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 …

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Letters to the Editor

Open Letter to John Kline: Work to Ban Assault Weapons; Make Us Safer

Letter writer: "Congressman Kline, I ask that you seriously consider a ban of assault weapons and high capacity magazines."

  Editor's note: The following is an open letter to Congressman John Kline, in response to an article Apple Valley/Rosemount Patch ran on Dec. 17 titled: Kline Calls Connecticut Tragedy 'Unthinkable,' But Stays Mum on Gun Legislation. To the editor, and Congressman Kline, I am writing today out of deep concern for the safety of fellow citizens, as well as my family and children. I sincerely hope, in light of the recent shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, that you will seriously re-consider your stance on banning assault weapons.  There is no hunting rifle that requires a magazine clip of 30 rounds. There is NO CIVILIAN who would ever need to carry that type of fire power. The hunting argument is completely …

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