President Barack Obama engaged in a debate on Tuesday night with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney over the subject of gun control. Obama said he was thinking of pushing to ban assault weapons if he is reelected.
At their second debate, both men danced around the question about gun control, a reflection of how they do not want to offend voters who are supporters of gun rights. However, President Obama said he would support a ban on assault weapons like the one that was signed back in 1994 but then President Bill Clinton. That law was for 10 years and expired without Congress renewing it.
As Massachusetts governor, Romney signed a similar ban, but has said he would not support a ban on assault weapons if he were elected president. He would not say why he had changed his stance, but in his victory for the Republican nomination, he pleased conservative voters who are for the most part opposed to any form of gun control and he was also endorsed by the National Rifle Association, a very influential group.
Nevertheless, on Tuesday, Obama appeared ready to endorse a measure for banning the weapons if reelected.
Romney was not too eager to talk about gun control and even appeared eager to move on to a different topic saying the country should enforce the laws we have and change the violent culture that exists in the country.
