This time in Oregon. 9 dead. 10, including the perpetrator. Another hue and cry, more politicians offering their "thoughts and prayers" but little else, more people trying to defelct the conversation to mental health.
(Not that mental health is not a worthy cause in and of itself. If nothing else, at least the gun apologists' attempts to change the conversation will have some positive effect.)
The president seems angrier this time. He's got nothing to lose now, politically, no more elections to win. So maybe something will actually happen this time. But I'm not going to hold my breath. Support for stricter gun control laws is tepid at best. It flares up after a tragedy like this, but the strongest supporters are in places where they already have some of the strictest gun control laws, like my own state of Massachusetts. Here you must undergo a comprehensive background check when you get your gun license, so ironically there is no waiting period. If you have a valid Mass. firearms permit, you can walk out of the store with as many guns as you want (up to five).
Now, as many of you know, I am not in favor of private citizens owning handguns. Rifles and shotguns I have no problem with. But I understand that the political reality is that guns are legal in the United States and are likely to remain so. That being the case, I believe we must have strong, consistent, and well-enforced gun control laws. And there should be a national registry of all firearms containing records of when they are bought, sold, or otherwise change hands. Conservatives HATE that idea.
But honestly I don't think we are going to get any of that. Once again, the ugly reality of politics will prevent it. And in the end, we get exactly the country we want, in which the occasional mass shooting is just part of the background noise.
Another Mass Shooting
Started By
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, Oct 03 2015 05:37 PM
192 replies to this topic
#1
Posted 03 October 2015 - 05:37 PM