Bill Bratton on @todayshow implied that mass shootings are going to be new normal and we have to simply be prepared. Depressing
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) September 17, 2013
What have we done on guns? Imagine if, after 9/11, we considered and rejected laws tightening the screening of airline passengers at the federal level. Imagine if we specifically rejected efforts focused on keeping deadly weapons off flights. Imagine if some localities tried to tighten restrictions on the carrying of weapons by airline passengers, but the politicians advocating those measures were hounded into retirement by angry voters. Imagine if, for every locality that managed to pass such measures, there were a dozen that actually loosened restrictions on carrying weapons onto flights. Imagine if some localities actually tried to prevent enforcement of federal flight safety laws at the local level.
Imagine if, after 9/11, members of a pro-weapons movement began treating the weapons used by the hijackers as talismans, defiantly advertising the same weapons as guarantors of Americans' liberty -- and as really fun toys for adults. Imagine if they showed up wielding such weapons at memorial ceremonies for 9/11 survivors. Imagine if that was treated perfectly acceptable behavior, because the pro-weapons movement had mastered the art of waving the flag while brandishing box cutters, with the result that most of America regarded pro-weapons absolutists as America-lovers expressing their profound patriotism.
That's precisely how we respond to gun massacres. So, yeah, we're going to have a lot more of them.
It's such a shame that Chuck Todd doesn't have some kind of public platform where he could get facts out to people and maybe help effect some kind of change.
ReplyDeleteHe should look into that. Maybe ask around the office.
At this point, it’s completely pointless to try to talk to the gun-loons.
ReplyDeleteGun-loons don’t want to listen.
They just want to keep saying the same thing, over and over again.
They are Manichean absolutists.
These mass shooting are now getting so common, that they’re soon about to lose their shock-value, and unless another Kindergarten class gets shot to shreds, it’ll be like, “Ho-hum. Another dozen or so adults. Oh well, nothing we can do about it. At least it wasn’t a classroom full of kids. What’s on TV tonight, honey?”
But if we DON'T talk about it, then the gun-loons will continue to win.
A society armed to the teeth with guns, is not a civilized society.
The problem is that we permit the gun nuts to define the terms of the debate.
ReplyDeleteThe discussion needs to begin and end with the number of gun deaths we're willing to tolerate. Pick a death count, and legislate to achieve that number.
That sounds sick. It IS sick. But it's an honest (for once) reflection of the near-linear relationship between gun ownership and gun deaths.