Writing about the topics I usually address seems insensitive and trivial in light of recent events. Mass shootings are bad enough, but we have been here so many times before that it is so difficult to listen to the excuses and the partial, always unrealized solutions, and conclude that this will be the last one. The values of the Republican Party have always puzzled me, but this is about as extreme as it gets. There is no place in an advanced society for assault weapons in the hands of anyone but the police and the military. From time to time, these folks need weapons designed to kill people efficiently. There are no such circumstances that justify the same power in the hands of the rest of us.
I looked through my past posts and found the following. I believe it is the first that I wrote about – 2012 Sandy Hook. The situation has not changed so why change the message?
Sometimes I just feel the need to turn off the realities of the world and escape. I cannot watch any more CNN. More information will not bring understanding to events that cannot be understood from a sane perspective. I am closer to understanding the actions of a mad man than of those willing to put weapons in his hands.
The position of the NRA is not rationale nor is it patriotic – surely elementary school teachers or children could not be expected to pack fire arms. The delusion that citizens have a right to offensive weapons has not been an argument of substance for more than a century. Guns do not kill people, people do? Perhaps, but assault rifles certainly increase the speed of the process.
Time for lawmakers to act based on conscience rather than on concern for their re-election coffers. Two years now to take some meaningful action on this and other matters.
Me – I have had enough for a few weeks.
