government might influence the cost but the speculators set the final price.  

The bickering between the candidates and the weak moderator.

CNN’s, Candy Crowley, shamelessly lost the control of the debate giving in to the bickering of both Obama and Romney.  No, not because she’s a woman but because we need Barbra Walters to the rescue.  United States is not Turkey and live stage with 65 million Americans watching is a Turkish bazaar.  We’re lucky they didn't start a brawl with all that finger pointing in close proximity.

By the way, Candy Crowley is a woman? Just wait when Arnold Schwarzenegger finds out – enter Conan.  At least she doesn't have to worry about the green card.

Lack of clear points and a strong message.

Yes, President Obama came through more aggressive this time around but neither he, nor Romney, made any clear points about their agenda for the next four years. There was a lot of blame and false numbers going around but no strong substance.

I ask: where’s the beef?  Give me your clear plan.  Herman Cain’s 999 tax plan was questionable but everyone remembers his idea. Though, not so much in Germany.  You would think that a month before the election, both guys would bedazzle the voters with clever ideas about the future of our country.  Financing of Planned Parenthood is not my idea of a plan for a whole country.  We are still waiting meatless here.

One must hope that the 3rd time’s the charm and we’ll finally see some classy statesmen debating the hot issues at hand. People want real answers to real problems.  Meow Mix Meow Mix please deliver!