Those who follow my blog know that I try to keep politics out of it, but I can not sit by and ignore the utter insanity of the events that keep happening–of the never ending mass shootings in our country. Then politicians, the President and many in Congress, come out and offer their prayers and thoughts, while they take blood money from the NRA and the gun manufacturers.
How many innocent people, how many children, both elementary and high school children will have to die and be wounded before action is taken to correct the situation?
When will Americans say, in a united voice, that this will happen no more, that we will hold politicians who do not enact reasonable gun legislation responsible for their increasing cowardice, hypocrisy, and corruption? I have never been a one policy voter, but now I will never vote for a politician who does not support gun legislation, and I hope the majority of Americans say the same thing. Only then, can real action be taken, and the situation can be changed.
I am not arguing that Americans should not be able to have certain guns for self-protection or hunting, but no citizen should be allowed to have an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. They exist only to kill as many people as possible in a short a time as possible.
And for those who would scream out “The Second Amendment,” I suggest you read it, parse it, analyze it, and understand its intention. We have a military now, and a militia is no longer needed.
As a nation, we need to grow up and act as responsible adults. We need the United States of America needs to be a civilized nation where children and teachers are safe in school, where people can gather to enjoy an evening out, and where attending a concert is not an act of bravery in the face of danger.
We need responsible gun legislation now.
How many will join me in voting against any politician who will not support such laws?
Please specify what law, that currently doesn’t exist, that you would like to see passed. I mean this in the most “let’s have a civil discussion” way possible. I see a lot of calling for “common sense gun laws,” but no suggestions for what new laws we need.
And understand that automatic weapons have been illegal for forty years, possession only allowed in rare circumstances. Semi-automatic is necessary for self defense. If you had to manually get the next round chambered, and missed on the first while defending yourself, that could be the end of you.
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Semi-automatics are NOT needed for self-defense. If you can defend yourself with a shotgun or revolver, then you should not have a gun. And being able to buy a gun like that at 18 is in itself insane, an age where that person cannot buy a drink. So, yes, there are many more laws to pass.
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I think any kind of firearm for self-defence should just not be allowed. I know I’m talking about extremes here, but we should be able to evolve a society where people will not attack another human being or animal in a lethal way in the first place. Part of the reason why guns become our choice of weapons is that they are made available easily enough. Why authorize them at all?
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That is an excellent point!
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Thank you 🙂
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You are welcome!
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🙂 🙂
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i am all in.
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Thank you! I suspect I will lose some followers, but I do not care.
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I think any responsible person, any one with love for this country will see that we have a congress and president for the people in the upcoming election. Hopefully despite Trumps reluctance to retaliate against the Russian s they will not determine the outcome of our voting process. Thank you for the article. It expresses my feelings perfectly. This must stop.
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You are very welcome, and thank you!
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YES. Thank you, Charles.
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You are very welcome!
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Agreed. No one needs a semi-automatic weapon. I just wrote a post about gun control myself. It’s gotten way out of hand in this country.
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Thank you!
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A young person can buy a AK 14 before he can buy a beer? Our country has gone stark raving gun mad. People care more about their guns than all these children being gun downed and murdered? The constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. I suggest all weapons legal at the time of the signing of the constitution be legal to sell and purchase in the US now. Let them own and stuff their gun powder loaded single-shot muskets. The signatories to the constitution did not intend for young people, in mass, to buy military combat rifles, with multiple magazines, capable of carrying out mass slaughter in the click of finger.
How stupid can we possibly be? Why is it necessary to even have this conversation? Why is the citizenry of so many other countries so much smarter than the 33% of gun worshiping Americans who oppose increased gun control legislation and remain utterly deaf to the 66% of Americans who want stricter gun control laws (Latest Gallup Poll). We are the laughing stock of the world now due to this 33%. I remember when America used to be great. We have fallen such a long, hard, way.
I am very mad at these gun owners who have the blood of the innocents on their hands and pretend to deny this.
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Thank you–that was said brilliantly. I agree with you completely.
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Cindy, this is wonderful. It states so beautifully what should be said. This country IS being held hostage by a small group of gun-loving fools, egged on by the NRA and its power-grabbing leaders. And these insidious dealings the NRA has with this Republican controlled congress and its president has helped them gain control over the ever-growing outrage by the large majority of American citizens wanting them to act on controlling this kind of gun violence. Stupid comments like “Take my gun? You’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hand!” only hints at more insane gun violence to come by suggesting that a gun owner will have no respect whatsoever for law and order, much less any reasonable adherence to any gun control or mental health legislation. And you’re right, the rest of the world bans these weapons and suddenly their countries mass-killings go down, only here (where stupidity reigns supreme) does it grow greater. This 33% even acts as if they will use these weapons on anyone or any law enforcement official in an attempt to keep their guns at any cost while nefariously hiding behind the Second Amendment as an excuse gather even more destructive weapons. Law abiding citizens? HARDLY!
