More: The President made a brief memorial address to the town of Newtown, CT gathered in the high school auditorium yesterday. The power of the gun lobby was evident as he avoided calling for reimposition of the federal assault weapon ban, but only promised to use the power of the office to consult with law enforcement and civic leaders about the carnage plaguing the United States. He made it clear, however, the country was failing to protect its most vulnerable citizens. Governor Higgenlooper (D) of Colorado also skirted the tactical weapons issue in remarks to the press. Whether they like it or not, gun control will be at the top of the agenda for the new Congress after the Senate decides if it can operate without a one senator veto.
US Person has never heard a convincing argument, constitutional or otherwise, for allowing private citizens to possess quasi-military weapons designed and intended to do only one thing: kill multiple humans rapidly. Granted there is a huge number of these man-killers legally in the hands of citizens, sane or
not. However, relatively unrestricted access to these weapons is contributing to the level of slaughter and profits as even a superficial perusal of the statistics will show. Real sportsmen should be satisfied with a bolt action rifle for hunting or marksmanship because that weapon requires greater skill to be successful. For almost two centuries in this country property owners effectively defended their legitimate interests with revolvers. Spraying a room with shotgun slugs or high velocity bullets is a desperate, irrational act unless one finds oneself in the middle of a revolution. If in the final analysis we are talking about
hot-heads arming themselves against their own government, then we need to look elsewhere for answers to their fear.
Update: As more of the depressing facts become known about one of the largest mass school murders in the United States, one fact stands out from the others: the deranged shooter once again used military style, semiautomatic weapons to perpetrate horrendous slaughter. He brought with him to the Sandy Hook school a civilian version of the 5.6mm M-4 carbine (
.223 "Bushmaster"), a Russian made,
drum-fed, 12 gauge shot gun and two semiautomatic pistols. All of which he took from his divorced mother who was a "gun enthusiast" and was herself shot in the head while sleeping. Apparently the mother was responsible for teaching her child how to manipulate the weapons. A relative said the mother took her children target shooting. The nation may find, as the forensic evidence is analyzed, a much more deadly attack was contemplated. Had the
ghoul been able to exhaust his ammunition before committing suicide, the death toll would have been much higher. But it was piteously high enough. Until America puts controls on the public possessing military weapons, these periodic massacres
[link to interactive map] will continue because not all of the public is thinking straight. Talking heads of the CMM claim to be mind-boggled by the slaughter. They are dissembling for their corporate masters. The truth is gun manufacturing and importation is big business in America, and there is no political will yet to stop the profits from flowing even if it means the murder of innocents.
Wackydoodle axes: Can I get a 30 round clip with that?
{14.12.12} Twenty-seven dead including twenty children at Newtown, Connecticut.
