The Arming of America

Another shooting. More senseless deaths. And still more useless thoughts and prayers. No actions to stop the violence. No discussions. Not even a vote to allow the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the problem. Just more useless thoughts and prayers.

Two high school students were shot and killed at Aztec High School in northwestern New Mexico in early December. Details are still being released, so the identity of the gunman and his relationship, if any, with the students he murdered is still unknown. What is known, however, is that when these students headed to school that Thursday morning, they and their families expected them to return home after school.

Gun violence research came to a screeching halt in 1996, when the Republican-majority Congress threatened to remove funding from the CDC unless it stopped funding research into firearm injuries and deaths. As usual, the NRA was behind this move. And as usual, it won.

Meanwhile, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 is working its way through the NRA bought-and-paid-for Congress. This bill, HR 38, would amend the federal criminal code to allow a qualified individual to carr a concealed handgun into or possess a concealed handgun in another state that allows individuals to carry concealed firearms. 

In addition, the bill specifies that a qualified individual who lawfully carries or possesses a concealed handgun in another state (1) is not subject to the federal prohibition on possessing a firearm in a school zone, and (20) may carry or possess the concealed handgun in federally owned lands that are open to the public. 

So if I go hiking in a national park, I now have to worry about running into some clown with a concealed handgun? Now that's a comforting thought.

I guess the NRA has to get its money's worth from its paid employees in Congress. But as a private citizen who has not had a need to own or fire a weapon in more than 65 years, I am not thrilled about this latest piece of pro-gun legislation. This is just one more thing that saddens me. 

We are at the point where even studies of what contributes to gun violence can't get funded. What is the NRA afraid of? This isn't about taking away guns from people. It isn't about violating their Second Amendment rights (although I question how many gun owners are actually part of the 'well-regulated militia" the amendment refers to in granting gun ownership right. It's about common sense. It's about keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable. 

I'm tired of the old mantra that we have enough gun control laws on the books, and that criminals don't follow laws anyway so new laws won't work. If that's the case, why don't we get rid of laws that prohibit drunk driving, since people continue to drink and drive? Why not remove laws against bank robbery since people still rob banks? 

I can't afford to buy my own politicians, so I guess there is nothing to be done. All we can do is wait for word of the next mass shooting. The next school shooting. The next shooting at a concert. The we, along with members of Congress, can once again offer our thoughts and prayers.