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Once again, I appreciate your passionate comments!
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Your welcome, Charles.
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standing with u
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thank you!
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I believe we can do better to help these kids. Not expel them school after school. Perhaps if we took time to listen, they would not get so worked up and take their anger out on past class mates. Shouldn’t we be watching our tongues and what we say to our neighbors? Our schools are a mess. I tutor homeless kids and the school i am in is failing. Their home life is absolute violence and no structure in the home. They learn at a young age anger gets them noticed. This kids choose to be noticed by threats of using guns to get revenge and the FBI knew he wanted to shoot as many as he could. We are failing the poor in this country. We are not listening!!! We listen to politicians who promise what we think will fix the problem without so much as reaching a helping hand ourselves. Talk is cheap. Laws get broke. Hearts are healed by people who take time and care!!!
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You are correct–we are failing children, of all kinds. We need to address the complex problems in our country, and we need to care about each other.
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Preach it! Thank you for this post!
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You are very welcome!
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Thank you Charles, for being a person who is not afraid to stand up and tell the truth about what has happened here. No one ever needs an AK 15 semi-automatic weapon. This all started with Citizens United and the lapse of the previous ban on semi-automatic guns when congress deemed to sell their souls to gun lobbyist for money. Blood money. All of the children who have been murdered since then, will be on their souls forever. It will haunt them into their old age.
Citizens United allowed corporations to give millions of dollars to our representatives and senators, especially by the gun lobbyists. Now, they need the money for their campaigns or they can’t compete in elections – so it all comes downs to the power of money, no conscience , no backbone, no integrity, and greed. How they can live with themselves is beyond me. We must simply vote them out of office and we 80% of Americans want children to be safe anywhere they go: school. movies. the mall, a concert – wherever. Plus, strong background checks and mental health in schools is important too.
Lerilonwriter could not be more wrong. No one needs an AK 15 for protection…does he think an army is after him and why would that be? We don’t need a militia because we have the police and 911, swat teams, lots of soldiers, and sharp shooters.
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Karen, You are very welcome, and thank you for your deep and considered commentary. We must make the situation change. We must pay attention and vote.
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Yes, 80% of us will do that! And, then we will change the gun laws to banned all AK 15s and just go back to fist fights in the school yard, like America once did and like they do now in civilized societies.
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And let us lead the charge to make sure that people remember to vote!
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Charles, Yes, I’m with you…let’s keep our voices loud and sure! Karen 🙂
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Yes, we will!
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Yes, we will!
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Maybe it’s time to ask all politicians if their Oath of Allegiance is to the United States and it’s citizens or to the NRA, part of the trouble is there’s no limit to the amount of campaign contributions and some politicians get millions from the NRA who get donations from the Arms Industry. Contributions like that mean other politicians can’t compete with their campaign. If the Government set an upper limit to be spent on campaigning and that figure came from a central fund there would be a level playing field and the campaign promises would be a focus.
We in Europe wonder how the same politicians keep their jobs when arguing against gun control in the face of all these slaughters of your children.
Hugs
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Thank you, and many of us are wondering exactly the same thing.
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It is interesting how many have not read the 2nd amendment, even though they will invoke it for their rights loud and strong. The argument of needing to defend ourselves from a tyrannical government is laughable in today’s environment. Sure, let’s have an arsenal of guns…that will surely help us against a government equipped with such things as the MOAB, bunker busters, tanks, bombers, gunships, etc. I’m with you. I’m angry. Beyond angry. Sick of the excuses and the fallacies paraded as arguments to keep our guns.
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Thank you, and I hope the majority of Americans who support gun control remember to vote with this position.
