Read the rest of Slate’s coverage of the Sandy Hook school shooting.
“Today is not [the] day” to engage in a policy debate about gun control, according to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. So when is the day?
The sad truth is the White House has ducked this debate over and over again, despite a litany of tragedies. We must discuss the ease of access to guns, right now. After the Aurora shooting, not a single question was asked about it at a debate mere miles from the scene. Delay now would be to shamefully disregard a pressing public issue.
In June, President Obama finally appealed to his base by taking important steps on immigration and same-sex marriage—but only when he needed to activate those voters for the election. This is not a White House that has shown a great desire to take up the tough issues.
Now is the time to push them. Now is the time for the president to realize he has the largest and loudest megaphone in the world. If he doesn’t use it now, when will he?
