Page 24 - min.soc 9 jan,2016
P. 24
A6
U.S. NEWSSaturday 9 January 2016
Seeking support for gun actions, Obama rips gun lobby OK judge says man
must stand trial in
JOSH LEDERMAN imposing martial law. He and child-proof medicine pared to have a debate beheading at work
KEVIN FREKING blamed that notion on the bottles as examples. with the president.”
Associated Press National Rifle Association Obama, taking the stage The White House has sought TIM TALLEY
FAIRFAX, Virginia (AP) — and like-minded groups at George Mason Univer- to portray the NRA, the na- Associated Press
President Barack Obama that convince its members sity, said he’s always been tion’s largest gun group, as NORMAN, Oklahoma (AP)
tore into the nation’s larg- that “somebody’s going to willing to meet with the possessing a disproportion- — A man accused of be-
est gun lobby on Thursday come grab your guns.” NRA — if they’re willing to ate influence over lawmak- heading a co-worker with
as he sought support for “Yes, that is a conspiracy,” address the facts. He said ers that has prevented new a large butcher knife at an
gun laws despite polls that Oklahoma food process-
President Barack Obama, left, speaks on gun control during a CNN televised town hall meeting show broad U.S. support ing plant must stand trial
hosted by Anderson Cooper, right, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Thursday, Jan. 7, for measures like universal for first-degree murder, a
2016. background checks. Last judge ruled Friday after a
year, following a series of hearing at which witness-
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) mass shootings, Obama es graphically described
pledged to “politicize” the what they saw in the Sep-
his actions on gun control, Obama said. “I’m only go- the NRA was invited to the issue in an attempt to lev- tember 2014 attack.
accusing the powerful lob- ing to be here for another forum but declined to par- el the playing field for gun Alton Nolen could face the
by group of peddling an year. When would I have ticipate. Several NRA mem- control supporters. death penalty if convict-
“imaginary fiction” that he started on this enterprise?” bers were in the audience NRA spokesman Andrew ed in the rampage at the
said has distorted the na- Obama defended his sup- for the forum, which was Arulanandam said ahead Vaughan Foods plant in
tional debate about gun port for the constitutional organized and hosted by of the event that the group Moore, an Oklahoma City
violence. right to gun ownership CNN. saw “no reason to partici- suburb.
In a prime-time, televised while arguing it was consis- “There’s a reason why the pate in a public relations Cleveland County Spe-
forum, Obama dismissed tent with his efforts to curb NRA’s not here. They’re just spectacle orchestrated cial Judge Steve Stice or-
what he called a “con- violence and mass shoot- down the street,” Obama by the White House.” Still, dered him to stand trial on
spiracy” alleging that the ings. He said the NRA was said, referring to the the group pushed back charges including first-de-
federal government — refusing to acknowledge group’s nearby headquar- on Obama in real time on gree murder and assault
and Obama in particular the government’s respon- ters. “Since this is a main Twitter, noting in one tweet and battery with a deadly
— wants to seize all fire- sibility to make legal prod- reason they exist, you’d that “none of the presi- weapon.
arms as a precursor to ucts safer, citing seatbelts think that they’d be pre- dent’s orders would have Nolen, 31, has pleaded not
stopped any of the recent guilty. His attorney, Mitch
mass shootings.” Solomon of the Oklahoma
The American Firearms Indigent Defender’s Office,
Retailers Association, an- declined to comment af-
other lobby group that ter the hearing.
represents gun dealers, Investigators have said
did participate. Asked Nolen had just been sus-
how business had been pended from his job when
since Obama took office, he walked into the compa-
Kris Jacob replied: “It’s ny’s administrative office
been busy.” and attacked Colleen Huf-
“There’s a very serious con- ford, 54, severing her head.
cern in this country about They say he also stabbed
personal security,” he add- another co-worker, who
ed. survived, before he was
Obama’s actions on guns shot by a company execu-
have drawn major atten- tive.
tion in the presidential Gary Hazelrigg, Vaughn’s
campaign, with the Demo- customer service manager
cratic candidates backing at the time, said Hufford
Obama and the Republi- was in his office on Sept. 25,
cans unanimously voicing 2014, when a man he iden-
opposition. q tified as Nolen came into
the office and grabbed
Maine: her, placing one hand on
her forehead with the oth-
Governor sorry about ‘young white’ girls remark er hand holding a “large,
heavy butcher knife drawn
PATRICK WHITTLE Money, Smoothie, Shifty” and beyond. LePage is trail that he’d tell President across her neck.”
Associated Press and added “half the time white. The president of the Barack Obama to “go to “In no more than a second
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — they impregnate a young local chapter of the Na- hell,” and soon after he or two, the man pulled her
Maine’s Republican gover- white girl before they tional Association for the was elected to his first term, forehead toward him and
nor apologized Friday for his leave.” Advancement of Colored he told an NAACP chapter made a vicious cut across
remark about out-of-state “My brain didn’t catch People, Michael Alpert, to “kiss my butt.” her throat with the knife,”
drug dealers impregnating up to my mouth. Instead called the remarks “sad” LePage said Friday that Hazelrigg testified.
“young white” girls, saying of ‘Maine women,’ I said and “foolish.” The gover- he’s passionate about ad- Nolen then threw Hufford
he didn’t mean to inject ‘white women,’” LePage nor’s spokesman said Thurs- dressing the state’s drug to the floor, sat on top
race into discussion of the said, noting that Maine is day that he wasn’t making problem. Maine was on of her and sawed at her
state’s heroin epidemic. among the nation’s whitest a comment about race. pace for a record year for throat, Hazelrigg said. He
Gov. Paul LePage had de- states. The governor’s com- LePage’s comments at drug overdose deaths in said he repeatedly tried
scribed the drug dealers ment Wednesday evening times get him into trouble. 2015; the final figures have to knock Nolen off her. He
as “guys with the name D- drew criticism from Maine He said on the campaign not yet been tallied. q said he thought he heard
Nolen say: “Die ... die.”q
