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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

[mukto-mona] Obama unveils sweeping plan to battle gun violence



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Obama unveils sweeping plan to battle gun violence

(Left to right): Hinna Zeejah, 8, Taejah Goode, 10, Julia Stokes, 11, and Grant Fritz, 8, who wrote to President …Invoking the painful memory of the schoolchildren killed in Newtown, Conn., a month ago, President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the most ambitious gun-control drive in generations. Proposals include universal background checks as well as bans on assault weapons and ammunition clips that hold more than 10 bullets. Some of his proposals are sure to run headlong into fierce opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress, as well as the powerful National Rifle Association lobby.

"I will put everything I've got into this," Obama, standing alongside Vice President Joe Biden, promised an audience that included relatives of the first-graders slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School, survivors of other mass shootings and elected officials.

"While there is no law, or set of laws, that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil, if there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try," Obama said in his speech. "And I'm going to do my part."

The president declared himself a firm believer in the Second Amendment and denounced those who will cast his "common-sense" approach as "a tyrannical, all-out assault on liberty." He also warned those inclined to support his strategy that passage "will be difficult."

"This will not happen unless the American people demand it. If parents and teachers, police officers and pastors, if hunters and sportsmen, if responsible gun owners, if Americans of every background stand up and say, 'Enough, we've suffered too much pain and care too much about our children to allow this to continue,' then change will come," he said. "That's what it's going to take."

Bowing to political reality, Obama's proposals include a wave of 23 executive actions that circumvent Congress, where most Republicans and a few Democrats have balked at sweeping new restrictions they say could trample constitutional gun rights. The potent NRA has also pledged to defeat new gun control measures.

The executive actions include requiring federal agencies to report more information to the federal background check system and directing the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence. But Obama acknowledged that his more ambitious proposals would have to clear Congress.

Biden, in his introductory remarks, said, "I have no illusions about what we're up against." But "the world has changed, and it's demanding action."

Administration officials who previewed Obama's proposals on a conference call with reporters fleshed out some important details (on condition that they not be named)—and left some important questions unanswered:

- They wouldn't say whether any of the steps the president is recommending would have prevented the massacre at Sandy Hook and other recent mass shootings. One senior official on the call did say, "There's no question that both the actions that he's taking and the legislation that he's proposing will save lives."

- They did not provide an estimate of how many lives would be saved annually if the president got everything he wanted, saying the social science on gun deaths is not precise enough to do so.

- Obama isn't sending "specific legislative language" to Congress, the officials said, instead he's following his usual blueprint of laying out principles and then letting lawmakers craft a bill.

- The proposals to limit the manufacture of new assault weapons and ammunition clips with more than 10 bullets would not affect those already on the market.

- How did they settle on 10 bullets (and not seven, or 15)? One official said that number was taken from the 1994 assault weapons ban that Obama hopes to renew and strengthen.

- Was the so-called "Fast and Furious" gun trafficking scandal a factor in shaping the president's proposals? "It was not," said one official.

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, …

House Republicans gave the proposals a supremely cautious welcome. A spokesman for Republican House Speaker John Boehner, Michael Steel, said, "House committees of jurisdiction will review these recommendations. And if the Senate passes a bill, we will also take a look at that."

After the president's speech, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, often cited as a possible presidential contender in 2016, vowed to oppose the proposals.

"Nothing the president is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook. President Obama is targeting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens instead of seriously addressing the real underlying causes of such violence," Rubio charged in a statement.

And the NRA blasted Obama's approach, saying: "Attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation."

The organization also noted that "only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy."

Sounding almost as cautious as Boehner, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared himself "committed to ensuring that the Senate will consider legislation that addresses gun violence and other aspects of violence in our society early this year." That stopped well short of embracing the president's actual recommendations.

But Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence President Dan Gross praised the White House's "tremendous leadership" and vowed to "work with the administration over the coming months" to promote key proposals.

And retired congresswoman and mass shooting survivor Gabrielle Giffords plans to lobby her former colleagues, while national public opinion polls have shown a surge in popular support for new gun laws.

The president has long said he seeks a comprehensive strategy for preventing future mass shootings while diminishing the death toll from smaller-scale daily killings. Some of what he unveiled would require congressional action, like the assault weapons ban. Some could be achieved with merely a presidential signature—a step that could, in some cases, inflame opposition in Congress, notably among House Republicans.

(Some of those are decidedly small-scale, however: One of the 23 "executive actions" trumpeted by the White House was that Obama will "clarify" that Obamacare "does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.")

Obama scolded the Senate for failing to confirm a director for the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in six years and said he would nominate the agency's acting director, Todd Jones, to the post.

