Obama hosts town hall meeting on guns

During a town hall meeting Thursday at George Mason University in Virginia, President Obama spoke about his new executive actions, and said while he has "respect" for people who want a gun for hunting, "it makes sense to keep guns out of the hands of people who would do others harm."

Obama took several questions from the audience, including queries from Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.); Tre Bosley, a Chicago resident whose brother was shot and killed there a decade ago; Taya Kyle, the widow of American Sniper subject Chris Kyle; and Kimberly Corban, a woman who was raped and believes the executive actions will prevent her from being able to own a gun. Obama told Corban her story was "horrific," and said there's "nothing we've proposed that would make it harder for you to purchase a firearm." Instead, the action would make it more difficult for her assailant to get a weapon once he is released from prison.

"We're not going to prevent" all acts of gun-related violence, the president said, "but we can prevent some of them." When asked by moderator Anderson Cooper if it was reasonable for him to call people who say he secretly wants to confiscate their guns conspiracists, Obama replied, "Yes, it is fair to call it a conspiracy. What are you saying? Are you suggesting that the notion that we are creating a plot to take everybody's guns away so that we can impose martial law is a conspiracy? Yes, that is a conspiracy! I would hope that you would agree with that. Is that controversial?" He also said he would be "happy" to meet with the National Rifle Association to discuss proposals; the organization was invited to the town hall, but chose not to attend.

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