On Wednesday, Barack Obama won praise for announcing 23 executive orders to reduce gun violence and calling on Congress to pass strong new gun control legislation. However, top Democrats have already backed away from an assault weapons ban despite popular support for the measure, and Obama’s move to increase the number of police officers in schools has experts worried about the growing school-to-prison pipeline. Nation writers George Zornick and Bryce Covert speak with Julianne Hing of Colorlines.com, who argues that a higher police presence will end up funnelling kids into the criminal justice system at a young age.
—Alec Luhn