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Gun advocates to sabotage Obama's gun agenda: Analyst

Saturday, 02 January 2016 10:41 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 02 January 2016 10:44 AM ]

“The United States has a culture of guns, of hunting, of violence and it’s kind of ingrained in the American psyche," said Langord.

US President Barack Obama’s plan to unilaterally introduce a series of new gun control measures is a positive step but would likely be “sabotaged” by the powerful gun lobby and its Republican backers in Congress, says an activist and political analyst in New York.

“It’s a very positive action but of course it will be sabotaged by the Republicans especially [now that] they are controlling the Senate and the House of Representatives, because they've traditionally opposed stronger gun control,” Jan Langord said in an interview with Press TV on Saturday.

“The reason for doing so is that gun owners and the gun industry support them and give them financial backing,” he added.

Obama will announce his package of proposals soon after meeting with US Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday to discuss ways to address the "epidemic of gun violence" in the country.

"The gun lobby is loud and well organized in its defense of effortlessly available guns for anyone," the president said in his weekly radio address on Friday. "The rest of us are going to have to be just as passionate and well organized in our defense of our kids."

One of the main proposals Obama is expected to announce would require some unlicensed gun dealers to get licenses and conduct background checks on potential buyers.

Obama looks at Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the 34rd Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Day Services on the west front of the US Capitol on May 15, 2015. (AFP photo)

Currently, only federally-licensed firearms dealers are required to seek background checks on gun buyers. That means that occasional dealers can sell firearms online or at gun shows.

Langord said that gun control has increasingly become an ideological issue in the United States, with opponents and advocates trying to “outdo” one another.

“Gun advocates say that gun control would be a violation of the Second Amendment [of the US Constitution,] but the fact is that the Second Amendment is somewhat ambiguous and is subject to interpretation,” he contended.

Langord also noted that stricter gun laws alone would not truly address the issue of gun violence in the country. “The United States has a culture of guns, of hunting, of violence and it’s kind of ingrained in the American psyche particularly in rural and southern states.”

Some conservatives and gun advocates are mounting a counterattack against Obama, calling for “civil disobedience.”

“It's war. Defy his executive actions. Time for civil disobedience,” Chicago radio host and former congressman Joe Walsh posted on Twitter.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk