We are nearing the tragic and sick point where it has become difficult keeping track of mass gun killings without a scorecard. Just yesterday afternoon on Sunday, I saw a story about a mass gun killing in Austin, Texas. I got confused because I thought the mass killing in the news was in Indianapolis, but checking the story out realized it was a separate, new one -- and then when adjusting to that, read about a mass gun killing in Kenosha, Wisconsin. And I had to check out the date on that to find out if it was an old story being updated, or yet another new one.
It was yet another new one. Yesterday, I posted my tweet that read -- "when the NRA says new gun laws aren't needed, and we only have to enforce the laws on the books, they are acknowledging that they support gun laws. So, that's the starting point: the concept of gun law regulations is fine, even to the NRA." I want to be clear that when I wrote this, it had absolutely nothing to do with this two new, mass gun killings. I had no idea about them, that they had even occurred. It was just a comment made in response to the FedEx mass gun killing in Indianapolis and all the sad news coverage and all the gun supporters running in circles trying to made to explain it all away and offer another bundle of "Thoughts and prayers" (tm). Only hours later did I learn about the other two, mass gun killings. I have this image of executives at the corporate gun manufacturer-owned NRA terrorist organization saying "Now is not the time to discuss gun laws" -- and then "Now is not the time to discuss gun laws"...and then once again ""Now is not the time to discuss gun laws" and them getting confused if they were just being emphatic about the Indianapolis mass gun killings, or referring to the two other mass gun killings on Sunday. Either way, what I always say is that they're right, now is not the time to discuss gun laws -- the time to discuss gun laws would have been before these mass gun killings took place. As for "Thoughts and prayers" (tm), I too offer them. Though my thoughts and prayers are that we never have another mass gun killing again, and that Democrats and the Biden Administration are able to get sane gun laws passed. And no, this is not hyperbolic. The Kenosha event was the 31st mass gun shooting this month April alone! And we're barely halfway through the month. It was the 150th mass gun shooting this year, after only 105 days. Yes, that averages to almost one-and-half mass gun shootings every single day -- after day after day after day after day -- this year, so far. (For the record, a mass gun shooting is defined by the FBI as one where at least four people have been shot or killed...not including the person with the gun!) The good news is that this total is not the number of mass gun killings. But the bad news is that that's the good news. (A mass gun killing is one where at least three people have been killed, not including the gunman.) So, anyone who says "Now is not the time to discuss gun laws after a mass gun shooting" -- the disgusting reality is that by these standards there pretty much is no time to discuss them, since they happen on averages one-and-a-half times every single day! After day after day after day after day. And if executives of the gun manufacturer corporate-owned NRA once more try to claim that we don't need new laws because all that's needed is enforcing the laws that already exists, it's appropriate to remind them that they are acknowledging that they actually do support gun laws. And so that is the starting point, that gun law regulation is fine, even to them. It's also appropriate to remind them and all gun supporters and all people who try to fight off any regulation of the Second Amendment that the Second Amendment has the worlds "well-regulated" in it -- not even merely "regulated," but well-regulated. And then a reminder that many Amendments, if not most, if not perhaps all, have regulated limitations -- including the First Amendment. After all, as foundational as Free Speech is to America, you can't libel or slander another person. Nor can you call "Fire!" in a theater where there is no fire, nor are you allowed to have hate speech. Only last week, a friend told about how he and his wife try to go to a nearby park on the weekend, and recently while they were they a man was harassing so, so the police got called. It turns out that he not only had a concealed gun, but his car was full of weapons. Happily, a possible mass gun-killing tragedy was averted, stories like this rarely get reported and we only hear of the far too many tragedies that didn't. So, the problem is likely much more pervasive than we think. And it's pretty darn pervasive already, Hey, who knows, maybe now is the time to get some sane gun laws passed because the NRA is distracted in court trying to defend themselves from being shut down -- while defending themselves in their claims of bankruptcy? Thoughts and prayers.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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