In December, 20 children were mowed down by a madman in Newtown Connecticut. Back in 2006, there was an amish school shooting here in PA that made all the news. Remember that? Probably not.
We Americans seem to have become desensitized to violence, and from what I have seen in the past thirty years, there is very little evidence to refute that thought. I remember in the late 1980's as the drug crack brought violent warfare to every American city. Young Americans died at a horrifying rate, but it was poor minorities, so nobody relly cared. There was a lot of political rhetoric, but the bloodshed went on into the 1990's.
I have come to believe that we Americans just don't give a damn. As long as it is not our family member, we will profess our sorrow, offer our prayers, and move on, taking our kids to Dave and Busters or the Iron Pigs game. We never believe it will happen to us.
The thing is, Fate is the hunter. You really don't know where the next whack job will strike, and most Americans are willing to gamble it won't effect them.
I don't know what to say, but I am tired of watching innocent children die because of nutjobs. I don't have an answer, but I find it absolutely irresponsible that no one is willing to take the lead and find a starting point.
I disagree with Senator Pat Toomey on so many issues, but I respect him for trying to do something on this one. It Took courage. Too bad the rest of Congress didn't have any.
Ironically, I am 180 degrees opposite of you; I agree with so much of Sen Toomey's positions, except this one.
ReplyDeleteYou want a starting point? Why is it we have the names and faces of the precious children killed in CT, but nothing from the kids slaughter in Chicago, week after week. Sure, FL Michelle Obama made a connection to Hadiya Pendleton, but what of the other names and faces that have been cut down since Newtown, since the Inauguration? Why do so few seem to care about those largely poor minorities?
In essence, the Manchin/Toomey plan didn't affect me; that changed when DoJ reported the only way to effectively reach UBC was to register guns; that's a step too far for me.
Please describe in as much detail reasonable exactly what law you would pass that would have prevented the Newtown tragedy that would directly involve guns?
ReplyDeleteIf you are for more gun control, then do so without using Newtown as the excuse, because I will be very surprised to see any law you can come up with that restricts access to guns that would have helped in Connecticut.
Of course if you believe the link is valid, then would you also agree that the Gosnell trial in Philadelphia is a prime example of why we need stricter control on abortion? If not, why not? More innocent children were killed by Gosnell than in Newtown (and for the record although he is charged with killing 7, the grand jury indictment describes far more victims).
I want background checks to limit access for those who would not be responsible weapons owners. It is a start. If it stops one mass murder, would it not be worth it? There will always be whack jobs getting thru, but we shouldn't stop any because of that?
ReplyDeleteAnd to the second comment, my thoughts do somewhat parallel my first, and that there will always be those who find away around a system. You can't deny everything because there are a few flaws.
American Democracy is flawed, but it is a damn sight better than a dictatorship, isn't it?
I will take a flawed DEmocracy any day over anything else.
Ok but you did not address my main point, and that is, that you are using Newtown as a pretext to enact stricter gun control when you know full well that would have done nothing to prevent what happened in CT....it's disingenuous, and I believe you would call out people who did the same in the Gosnell example I described.
ReplyDeleteYou think we need more gun control laws? Fine....but don't do it over the bodies of those dead children, none of whom would be saved by the measures you support.
Let's attack the source of the problem...how we treat and deal with the mentally ill. Get them off the streets, and in places where they can get the help they need, then we will have fewer of these massacres.
We see how well gun control is working in Chicago, as the first commenter mentioned. I'd have more respect for your view if the City of Chicago was the example you cited for more laws...not Newtown.
More people die in automobile accidents than gun violence, each year. Should we make cars out of Nerf, if, as you suggest, it saves one life?
ReplyDeleteRemember: driving a car is privilege, not a right.