# Obama vows to use power of office to safeguard children. Can anyone explain what that means? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452 "2012-12-18T20:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/1 "2012-12-18T20:40:48Z")
Can we keep the snark to a minimum please? This is just too serious an issue for it. Obama made a pretty strong and emotional speech. I’m really not sure what to make of it. Obviously he’s going to push to renew the assault weapon ban. That’s a given. But exactly what does he expect to accomplish with this meeting of law enforcement and mental health officials? What the heck can they do or suggest? This recent school shooter had no history of violence at all. No criminal record. Yes he was a social misfit but that’s not enough to commit him to a mental hospital. I see nothing what so ever that could have been done before hand. The Aurora shooter’s behavior was more troubling and his college was aware of it. But, IIRC he also had no criminal record. Maybe a psychiatrist could have order the Aurora shooter committed, but for how long? The days of locking up the mentally ill for a lifetime are long past. We haven’t done that in fifty years unless the person is an extreme danger to society and can’t be helped with medication. How are we supposed to protect society from someone that hasn’t done anything yet? I don’t see what will be accomplished with Obama’s plan. As for guns. Connecticut already has one of the stricter gun control policies. The shooter was turned down last week when he tried to buy a gun. The only plan I’ve heard that makes sense is to increase security. I’ve heard suggestions that the vets from Iraq and Afghanistan could use the employment now that our military is drawing down. Trained security would have stopped the school shooter as he was shooting out the glass door. He would have never gotten inside. Exactly what could Obama do? [http://www.startribune.com/politics/183770451.html?refer=y](http://www.startribune.com/politics/183770451.html?refer=y) > [@](#): > > “Because what choice do we have?” a somber Obama said at a Sunday evening vigil in the grieving community of Newtown, Conn. “We can’t accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage? That the politics are too hard?” > > The newly re-elected president offered few specifics about how he planned to proceed, saying only that he will engage with law enforcement, mental health professionals, parents and educators in the coming weeks. Just days after the shooting at an elementary school, Obama is already facing pressure from fellow Democrats and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to tackle gun control legislation, a contentious issue he avoided as he sought a second term. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/2 "2012-12-18T21:41:01Z")
He’ll use his “lame duck” immunity to highlight gun issues from the “Bully Pulpit.” He’ll talk about it more, as if on campaign. He’ll fund-raise for it, etc. Giving speeches is one of the President’s subtlest ex-constitutional powers. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/3 "2012-12-18T21:45:34Z")
Any substantive change is going to have to come as a mandate from the people, not the White House, or even from Congress. Unless a way is found to get a substantial majority of the people thinking that giving up guns/armed guards in schools/schools built like prisons/closing the schools is a good idea, it’s not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/4 "2012-12-18T21:54:23Z")
Society may have to rethink our release of schizophrenics. The mental hospitals have been dumping them on the streets for decades and prescribing outpatient medicines. A lot of the homeless are schizophrenic and may or may not be taking their meds. Probably not if they are homeless and broke. But, in fairness the mentally ill homeless aren’t the ones shooting up theaters and schools. I don’t know what can be done with someone that’s mentally ill but not considered dangerous. If they decide to commit mass murder how can anyone know ahead of time? That’s too many people to commit to mental hospitals. Some other solution is needed. > **[Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics](http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm)** > > Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics - Schizophrenia.com > [@](#): > > Approximately 200,000 individuals with schizophrenia or manic-depressive illness are homeless, constituting one-third of the approximately 600,000 homeless population (total homeless population statistic based on data from Department of Health and Human Services). ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/5 "2012-12-19T08:05:38Z")
But this man wasn’t a released schizophrenic, or homeless, or anything like that. Just a nutter. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/7 "2012-12-21T05:47:38Z")
ThomasdWBroadd’s spam post reported. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vows-to-use-power-of-office-to-safeguard-children-can-anyone-explain-what-that-means/644452/8 "2012-12-21T07:43:22Z")
I don’t know what Obama could have meant other than that he would just fight for gun control legislation. I mean, he could theoretically deploy the army and national guard to every school in America, but obviously he didn’t mean that he’s going to do that.