The terrible shooting at a school in Parkland, FL makes
one stop and wonder how our nation can standby and watch the 2nd
amendment metastasize into a form of a rationalized killing field. One feels so helpless with a bunch of
politicians calling it “evil” and offering prayers to the victims and their
families and then do absolutely nothing.
It should be THEIR children in those classrooms. How would they feel then? I’ve taken to twitter to express my knee-jerk
response, but in this blog I’ve written nearly two dozen articles on the topicof gun control. How in the world can we sanction
military style weaponry as being a “right,” in spite of the 2nd
amendment? Even better than only banning
them, we should require the registration of any weapon as we do
automobiles. Something has to be done
now.
So here are my knee-jerk Tweets, good for blowing off
steam, but useless to create change.
Below that is one of my most recent blog entries on the topic, written
after the mass murdering at a rural Texas church late last year as it pretty
much says it all.
I just could not go about a “normal” day in my life without first expressing my outrage and disgust, at our politicians and our lack of moral leadership.
I just could not go about a “normal” day in my life without first expressing my outrage and disgust, at our politicians and our lack of moral leadership.
Banning the sale of automatic weapons such as the AR-15 is part of a long term solution. No one is naive enough to contend it would immediately prevent such tragedies. Do your job Rubio to protect schoolchildren not the NRA. Such a ban does not violate the 2nd amendment https://t.co/emCmbLItXu— Robert Hagelstein (@lacunaemusing) February 15, 2018
Prayers and thoughts and condolences, our President’s action plan for gun control. https://t.co/SJJLd1ysm9— Robert Hagelstein (@lacunaemusing) February 14, 2018
T***p took credit for no commercial airline deaths last year. How about the thousands of gun deaths each year?— Robert Hagelstein (@lacunaemusing) February 14, 2018
When do our elected representatives take action? Any action at all? They are all culpable. https://t.co/x0pJOuxo5Q https://t.co/HaQYEiHbi3
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
I’m sick of watching what has become of our country. Mass slaughtering reduced to biblical
rhetoric of good vs. evil, with responses of tougher immigration laws if the
murderer is anyone of middle eastern descent and “thoughts and prayers” for the
victims and their families if the assault is committed by a Caucasian nut job.
Good vs. evil.
“May God be with you,” offered to the Texas town of the church
shootings. In a church of worship! Where was God at that moment? How can these incidents be reduced to the
simplistic good vs. evil?
It plays into our psyche of “good guys” coming to the
rescue, the rationalization that MORE guns are needed by the “good guys” to
offset those carried by the “bad guys.”
Where is the Lone Ranger when you need him? Even better, Superman! The Texas Attorney General suggested that
churches should consider armed worshipers.
This is a solution?
Let’s get serious about gun control once and for
all. If we had more restrictive gun
ownership legislation after the University of Texas tower shooting in 1966,
where would we be today? It has to start
sometime, and the moment has arrived to ban assault weapons. Go a step further and require registration of
weapons as we do motor vehicles. Provide
a government cash bounty for anyone turning in an assault weapon for a period
of time, no questions asked. Anyone in
possession of such a weapon after the bounty period is breaking the law.
This does not nullify the 2nd amendment, but it brings it
more into alignment with today’s weapon technology which the founding fathers
could have never imagined. If the NRA
doesn’t like it, let them own muskets, the weapon of choice when the amendment
was enacted.
Our gun violence and lax gun laws are the worst of
developed countries. Many other countries just ban gun ownership and their lack
of gun violence verses ours reflect that and cultural values as well.
And, please, the false equivalency argument of they’ll
use trucks instead, so why shouldn’t we ban trucks is specious (as those who
make the argument know). Any politician
who can say that with a straight face ought to be run out of office. But as the
Texas massacre takes place on the heels of the horrid truck terrorist attack in
Manhattan, NRA apologists are quick to make that facetious case.
Trump responded to the Texas massacre saying “I think
that mental health is your problem here. We have a lot of mental health
problems in our country, as do other countries. But this isn’t a guns
situation.” Yes, mental health problems
need to be simultaneously addressed, but it IS a guns “situation” as well. And why did he genuflect to the NRA,
rescinding a regulation that makes it harder for people with mental illness
histories to purchase guns?
Our “leaders” must offer more than condolences and
prayers to the thousands and thousands of families who have been impacted by
gun violence and those who will be victims in the future.
