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Monday, August 29, 2016

CNN Op/Ed Writer Says Best Way for Trump to Show he Cares About Protecting Blacks From "Gun Violence" is to Support Gun Control

Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, and host of SiriusXM's radio's daily program "The Dean Obeidallah Show" and a columnist for The Daily Beast has an Op/Ed at CNN taking Donald Trump to task for saying he is concerned about keeping blacks safe from "gun violence" but doesn't support gun control, which Obeidallah says is the best way to protect them from that fate:
Donald Trump recently began saying he's concerned with keeping African Americans safe from gun violence.

But it's hard to believe he's sincere given that Trump refuses to support the very prescription to do that: Gun safety laws. And unless he talks gun safety measures, it would appear the pundits are correct that Trump's true goal is not to help the black community but rather to persuade white voters uncomfortable with Trump's history of bigotry that he's not a racist.
Obeidallah doesn't stop there,  he ticks off the gun ban lobby's favorite list of proposals that are the only way in his opinion to stop blacks from being the victims of crime involving firearms:
First, Trump should publicly support universal background checks to close what has been called the "gun show loophole." The result will be that private gun dealers -- like their federally licensed counterparts -- will be required to do background checks to ensure that criminals, terrorists and those with certain mental conditions are precluded from legally buying guns. Recent studies show that these types of background checks "can significantly curb gun violence."

Second, Trump should declare his support for proposed legislation drafted by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress that would "make firearm trafficking a federal crime and impose stronger penalties for "straw purchasers" who buy guns for convicted felons and others who are prohibited from buying guns on their own." This, too, could save lives by making it more challenging for criminals to have access to guns.

Trump should also support closing down what are known as "bad apple gun dealers." Shockingly, 90% of the guns used in homicides in the US can be tied to 5% of the gun dealers, according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. But astoundingly, the NRA has fought efforts to crack down on these unethical gun dealers.

And if Trump is sincere, he won't respond by serving up the same tired and baseless NRA talking points that Chicago has the strictest gun laws in the nation so new gun laws won't work.
I guess Obeidallah has never heard of people like Colion Noir, Rick Ector, Maj Toure, Antonia Okafor, or  Chip Eberhart, all of whom are black and who advocate for the right to keep and bear arms.  They know that gun control does not stop crime, it only makes the law abiding victims.

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