Music

Musicians support Obama's bold gun control move

by Richard Howard

In a move that refreshingly contradicted the usual ineffectual political pandering, President Barack Obama announced a plan to take executive action addressing gun violence on January 5, 2016.

Basically, this means he’ll be able to institute measures restricting who can sell guns without a license and improving background checks without the approval of congress, where republicans are refusing to support such measures. Since the announcement, a number of musicians have come out in support of the move. Click through the gallery above to see their responses.

This kind of public support is definitely a good thing, because executive orders can be pretty shaky ground – their opponents can challenge them in court, and a republican president can simply overturn them. Here’s hoping that if it comes to that, public opinion (celebrity or not) can make them look bad enough for trying that they don’t stand a chance. Of course, the fact that gun maker Smith & Wesson’s shares soared higher than they have in a decade after Obama’s announcement due to predictions of a buyer’s rush doesn’t instill me with confidence.

C’mon, America. We believe in you.