Why Gun Control Advocates Need To Get Tough
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Last Monday, America remembered the December 14, 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, by way of the official report released by the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. It confirmed that which we already knew: A lone gunman, Adam Lanza, murdered 20 children and six adults. It is the sixth gun massacre this year.
Americans should be asking themselves just how many innocents have to be killed before we can talk about serious gun control?
The National Rifle Association, of course, is desperate to avoid a serious discussion because after all the recent mass shootings they really don’t have an argument to make. The huge and influential gun lobby hasn’t pushed for a debate on the issue for the same reasons. It’s a hard case to plead because arming everyone in America flies in the face of common sense.
Curiously, the Right thinks it’s just fine for the government to prohibit gay marriage, but controlling guns? Perish the thought! That, after all, would be an unthinkable limit on ‘freedom.’ What about the ridiculous, wasteful and deadly War on Drugs that costs over $40 billion a year? Drug addicts are far more likely to kill themselves than someone else, and of course that is accomplished with a gun. So the question of the day is: If it is right for the government to ban the sale and possession of drugs, then is it right for the government to control guns? Of course it is!
I confess that I agree with the gun lobby when they make the claim that half measures simply won’t work, yet during the last 3 decades the gunners have resisted each and every attempt at a reasonable, balanced approach to gun control. So what’s the point of pro-gun control advocates moderating their demands when the other side, those that want every person in America to own as many guns as they can possibly afford, refuses to accept any reasonable compromise, even when the status quo, ruled by these same advocates, has failed most miserably?
There are those who maintain, most vociferously, that a complete ban on guns is just unreasonable, and even considering such an action is beyond consideration. A recent example of gunners gone wild would be Michigan Governor Rick Snyder who is actually considering ramming a bill through the lame duck session that would allow concealed carry of guns in schools and churches. What? Gun control advocates are expected to be “reasonable” in their demands, while the gun lobby is furiously passing bills to allow concealed carry in schools that are becoming morgues for our children and their teachers.
The sudden increase in gun violence is not the only factor to consider, although they are the main one. A secondary consideration is the use of body armor by the shooter in the Aurora massacre, and according to some unconfirmed reports,in the most recent massacre. The fact is concealed carry laws are not going to stop these massacres unless people packing heat are also going to be wearing body armor to go with it. We need to be seriously discussing more drastic measures if we are going to save our children and ourselves.
It’s long past time the gun control advocates spoke up, and put aside ‘reasonable demands’ which are little more than offers of surrender. They need to do that one thing which the gunners fear the most and that’s to call for a total ban on certain guns, not just assault rifles, but handguns as well, and if it takes a constitutional amendment to do it, so be it.
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Mike, as I have advocated in the past it long past the time when universal background checks should be required in order to sell or or buy a gun by anyone. While the gun lobby will scream and gnash their teeth about the Second Amendment it really has nothing to do with it since the Second Amendment says nothing about requiring background checks. The Second Amendment also says nothing about denying felons from being able to purchase or possess firearms either but the gun nuts find that perfectly acceptable. There needs to be in place a system whereby a person who has been determine to be of unsound mind by a mental health professional can be red flagged in a back ground check for gun purchase. They should also do away with high capacity magazines and clips. But this is sort of like the Republicans vs the Democrats. The Republicans can unite and focus on one thing and fight about that one thing forever while Democrats tend to not be as cohesive. It is the difference in intelligence. Give the Republicans a short, easy to learn and repeat slogan and they will simply keep repeating it like lemming marching into the sea. Democrats, on the other hand, have a tendency to be more thoughtful about issues and ask more and different questions.
Bill the problem with that democrat thoughtfulness is they never stop thinking and start doing. The republicans, on the other hand, do first and think later. As far as guns go it looks like it’s working for them.
Something needs to be done Jerry, but I don’t see it happening either. There’s too many gun nuts in America.
It’s about being reasonable, at least that what the anti-gun crowd wants to believe. I’m no proponent of gun control in the extreme, but I do think who gets them needs to be strictly regulated, but until the pols grab their balls and fight like they’re fighting for their own pay raises it ain’t gonna happen.