Thanks, NRA, for fighting any meaningful regulations that could help keep guns out of the hands of the violent and mentally ill. Thanks to you, guns can be bought in America as easily as a loaf of bread.
We also appreciate your work on ferociously opposing the Brady Bill (which Ronald Reagan, by the way, supported). Rest assured, though, despite your crazy, paranoid fantasies, NO meaningful action will be taken on guns in the aftermath of this latest horrible bloodbath.
Thanks to you, dozens, if not hundreds of more children will be brutally slaughtered in the decades to come.
The NRA truly is a cowardly organization. For example, they cowered under a rock and waited nearly five days to offer any kind of response to the Connecticut bloodbath. How chickensh*t is that? If they had the courage of their convictions, they would have spoken up sooner.
If you're sick of the slaughter, consider boycotting the companies that are affiliated with the NRA.
And consider signing this petition which aims to pressure the Obama Administration to produce legislation that limits access to guns.
How easy is it to get a gun in today's America? Consider this (as noted by columnist William Rivers Pitt):
"Facts: Colorado, Oregon and Wisconsin allow guns on college campuses. Mississippi likewise allows guns on college campuses, as well as in secondary schools, polling places, churches, passenger terminals at airports, and bars. Tennessee, Arizona, Georgia, Virginia and Ohio also allow guns in bars. You can shoot a gun in Missouri when you're drunk, and as long as it's considered to be in "self-defense," you're within your rights. In Vermont, you can sell a pistol to a 16-year old kid. Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Arizona, Tennessee and Alaska have all passed laws saying that guns made in-state are not subject to federal regulations. The Florida "Stand Your Ground" law has gotten a lot of attention after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, but 24 other states besides Florida have enacted similar laws.
A violent felon in Minnesota can regain their gun ownership rights if they successfully petition the court about having "good cause." In Ohio, a violent felon can retain their gun rights if they prove to a court that they have led a "law-abiding life." You can get your guns back in Georgia and Nebraska even if you've committed manslaughter and armed robbery, and in Montana, your guns will be returned to you if you didn't use a gun when you committed your crime. That seems to fly in the face of the old saw that says, "If you make guns criminal, only criminals will have guns."
I agree. However, I also feel personally culpable due to my own cynicism. Things seem a little more hopeful now. I still question how much can be done about shootings of this kind, but a lot can be done about the roughly 11,000 gun killings each year and even more about the roughly 16,000 who kill themselves with guns each year.
ReplyDeleteDuring the week leading up the Sandy Hook shooting, a father accidentally shot and killed his 7-year-old son outside a gun shop. It mystifies me that people think more guns will make us safer. It is like thinking that having broken glass all over your house will make people safer because everyone will know that they have to be real careful.
Hi Frankly Curious, thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeletere:
>>Things seem a little more >>hopeful now.
I hope you are right. Here where I live in Texas, it looks pretty gloomy on this front. In fact, I think I'm the ONLY person I know who is in favor of intelligent gun regulations. (And that goes for both the Conservatives and the Liberals I know here).
Ironically, the only person I know here who isn't a gung-ho NRA enthusiast is someone who recently served in Iraq (and who is completely sick of all violence). BTW, he's also the only person I personally know who actually served in the military.