Following the killing of 20 elementary school children in Newtown, CT in November, President Obama has finally decided that we need to take another look at gun control in this country. Vice President Joe Biden has been meeting with community and industry leaders in an effort to find some common ground on the issue and is expected to to deliver his recommendations on Tuesday. Not surprisingly, the NRA does not support the President and Vice President's efforts.
what eye thynk: The NRA's answer to our mass murder epidemic is simple and clear: more guns--armed guards in schools, guns in churches, guns in bars, in parks... The NRA has no "enough" button. They continue to push and push and push. Once every citizen owns a military style arsenal for their personal use, what then? When a rifle rack comes standard on every car, will they push for an optional bazooka mount for the roof of your mini-van?
This past week I've seen video of NRA supporters going completely nuts over this issue; and while I have to believe these people represent the lunatic fringe of extremism, I find their passion and their willingness to voice it to the world just a little frightening. In my perfect world, people who think like this are aware of how off the charts they are in terms of normal behavior and that awareness awakens a degree of shame that keeps them quiet and contained. I don't like that these people have made me rethink my definition of "normal".
The Piers Morgan interview with radio host Alex Jones, (who wants to deport Mr. Morgan over his anti-gun views), went viral. "1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms! Doesn't matter how many lemmings you get out there on the street, begging for 'em to have their guns taken. We will not relinquish them. Do you understand?!"
A video created by James Yeager, CEO of Tactical Response, a company that trains people in weapon and tactical skills in Tennessee, shows Mr. Yeager promising to "start killing people" if President Obama succeeds in passing new gun control laws.
These are not examples of rational behavior, yet the NRA applauds them for their extremism and that support fosters even more dangerous actions. With no one to tell them they have gone too far, how far will one of these extremists go?
Yes, there are common sense gun owners in this country--lots of them, I'm married to one. But common sense carries a soft voice. Let us hope that Vice President Biden can hear us over the bellowing that is the stock in trade of the NRA. Because, contrary to what people like Alex Jones and James Yeager would have us believe, the NRA doesn't run this country. We do.
There is no simple solution to this issue. Many, perhaps millions of NRA members are peaceful, law abiding people.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, it seems to happen almost daily here in the good old US of A: somebody goes nuts with a gun.
There are extremists on both sides of this argument. And they sound either, dangerous, or foolish, depending on the side they are defending. But here is where that divide deepens.
Those armed extremists threaten death to anyone attempting to disarm them. Now there's an argument that will give them credibility if I ever saw one.
And then the pacifist 'no gun' side counters with, "See? That's what I'm talking about. Crazies with guns!"
And this [extremist] argument has been bouncing around since JFK was assassinated, in 1963, with a mail order military surplus rifle.
There might be a valid point to be made in that it is possible, even likely, that violent computer games contribute much to these random, hate filled massacres.
And that would make sense IF this country was the only country offering access to violent computer games AND assault rifles. Well, it's not.
I don't know what the solution is, but I do know both sides absolutely must open a dialogue and see where it takes them. Like I said, many NRA members are good and decent folks.