As multiple-death shootings surge, Congress looks away

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sent by PatriotDem since 214 days 15 hours 40 minutes
"In recent weeks more than 60 people... have been killed in multiple-death shootings from coast to coast. It’s just the type of headline-grabbing trend that might usually get congressional lawmakers screaming from the rafters for policy reforms...Instead, the reaction from congressional leaders...has been a long, strange silence...In the absence of any federal movement, some state and local lawmakers have emerged in an effort to fill the void...'Criminals do not have the right to own guns, and the gun shows make it far too easy for them to acquire guns, [New York City Mayor] Bloomberg said. “In fact, it’s easier for a criminal to buy a gun at a gun show than it is for a 20-year-old to buy a beer or for anyone to rent a car.' In Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has thrust himself into the debate as well...'That’s not normal,' Pennington said of the enormous number of domestic gun deaths. 'We shouldn’t treat that as just the cost of living in America.'"
tags: guns, mass shootings, congress
4 commentscategory: Progressive Issues karma: 77

comments

  1. #1    The NRA has it's members convinced that Barack Obama is coming to take away their guns, that Nancy Pelosi is intent on disarming the white people of America, et cetera. They have been beating this drum louder and louder since before the election and no amount of fact or reason will convince them otherwise. They are part of the impulse behind TeaBag day last week. With that background, it's nearly imposible to get strong support for gun control even within the Democratic caucus, since many Dems are just barely holding their seats. They are avoiding the subject as it is currently suicidal.
    Once again, a lobby that deserves to die, before it gets US killed.
    written by CwV since 214 days 8 hours 27 minutesCwV
  2. #2    I don't think this has to do with guns. I think it has to do with a hyper-militarized society, with the military industrial complex and endless war. Stop blaming the symptom.
    written by epppie since 214 days 7 hours 43 minutesepppie
  3. #3    Personally, I think the driving force is the manipulation of the "red-neck" segment of our society by self-serving right-wing leaders. For generations the right has bred a hatred and fear of minorities and foreigners (and by association, "liberals") into this group. They use the "patriotic" handle of the "right to bear arms" very effectively with them. I have to admit the latter had a lot of meaning and logic to it in years past, but the context has changed. Even assault weapons won't protect us from the government now. Our only form of protection from tyrants now is education, communication and voting--things that Big Brother is quietly destroying while we worry about our "gun rights".
    written by PatriotDem since 214 days 5 hours 49 minutesPatriotDem
  4. #4    Violent society + easy access to guns & ammo + economic or other personal catastrophe = dead innocent people

    And if the shooter listens to the rightwing hate & fear tv/radio-fest, multiply "dead innocent people" by a factor of x

    (x= IQ divided by # of hours of Beck+Limbaugh+Hannity per day)
    written by colinjames since 214 days 2 hours 41 minutescolinjames
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