Say 'Gun Violence Prevention': White House Ally Urges New Messaging In Gun Control Debate

White House Ally Urges Better Message In Gun Control Debate
President Barack Obama speaks during his final news conference of his first term in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama speaks during his final news conference of his first term in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON -- With President Barack Obama set to introduce a comprehensive set of gun policy proposals on Wednesday, a top allied think tank is urging Democrats to adjust their framing of the issue.

The Center for American Progress has already put out a series of legislative recommendations in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month. On Tuesday, the center put out a messaging memo.

Instead of gun control, the memo reads, those pushing for government action should emphasize the notion of "preventing gun violence." Gun regulations, the memo adds, are not at odds with Second Amendment rights but, rather, a supplement to them. And while the "gun lobby" may be against "common sense" gun laws, those laws prevent firearms from ending up in the hands of those who shouldn't have them.

Read the memo below.

An official with the Center for American Progress confirmed that it would be sending its "gun violence prevention" memo to like-minded stakeholders as well as offices on Capitol Hill.

It may be too late to change advocates' habits. But the memo is a small reminder that the real battle in the gun policy wars begins (not ends) with Obama introducing his proposals on Wednesday.

In a recent HuffPost/YouGov survey, 46 percent of Americans said that stricter gun control laws and enforcement were more likely to prevent gun violence, while only 34 percent chose the option of allowing more private citizens to carry firearms.

Before You Go

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