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Hillary Clinton Wants Tougher Gun Laws After Oregon Shooting

John O'Connor
/
WLRN

One day after a shooter killed nine people and himself at an Oregon community college, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she’ll seek tougher gun laws if she’s elected.

Clinton made the pledge to about 1,000 people at a Friday campaign rally at Broward College’s Davie campus. Clinton said people shouldn’t be afraid to attend class or see a movie.

“I am going to fight for new, effective gun control measures,” she said

The pledge drew the biggest response from the crowd. Clinton said that changing gun laws is a “political mountain.”

“What is wrong with us,” Clinton asked, “that we can’t stand up to the NRA [National Rifle Association] and the gun lobby and the gun manufacturers they represent?”

Clinton also used the setting of the speech to say that a college education should be less expensive and that students should get some relief from student loans.

She said students should be able to seek a better deal on their loans.

“If you can refinance your mortgage or your car payment, why can’t you refinance your student debt?” she said. “And I don’t believe the federal government should be making a profit off of lending you money to pursue your education.”

Federal student loans are different than other types of debt. They stay with you through bankruptcy and the government sets interest rates.

Clinton said she supports an idea proposed by President Barack Obama: two free years of community college. That would reduce the need for loans.

The visit was intended to fire up Clinton’s Florida supporters.

Boca Raton resident Harriet Molk was one of those supporters. She was introduced to Clinton through some of the candidate’s Yale classmates.

“I think she’s the only one who can really be president in this current world, economic and political situation,” Molk said.

But Molk said she’s concerned about how Clinton – and Democrats more broadly – are campaigning. She thinks the party needs to be more aggressive talking about successes, like the Affordable Care Act national health insurance law.

“Hillary has to lighten up in her press conferences. She has to be more Bill,” Molk said, referring to the former president and Clinton’s husband.

Once the presumptive Democratic nominee, Clinton is now in a race with Vermont Sen.  Bernie Sanders.

Clinton still leads in most national polls, but Sanders has moved ahead in early-voting states like New Hampshire.

Friday’s speech was on friendly ground. Broward County is the heart of the state’s Democratic Party and a “free speech zone” was free of protesters before Clinton spoke.

But the Broward College gym was hot, and Clinton took the stage 66 minutes after the announced starting time. By then, some people had left. Others left before Clinton completed her 28-minute speech.

Molk, a donor to the campaign, was unhappy event staff weren’t attentive enough.

“Now we’re being treated like cattle,” she said, as she spoke to staff  member about finding her seats. “I really resent it.”

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