The proposals were the fruit of extensive discussions, led by Biden, with victims' groups, organizations that represent gun owners, elected officials and law-enforcement leaders.

Obama also wants to boost anti-bullying campaigns in schools, and training for educators. Additionally he wants to give schools the ability to use some federal funds to improve safety—but did not explicitly echo the NRA's demand for armed guards in schools.

Key steps also included imposing background checks on all gun purchases. Right now, an estimated 40 percent fall outside existing law, including those at gun shows and other "private" sales, according to gun-control advocates. The existing system has stopped an estimated 1.5 million improper gun sales, according to an Obama aide, but "there's still too many loopholes." The president directed Attorney General Eric Holder to take a "fresh look" into whether the categories of people prohibited from buying firearms needs to be expanded or updated.

Obama also aimed to thaw what the White House called a "freeze" in scientific research of gun violence by the Centers for Disease Control. And he urged Congress to bankroll the CDC to do research into possible linkages between violent video games and other media images and real-life violence, to the tune of $10 million.

"We don't benefit from ignorance," Obama said. "We don't benefit from not knowing the science of this epidemic of violence."

The total cost of the president's proposals was estimated at $500 million.



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[mukto-mona] দেড় কোটি মানুষের ঢাকায় কয়েক হাজার জামায়াত-শিবির ও বিএনপি কর্মী মানব প্রাচীর করলেই জনমত প্রতিফলিত হয় না :



দেড় কোটি মানুষের ঢাকায় কয়েক হাজার জামায়াত-শিবির ও বিএনপি কর্মী মানব প্রাচীর করলেই জনমত প্রতিফলিত হয় না : হাছান মাহমুদ
ঢাকা, ১৫ জানুয়ারি ২০১৩ (বিডিএনএন২৪) :- আওয়ামী লীগের প্রচার ও প্রকাশনা সম্পাদক এবং পরিবেশ ও বনমন্ত্রী ড. হাছান মাহমুদ বলেছেন, দেড় কোটি মানুষের ঢাকা শহরে কয়েক হাজার জামায়াত-শিবির ও বিএনপি কর্মী দাঁড়িয়ে মানব প্রাচীর করলেই জনমত প্রতিফলিত হয় না। আজ ধানমন্ডির আওয়ামী লীগ সভাপতির কার্যালয়ে অনুষ্ঠিত সংবাদ সম্মেলনে ১৮ দলের 'আজকের মানব প্রাচীর কর্মসূচিতে সরকারের বিরুদ্ধে জনমত প্রতিফলিত হয়েছে' বিএনপি'র এ দাবি প্রত্যাখ্যান করে ড. হাছান মাহমুদ সাংবাদিকদের এ কথা বলেন।
সরকারের চার বছর পূর্তি উপলক্ষে জাতির উদ্দেশ্যে দেয়া প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার ভাষণের প্রতিক্রিয়ায় বিএনপি'র মুখপাত্র তরিকুল ইসলামের বক্তব্যের প্রতিবাদে এ সংবাদ সম্মেলনের আয়োজন করা হয়। আগামীকাল বাম দলের ডাকা হরতাল প্রসঙ্গে সাংবাদিকদের এক প্রশ্নের জবাবে হাছান মাহমুদ বলেন, বাম দল মুক্তিযুদ্ধের পক্ষের শক্তি। তাদের নিজস্ব দলীয় নীতি এবং সিদ্ধান্ত থাকতে পারে। সরকারের সমালোচনা করা এবং ভুলভ্রান্তি ধরাসহ শান্তিপূর্ণভাবে হরতাল করা তাদের গণতান্ত্রিক অধিকার। বিএনপি'র ভারপ্রাপ্ত মহাসচিব মির্জা ফখরুল ইসলামের গ্রেফতার প্রসঙ্গে আওয়ামী লীগের প্রচার সম্পাদক বলেন, যে কোনো রাজনৈতিক দলের নেতা-কর্মী কেউ আইনের ঊর্ধ্বে নয়। সুনির্দিষ্ট অভিযোগ থাকলে তাকে গ্রেফতার করা যায়।
গত ১৩ জানুয়ারি বিএনপি'র মুখপাত্র তরিকুল ইসলাম সংবাদ সম্মেলনে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর ভাষণ জনমতের প্রতি পরিহাস বলে যে মন্তব্য করেছেন তার প্রতিক্রিয়া হাছান মাহমুদ বলেন, 'তরিকুল ইসলামের বক্তব্যই বরং দেশবাসীর কাছে পরিহাস বলে মনে হয়েছে। বর্তমান সরকারের উন্নয়ন কর্মকান্ড যখন বিশ্বব্যাপী প্রশংসা কুড়িয়েছে তখন ঈর্ষান্বিত হয়ে কেবলমাত্র বিরোধিতার কারণেই এবং জনগণকে বিভ্রান্ত করার জন্য তরিকুল ইসলাম এ ধরনের বক্তব্য দিয়েছেন।' তিনি বলেন, প্রধানমন্ত্রীর জাতির উদ্দেশ্যে দেয়া ভাষণে যে তথ্য-উপাত্ত তুলে ধরেছেন তা কোনো মনগড়া বক্তব্য নয়। বরং এটি বিশ্বব্যাপী স্বীকৃত প্রামান্য দলিল।
আওয়ামী লীগের প্রচার সম্পাদক বলেন, 'প্রধানমন্ত্রী তাঁর ভাষণে বিএনপি-জামায়াত জোট সরকারের আমলের সাথে বর্তমান সরকারের আমলের তুলনামূলক চিত্র তুলে ধরায় তাদের (বিএনপি) ব্যর্থতার চিত্র জনগণের সামনে উন্মোচিত হয়েছে। এতে করে বিএনপি নেতাদের গাত্রদাহ শুরু হয়েছে।' হাছান মাহমুদ অভিযোগ করেন, বিরোধীদল দায়িত্বশীল ভূমিকা পালনে চরমভাবে ব্যর্থ হয়েছে। তারা ক্রমাগতভাবে সংসদ বর্জন করে চলছে কিন্তু সংসদ সদস্য হিসেবে প্রাপ্য সকল সুযোগ-সুবিধাই গ্রহণ করছে। রাষ্ট্রীয় সুযোগ-সুবিধা রক্ষা করার জন্য বিরোধী দলীয় নেতাসহ তারা সবাই সংসদে পদ রক্ষার জন্য হাজিরা দিয়েছিলো বলে উল্লেখ করেন তিনি।
বিএনপি বিরোধীদল হিসেবে নিজেদের যোগ্যতা প্রমাণ করতে ব্যর্থ হয়ে সংসদে আসেনি উল্লেখ করে পরিবেশমন্ত্রী বিএনপি যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের সঙ্গ ছেড়ে সংসদে এসে দায়িত্বশীল ভূমিকা পালন করবে বলে আশাবাদ ব্যক্ত করেন। সংবাদ সম্মেলনে অন্যান্যের মধ্যে আওয়ামী লীগের স্বাস্থ্যবিষয়ক সম্পাদক বদিউজ্জামান ভূইয়া ডব্লিউ, ত্রাণ ও সমাজকল্যাণ সম্পাদক ফরিদুন্নাহার লাইলী, উপ-প্রচার সম্পাদক অসীম কুমার উকিল এবং কার্যকরী সংসদের নির্বাহী সদস্য এনামুল হক শামীম ও সুজিত রায় নন্দী উপস্থিত ছিলেন।
 


