Source: G.O.P. Pulls Back on Immigration, Not on Guns – NYTimes.com.
Changes to gun laws, he said, have no such support. “They will have a rough row to hoe,” he said. “I have some donors who own gun stores who said they can’t keep stuff in the store.”
According to gun rights people and the NRA that represents them there is no need to change anything. Everything is fine just the way it is. Having a few kids killed in a class room and a few more killed in a movie theaters and shopping malls is just the collateral damage we have to pay so they we can go hunting and target shooting on the weekends. Everything is fine the way it is.
Everyday in major cities across the country scores are killed because of being caught between rivaling gangs all totting their favorite guns. More than fifty thousand are killed each year by guns. But everything is fine just the way it is. They say they need guns to protect their home and property but statistics show that they are much more likely to get killed themselves than to stop an attacker.
They say that they so much enjoy shooting their guns on the weekends that we should just get used to all those “bad” guys getting guns so easily. If you just stay out of the cities, school rooms, theaters, shopping malls, and grocery stores. then everything will be fine the way it is.
I wonder what the rest of the world thinks about all this resistance to finding possible solutions to the gun violence in our country. Do they see us as just those cowboys who like to have a weapon on our hips? Do they see this as a symptom of those people who love to get into wars with anyone who might disagree with them? Many of them including England, Canada, Australia put in sensible gun regulations years ago and therefore have murder rates many times less than we do. I suspect they just say “there goes those Americans again…”.
I just pray that some day they come to the realization that everything is NOT fine just the way it is when it comes to guns and violence in this country. Yes, guns are only part of the problem but until sensible gun regulations are on the table not much else will likely happen to reduce our murder rates in this county.
If you want to see what gun regulations can do in this country just look at New York City. Its murder rates have reduced significantly since Mayor Bloomberg put in some pretty stiff gun control.
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 
I am confused. The President changed the agenda. He has moved away from monetary policy to immigration. Gun legislation is happening in states. National policy takes time to put together. I am sure it is coming. At least I hope it is.
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I’m confused too. Congress is studying gun law issues, the states are arguing their own laws, the NRA is relentless with their bullying of anyone who isn’t with them. Our governer has decided to throw in legalizing same-sex marriage right now, and to spend gazillions of dollars more on what he deems necessary and is apparently ready to “fight” for all this stuff. We can’t settle ONE issue much less a whole bushel basket of them! He was never much of a fighter before but the atmosphere is changing people…not for the better. The financial situation deteriorates as our politicians diddle around and around. What is wrong with everyone? It’s not worth being so darn “right” at the expense of our national well-being. This is not a joke…don’t they know that they’ll go down with us. I’m pretty much our of steam arguing or even giving my opinion because the responses are so darn strident. I’m kind of liking Chris Christie at the moment…he is brave enough to tell people to shut up.
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Aren’t we all confused. But I think the President can handle more than one issue at a time. It is called multi-tasking…. It doesn’t bother me at all that the States are taking initiative when it comes to gun regulation; the more the merrier as far as I am concerned. I think that federal law supersedes State law where there is a conflict but the two can be enforced at the same time.
Yeah Jane global warming has strange effects on people. :) I like Christie too, he seems to be a rare commodity in politics, someone who is not afraid to say what he believes. Don’t let politics get you too down; its not worth getting too upset over….. I myself enjoy the back and forth sometimes as long as it is kept civil and a little on the light hearted side.
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For me, I think it is the fear factor that outweighs everything. While there is moderate fear by so many that the immigrants will swamp us, there is so much greater fear that there are armies of armed criminals out there who are just waiting for the best time to invade ALL our homes and gun us down for our jewelry and some $383 that we may have in cash. As if MOST of us will win the victimization lottery sometime soon. Ya just gotta be ready ………
And so, with fearful attitudes encouraged by the news reporting of any kind of violent crime that’s happening anywhere in the US, people buy more guns. The USA is in a major state of Paranoia and lack of logical and sensible perspective. Until that is addressed – if it ever can be – too many people will see more guns as meaning more security. Entirely logical, if one constantly watches the Bad News programs. And so what if Junior shoots the school kids! Just part of the risk.
As FDR is alleged to have said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Not entirely true, but on the right track, I figure.
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Thanks for the thoughtful comments again Steve. But here you go again stealing my thunder :) I have a post coming out within the next week about how fear drives so much of what we do in this country lately. It is very much aligned with your comments here.
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Fear…that’s it! You guys are exactly right. We have too many big big issues to face all at the same time (due to years of neglect) and our immediate future seems in jeopardy. Special interests and the media rev it up to no end. Fear generates the news. Fear sells.
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You two are just going to have to stop here before you totally address all the issues about fear in my upcoming posts. :)
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