Sunday, December 23, 2012

Who's Afraid of the NRA?

Why is Congress so afraid of the NRA? 

I guess there are two reasons.  Money and support.  The money part is easily explained,  but support? Why would that matter? To me the answer comes down to votes.  In spite of the chorus of calls for better gun control, there is a significant number of people out there who cherish their right to own a firearm and those same people vote. In fact they're quite vocal.   Hence, the NRA.

I've been watching reports of by-back programs in various towns and cities.  Quite a bit of money is being spent to encourage people to turn in their firearms...or at least some of them.

To be brutally honest I think it's a waste of money.  The people who seek to do harm with a firearm are keeping theirs.  The idea that turned-in guns will somehow prevent something like this from happening again is based on wishful thinking.

Having said that, what's the answer?  I think there are two things that need to be done.  First, gun laws have to be standardized across the country.  It does no good at all if a state like Connecticut has strict gun control laws but then someone can turn around, drive to Tennessee or somewhere like that (usually a southern state sad to say), attend a gun show and buy what ever you want and walk out with it.  Not good.

The second thing is finding better ways to identify the deranged lunatics who do these kinds of things.

Take the case of the recent tragedy in Sandy Hook.   In terms of gun ownership, the mother did everything right.  She got permits and went through the process.  In terms of gun security and managing her psychotic son, she dropped the ball.  But she wasn't alone.  What about the kid's father?  What about what ever school system the kid was in?  They all have a responsibility.

In the meantime the calls for gun control will go on and I think the ban on assault rifles like the Bush Master AR15 is a good place to start. 

Now we have to address step two.

One other thing:  The NRA's proposal to put a cop in every school in the country is ridiculous.

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