Obama in Minneapolis: Gun Control is About Saving Lives

President called on voters to pressure their legislators to pass gun control measures.

Speaking to a crowd of local dignitaries and law enforcement officers on Monday, President Barack Obama called on voters to pressure Congress to act on curbing gun violence. "We've suffered too much pain to stand by and do nothing," he said.  "We don't have to agree on everything to agree it's time to do something," he added. What did the Twin Cities think about Obama's visit on social media? Adopting universal background checks, banning military-style assault weapons, limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and putting more police officers on the street are "common sense," bipartisan measures to reduce gun violence, the President said. He also repeated other proposals to expand access to mental health care for young people. Several …

• Photos (4)

Explainer: Why President Obama Chose to Come to Minneapolis

President Barack Obama will visit Minneapolis on Monday to meet with law enforcement and community members to discuss gun control measures nationwide.

President Barack Obama will visit Minneapolis on Monday to meet with local officials about gun violence, less than two months after the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT that claimed the lives of 20 children and six school staffers. The day trip will be the president’s first one outside Washington to discuss his “common-sense” plan to combat gun violence, introduced on January 16 and reiterated a few days later in his weekly video address to the nation (see above). The visit follows his promises to heavily involve communities in tackling this issue. “Everything we do combines both a legislative strategy with a broad-based communications and outreach strategy to get people engaged and involved, so that it's not …

•  55 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

James Warden

3:04 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Sen. Ron Latz and Rep. Tony Cornish made some interesting comments on why the two sides can't see eye-to-eye. Check it out and tell us what you think: http://hopkins.patch.com/articles/latz-gun-control-debate-adds-controversy-to-commonsense-proposals   more ›

Obama's MN Destination: Not Fridley, but Close

The President will speak a mile away at the Minneapolis Police Special Operations Center in north Minneapolis—not at the MPD's Emergency Training Facility in Fridley.

President Obama will visit the Twin Cities Monday, but his one stop announced so far won't quite be in Fridley. You're forgiven if you thought he might be headed to Fridley. KSTP-TV reported Thursday the president will speak on the topic of gun violence at the Minneapolis Police Special Operations Center. That facility is in north Minneapolis. A different Minneapolis police facility with a somewhat similar long name is located in Fridley: the Minneapolis Police Emergency Training Facility. Still, the Minneapolis Police Special Operations Center at 4119 Dupont Ave. N. in Minneapolis is very close to Fridley's southwestern corner, where the Minneapolis Police Emergency Training Facility at 25 37th Ave. NE opened in 2010. For the record, …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (2)

Local Social Media Users React to Obama's Golden Valley Visit

The president visited Minnesota on Friday to speak at the Honeywell plant about jobs, the economy and veterans.

***

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Ellison Report: In New York Times, He Backs Palestinian Statehood

Keith Ellison, Fridley's representative in Congress, wrote a column that appeared in Friday's New York Times.

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-MN), Fridley's representative in Congress, advocated for Palestinian statehood in a column published in the New York Times Friday. His opinion piece comes as Palestinians present a bid for statehood to the United Nations. The Palestinian people are a distinct group that desires, and deserves, to have a homeland that is internationally recognized as a state. The international community has a formal process for recognizing states, and the Palestinian Authority is following that process. As it seeks to join the community of nations this month, world leaders should not forget King’s important lesson about doing what is right. The Palestinians’ use of multilateral diplomacy to achieve statehood represents a step …

• Photos (1)

Fridley in D.C.

Ellison Report: Alternative to Obama Jobs Bill

Progressive Caucus plan 'farther-left.'

The Congressional Progressive Caucus, which U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) co-chairs, released its alternative to President Barack Obama's jobs plan on Tuesday. The Huffington Post described the plan as a "farther-left" proposal that "could provide a negotiating point as the president's bill moves through Congress in the coming weeks." Ellison, Fridley's representative in Congress, said this about the plan: We expect [Republicans] to be opposed. ... But we've got faith in the American people to rise up and demand that Congress pass a jobs bill. So we're fundamentally optimistic, but we're also realistic. ... We do expect the American people are going to bring pressure to bear. Two Challengers In In case you missed it, Minneapolis attorney …

• Photos (1)