Enough!
We've put up with it for far too long. We've argued over silly and stupid stuff over and over again.
No, we don't want to take away all the guns. For better or worse, we live in a society sympathetic to gun culture. Although it must be said, I have seen statistics that over half the guns in this country are owned by 3% of our citizens (as reported by a study done by researchers at Harvard and Northwestern University).
No, our plague of mass shootings may not be solely from the easy availability of increasingly deadly firearms. I'm sure we can do better in mental health, and I'm sure there are cultural factors (e.g., many of the shooters are white men who seem to have trouble fitting in, particularly in their relationships with women). But international studies clearly demonstrate - the more guns in a society, the more mass shootings. We're number with a (forgive me) bullet. Number two is Yemen, and they have almost as high a percentage of gun ownership as we do. So for those who advocate that the solution to gun violence is yet more guns - you have descended into an insane, senseless spiral that will only increase the number of gun deaths. Go ahead. Arm everyone in a bar with AR-15s and see what happens.
Not everyone is insane on this issue. Many reasonable gun owners understand the necessity for improved background checks, closing gun show loopholes, keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable and the violent and the domestic abusers, and in limiting assault rifles and raid fire capacity. Spoiler alert - if you go to war with the US Government, even with these weapons, you're going to LOSE. They can beat anything you've got or fantasize about getting.
So why don't some of these common-sense reforms happen, especially ones supported by a majority of Republican voters and responsible gun owners? Because of the NRA and the massive amounts of money they provide for their chosen candidates. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida only offers thoughts and prayers, and won't vote for popular measures. Why? Well, he has over 3,000.000 reasons not too. That's the amount of money he got from the NRA.
As long as politicians can get huge sums of money from the NRA, and not have to pay a political price at the polls, what do they care what their constituents think? I am encouraged by the teenagers of Florida speaking out so forcefully on this issue. Once again, our young people often give me the best hope for our future, But it's not gonna mean diddly-squat to someone like Rubio until it costs him at the polls.
This won't change until the majority of the voters in this country, both Republicans and Democrats, pledge to never vote for an NRA funded candidate again.
You want this to stop?
Gun owners - abandon the NRA and create an alternative group focused on gun safety and responsible gun ownership, with support of modest gun control legislation. You know - like the NRA was sixty years ago.
Young people - keep protesting. Do not stop. Make every legislator in the country pay attention.
Voters - make not receiving NRA contributions a minimum standard for who you vote for. And make sure to apply this standard to federal, state and local officials. They're not going to change until they understand continued allegiance to the NRA agenda will cost them their jobs.
Enough!
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