Hey wait a minute---
Gun Control---puhleeze--
There's no such thing. I mean really.
In a few days Joe Biden will come out with his "recommendations" regarding gun control. Probably a warmed up version of the Brady Act of 1993, which was a joke. The politicians will have their day showboating, wringing their hands, "oh woe is me"," how can I help...". The usual dog and pony show.
The media has been spreading its usual manure. Ban semi-automatic weapons (do they even know what a sem-automatic weapon is ?), ban the Bushmaster (why?), ban assault rifles (define an assault rifle). The odds are half of the media doesn't have a clue.
So the media, needing something to write about, want to round up the usual suspects. The NRA, the gun manufacturers, and anyone else that gets in the way of their story. After all, one of the credos of this day is placing the blame. Somebodies got to pay. It makes good copy.
And the nerdniks, the people/groups that always have a righteous cause, are a'climbing on the media's bandwagon and a'clamering for justice. Their way. Ban, ban, ban.
They're the same folks that are against fraking and oil in general. Prayer and Christianity in general. And whatever other causes the media and Hollywood can come up with.
Believe me, it will all come to naught.
Sure, there are some things that should be done, e.g.:
1. Tighten up background checks.
2. No more magazines in excess of 10? rounds.
3. A cooling off period after the purchase of a gun.
4. A registry of persons undergoing treatment
for mental conditions, who, in the opinion of
their therapists should not be allowed to buy
guns.
Other than a more careful approach to the who gets what kind of weapon, there isn't alot that Congress or President Obama can do, because the basic problem is not with the purchase or sale of guns as the media would have you believe.
Look, this is America. Roughly 310 million, more or less individuals. And out of that huge number there have to be more than a few weirdos out there. No matter how hard we try, no matter what we do, someone is going to go whacko and we'll suffer another tragedy.
I've read that there are approximately 200 million weapons in this country, not including military and law enforcement weapons. How can we possibly hope to control that many weapons. We don't even have a clue as to who owns many of those weapons.
Now, I'm not a member of the NRA, and I guess everyone knows they aren't always real good in responding to criticisms. Some of their spokespeople need a little more polish--- and sincerity, but---
At least listen to them.
As I understand their pitch, they're saying that we haven't to date controlled who legally or otherwise gets their hands on guns. And, we can't control the 200 million guns that are already out there. But, we can make America safe from these massacres.
And, it has very little, and usually nothing to do with the NRA, gun owners, gun manufacturers, gun sellers or the like.
It has to do with us.
Us.
We, all of us.
We need to make our schools, our places of work, places of shopping, places of entertainment---places we go---safe. And how we do it will vary from place to place. Security guards, restricted entry, more police, bullet proof glass, whatever it takes.
We need to get a new mindset, and when the next tragedy occurs, and it will, we need to stop placing the blame where it will do very little good. We need to blame ourselves for failing to make our schools, offices, factories, Churches---places we go to, work in, play, safer.
It's not so much up to Congress, or the President or even Joe. It's up to us.
All of us.
Thanks for your time.
jasmeyer1933@yahoo.com