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Call For Articles:

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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[mukto-mona] Saudi Writer upbeat about progress made by Bangladesh



This news item from Saudi Gazette should sting Jamaat-BNP wallahs who are forever maligning the present Govt. and even calling it anti-Islamic (to cull favors from their Islamist jongi-instigator Saudi babas and chachas).

[Faiz is a Pakistani journo in Riyadh, sympathetic to Bangladesh]

<< Saudi Writer Tariq Al-Maeena sounds quite upbeat about the strides of progress made by Bangladesh. He cites two reasons for his opinion: A Diligent Workforce and a Thoughtfully Planned Educational System. >>

URL Link:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130116149478

Love all and always.

Faiz Al-Najdi


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Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

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http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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[mukto-mona] Charlie Rose interviewing Hina Rabbani



Interesting interview with Hina Rabbani.

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12733
 
"All great truths begin as blasphemies." GBS


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Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

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http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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[mukto-mona] Fw: Fwd: BANGLADESH NOW "OVER FLOWING FOOD BASKET" !!!!




----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Muhammad Ali <eastsidepc71@gmail.com>
To: Golap Bhai <rosegarden_35@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 8:54 AM
Subject: Fwd: BANGLADESH NOW "OVER FLOWING FOOD BASKET" !!!!



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Muhammad Ali <manik195709@yahoo.com>
Date: 2013/1/16
Subject: BANGLADESH NOW "OVER FLOWING FOOD BASKET" !!!!
To:


শোনরে রাজাকার , শোনরে জামাত , শোনরে বিএনপি ,
তোদের মুখে চুন কালী দিয়ে ,
বাংলাদেশ এখন " খাদ্যে উপচে পরা ঝুরি " !!





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Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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