By Caleb Gasteiger | Staff Writer |

The National Rifle Association (NRA) that backed members of the Republican party are doing all that they can to make sure any gun legislation provided by President Barack Obama is shot down.

“Practical progress is possible by enacting tougher background checks that won’t infringe on the rights of responsible gun owners, but will help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.” President Obama said in a speech to The Denver Police Academy on April 10.

This Academy is located only miles away from the brutal Aurora movie theater massacre where 12 people were killed and 58 others injured.

The fuel behind these proposals also comes from the wake of the Newtown school shooting where 20 children were killed along with six adults.

“I firmly believe that all of the gun laws that we have has done nothing to curb violence,” said Bill Rhinehart a Southern California NRA member.

“In fact, I don’t believe anymore gun laws are going to help anything!”

Rhinehart is not alone in his feelings on the matter.

There are 13 Republican senators who are promising to filibuster any gun laws that will tighten regulations of any kind on sales and background checks, according to The New York Times.

This group includes Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

“I’m not really for guns on campus by any means, but I’m definitely someone who feels like we should be able to own guns,” said CSUSB student Christopher Bohse.

When asked about the ability to own assault rifles Bohse said, “You know, there is no reason for anyone to have an ‘assault weapon.”

Most Americans stand behind some of the proposals that Obama puts forth.

According to the results of a CNN poll released April 10, 86 percent of Americans are in favor of strengthening background checks in some form.

That same poll also stated that 83 percent of Americans favor Obama’s proposal to require background checks at gun shows.

Other proposals that Obama has put on the table include expanding background checks to all gun sales, cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchases, and finding ways to improve the safety of our schools.

Straw purchases are when a private agent buys a gun for someone who is legally unable to purchase it.

Some states, like California, already require a 10-day waiting period to purchase firearms, even from a private dealer.

Former White House Chief of Staff and current Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, believes this is not enough.

Rahm said in a recent interview on CNN, “There are gun purchases done in Indiana and then brought over. So you need a uniform policy on gun control.”

This ideal follows suit with Chicago’s own gun policies which are believed by some to be the strictest laws in the nation.

Despite its tough regulations, Chicago’s number of murders in 2012 totaled up to 506, which broke its previous record of 433 gun related deaths in 2011.

At the heart of this debate, there are two sides wanting the same thing: the safety and freedom for the American people and students.