We are addicted to guns.
Now this horror in
Las Vegas.
Other developed countries have more sensible laws. “The
United States’ gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than other high-income
countries” -- The Guardian: So, America, this is how other countries do gun control.
It’s not only the laws, it’s the culture. In what country, other than the U.S. would
you see a politician brandishing a gun, like Alabama’s Roy Moore proudly did,
and then get endorsed by its leader?
After the terrorist attacks in Paris Trump said that it "would've
been a much different situation if the city had looser gun laws” meaning if
everyone had a gun the shooter might have been taken down earlier. Makes a lot of sense, arm everyone and that
will lead to less shooting.
I wonder how Roy Moore’s cap gun would have stood up in
the Las Vegas shooting, or anyone’s hand gun for that matter pitted against
someone with a military grade automatic weapon firing from far away, and way
above.
After Representative Steve Scalise was shot last year
when a gunman targeted a congressional baseball practice I wrote the following
about gun control: unless we all pull together the subsequent dialogue can go two
divergent ways. One could lead us down
the path of greater authoritarianism and the call for arming more citizens
(although a greater police presence is going to be necessary when many of our Representatives
are in public venues). The other path
could call for the long-needed ban of military grade weapons. Are we all supposed to be armed with AR-15s
on our baseball fields? I’m no Pollyanna
and know that such a ban would have little impact on what happens in the near
future. I’m thinking long term. This is not about challenging the 2nd
Amendment, and it is not about Republican vs. Democrat. It’s about common sense banning military
weapons, doing comprehensive background checks, expanding our treatment of
mental illness, and developing better early warning signs of mentally disturbed
people from social networks and prior arrests.
Senseless to repeat everything I’ve written about this
self-inflicted plague, our love of guns.
It starts with more sensible laws, better education, and a change in our
thinking that having a gun somehow symbolizes freedom and machismo.
The key word index to this blog says it’s 19th
time I’ve written about the topic. With
each outrage I feel the urge to say my piece.
This particular entry after the Orlando shooting summarized some of them.
Perhaps we will finally have the wisdom to approach this
problem sensibly as have other developed nations. What politician has the courage and is willing to lead? Although he's taken contributions from the NRA, I nominate John McCain for the role. It is time to stand up for what is right. He's respected on both aisles, and an about-face would be a fitting legacy. "Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
