Here we are once again in the aftermath of yet another gun massacre. And once again we will do nothing. Typical is Ted Cruz’s reaction,
“This could happen anywhere, we have seen that evil could occur whether in Parkland or in a church or central Texas or in schools across the country. Evil is sadly always present.”
What Ted doesn’t mention is that “evil” is present in all developed countries. But serial gun massacres are unique to America. Cruz uses religious language, but he is more motivated to protect his NRA A+ rating, than he is in preventing school massacres — and what kind of Christianity is that? Doesn’t his Bible demand that he fight evil with all his might — not just throw up his hands and say “what are you going to do”?
Marco Rubio, another Christian who is content to let the slaughter of the innocents continue, was equally mealy-mouthed. (And the parents of the dead are his constituents) He says that nothing has been proposed that would have helped. OK. Then he should come up with something. Or has the $3.3 million he has received from the NRA sapped his enthusiasm to keep children alive?
“If we do something, it should be something that works. And the struggle up to this point has been that most of the proposals that have been offered would not have prevented, not just yesterday’s tragedy, but any of those in recent history,”
Rational people demand we do something to keep Guns away from the insane. But all the gun zealot hears is that liberals are coming for his guns and his 2A rights. And politicians — bought and paid for by the gun lobby — reinforce this nonsense. Because a scared voter is a reliable vote.
Rarely talked about is the NRA’s insidious culture of death. Their role as the marketing arm of the gun industry is apparent — but less noticed is their implicit message that a gun is the answer in almost every dispute.
Take ‘stand your ground’ laws. They tell the gun owner that using a gun is the first line of defense. An American has the right to defend himself, but how does it benefit society to tell him there is no need for him to use a less fatal alternative.
NRA propaganda has created the myth that every American is responsible for her own safety. That the police are insufficient guardians of law and order. That the only defense against “a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”. That the only solution to school shootings is more guns.
It goes further. Ask a gun zealot the meaning of the second amendment and he will tell you it guarantees the right of the citizen to protect himself against a tyrannical government. Rubbish. In an age with no standing army, the only defense against whiskey revolts, anti-tax uprisings, and possible invasions was a well-regulated militia on call, comprised of men with muskets.
The NRA shamelessly fetishizes guns. What was once a hunting tool, has now been glorified as a symbol of manhood. Insignificant men strut around with high powered rifles slung insouciantly over their shoulder while ordering Taco Bell.
In the NRA’s America people spread memes like “Molon Labe” (come and get them”). “I’ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands”. And “Free people own guns. Slaves don’t.” Meanwhile, in the rest of the civilized world, people have figured out how to be both free and safe.
The NRA is so rabid that even studying the causes of gun violence is off limits. A ban on ‘bump stocks’ went nowhere. And it even lobbies against safe gun technology. They are worse than the tobacco lobby. Those cynics promoted a product that killed the middle-aged and older. The NRA promotes a product that Kills Kids.
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