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Now is not the time to politicize or discuss the gun debate? REALLY? Well, then when will be the time you sickening bunch of money grabbing, morally bankrupt—currently employed by the NRA—bloodthirsty bastards in Congress? WHEN IS THE TIME? After Las Vegas? After Sandy Hook (DEAR GOD!), Columbine, Virginia Tech? Maybe you want us to wait until after all the screaming, anguish, and wailing has died down, that it? Or perhaps after Aurora, Orlando, Sutherland Springs, San Bernardino, and Dallas? What will it take? How much more blood has to run in the streets, classrooms, theatres and churches until your bloodlust is satisfied? Maybe it’s going to take someone shooting YOU, OR YOUR CHILDREN? NO? Well, then when is the perfect time for you do-nothings to address the outrageous number of mass shootings? IT’S NOW, YOU SANCTIMONIOUS BASTARDS! NOW is the perfect time —unless of course, you haven’t finished stuffing your pockets full of blood money yet, courtesy of Wayne LaPierre! NOW, not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, or even next year. NOW, NOW, NOW! We can’t wait another moment, not while you’re willing to let our children, teachers, mothers, fathers, law enforcement officers and babies are slaughtered in the name of your beloved NRA for fear that your cash cow will cut you off. Well, I got news for you, we’ve all had it up to here—all 91% of us Americans. NO MORE! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!! This is the end Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and the rest of you on the take Republicans. No more free ride, it’s sunset on your time in office. You’re the ones being held hostage by the gun lobby, not the people. Hell, the public thinks… no wait (THEY KNOW) you’re the ones not wanting to address the gun problem. No, you can’t wash the blood of innocent people off your hands anymore by simply saying “Our thoughts, and prayers go out to the victims!” What a bunch of crap and bulls…! Insincere cretins, I seriously doubt you’ve ever given a second thought to those empty words you recite after each mass-murder. It all rings hollow to us especially when we have to watch one more anguished parent grieve so unnecessarily; one more child cry so unmercifully over the loss of a dead classmate, or one more inhuman Republican politician saying “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims.” The victims are gone you, idiots! Thanks to you, loved ones are left behind—and stuck having to hear your crap while burying their children! ENOUGH ALREADY! ENOUGH of you and your hypocritical narcissistic president, who also saw fit to quietly sign a Bill into law back in February of 2017, effectively rolling back an Obama regulation (probably because anything ‘Obama’ must be eliminated, in Trumps eye’s) which would have made it even more demanding for the mentally ill to get their hands on a gun—much less any semiautomatic killing machine, not to mention a bump stock. Trump, thus offered more hollow words on “mental health.” WELL, HOW ABOUT HIS MENTAL HEALTH? Gun-control? Note these figures: Senator Richard Burr, R-N.C. NRA contribution $7 million, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-M. NRA contribution $4.5 million, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida NRA contribution $3.3 million, Mitch McConnell R-Ky. NRA contribution $1.26 million, Paul Ryan R-Wisc., Ted Cruz R-Tex., Charles Grassley R-Iowa., and the Republican list goes on-and-on receiving NRA hush money contributions. So here is a solution and it comes from one Ex-GOP lawmaker. Former Rep-David Jolly (R-Fla.) insisted that American voters must flip the House of Representatives to a Democratic majority if the public wants Congress to seriously address gun-control when he said: “Republicans are not going to do a single thing after this shooting we saw today.” and that comes from someone in their own party!
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I could not say this any better!
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‘O)
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Well said, Charles, and I couldn’t agree more.
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Thank you!
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I support everything you said. I agree with you. When will the nightmare end with all these shootings!
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Thank you–it will end when we all remember to vote about this issue.
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And I will be right behind you.
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Thank you!
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Couldn’t agree more!
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Thank you!
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Thank you!
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Well said, I agree completely.
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Thank you!
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I agree, but I’m not confident that we can rely on the voting system. Would voting by mail be more secure???
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I think that if the voting machines have a paper backup, then they are secure. That is very important, that they not be simply electronic.
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Good point.
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Thank you!
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This has been an ongoing theme in many blogs I follow, and I agree whole-heartedly. When it’s getting to the point where we’re only learning about the worst of these shootings in media because even they can’t keep up, then you KNOW it’s getting out of hand. It’s not the ‘we need to pass a law’ it’s the loss of common sense in society in general. Kids have too much access to information, and in this they have too much access to.. Well, to ANYTHING! We can’t even say it’s an issue of gun laws, because with the access young people have now, they will find a weapon of some sort with or without guns. You can go online and learn how to make a bomb if you want to. It’s all too easy and unfortunately, there may be no stopping it..
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Gun laws are the most important beginning, and I refuse to believe that nothing can be done. We have to try.
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I definitely agree with that. Giving up will help nothing.
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So, we must all do whatever we can.
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Ummm. “We have a military now, and a militia is no longer needed.” Wonderful statement. I am not American so will butt out on that.
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I’m there with you. In addition too I think there should be a registration of people who have been diagnosed as mentally ill and such list a reference as part of background check before being sold a gun. This is just a general concept. There would be other conditions, rules, etc.
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Well said Charles! I share your frustration and have been posting about this issue as well. One thing that gives me hope that change may be in the wind is that these survivors/turned activists aren’t going anywhere. And now with companies disassociating with the NRA, well that didn’t happen even after Sandy Hook. I grew up with guns and I’m a 2nd Amendment supporter, but this is insane. As you replied to the first comment, you do not need a semi-automatic to defend yourself. Yes this is a complex issue with things like more money needed to go into facilities that treat the mentally ill, better cooperation with law enforcement, more training for schools on how to deal with disturbed students, and more funding for social service agencies to help at risk families. But any discussion has to include gun control, and I’m sorry, but anyone who doesn’t see that is in denial.
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Thank you so much for your well-considered response!
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