“Now is not the time to talk about that.” I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard those words or similar words or even the lack of words over the last week. With a few exceptions from the usual suspects, that is the political response in the wake of the Aurora theatre shootings. Of course this is not the time, because there has been no time for that in recent years. And there won’t be a good time in the years ahead, no matter how many nuts get their fingers on deadly triggers.
To cut to the chase, I am not talking about America’s sporting community. Every hunter I personally know is a good citizen and most of them are good shots too. They also provide a valuable service when it comes to culling the deer herds and I am especially thankful to those who have provided me some jerky and smoked turkey over the years. I am not talking about gun collectors either. That doesn’t seem any more odd than me hanging on to my old baseball cards. And I am not talking about anyone who wishes to have a gun in the house for his or her own protection or even if they wish to shoot out their TV, just like Elvis.
But it defies all measures of common sense that we do not have a ban on assault weapons. And it defies credibility that President Obama can go to Colorado and say such sweet things to the victim’s families but run and hide from any discussion of assault weapons. The gun lobby has powerful allies who speak loudly with their votes but, the truth of the matter is, they have no more powerful silent ally than President Obama. In addition to assault weapons, what about doing everything we can to keep handguns out of the fists of bad people with bad intentions. Blood is running in the streets of Chicago this summer and Obama has turned a blind eye to the people in his hometown.
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“Now is not the time to talk about that.” I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard those words or similar words or even the lack of words over the last week. With a few exceptions from the usual suspects, that is the political response in the wake of the Aurora theatre shootings. Of course this is not the time, because there has been no time for that in recent years. And there won’t be a good time in the years ahead, no matter how many nuts get their fingers on deadly triggers.
To cut to the chase, I am not talking about America’s sporting community. Every hunter I personally know is a good citizen and most of them are good shots too. They also provide a valuable service when it comes to culling the deer herds and I am especially thankful to those who have provided me some jerky and smoked turkey over the years. I am not talking about gun collectors either. That doesn’t seem any more odd than me hanging on to my old baseball cards. And I am not talking about anyone who wishes to have a gun in the house for his or her own protection or even if they wish to shoot out their TV, just like Elvis.
But it defies all measures of common sense that we do not have a ban on assault weapons. And it defies credibility that President Obama can go to Colorado and say such sweet things to the victim’s families but run and hide from any discussion of assault weapons. The gun lobby has powerful allies who speak loudly with their votes but, the truth of the matter is, they have no more powerful silent ally than President Obama. In addition to assault weapons, what about doing everything we can to keep handguns out of the fists of bad people with bad intentions. Blood is running in the streets of Chicago this summer and Obama has turned a blind eye to the people in his hometown.
Remember the old saying about freedom of speech, that yes you have that but you also can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theatre because the potential consequences outweigh the intended freedom.
Your right to own a gun is constitutional. But so should your right to send the kids off to a movie without someone coming in and blazing away like a terrorist. In fact, the Aurora gunman is a terrorist just like all the others who randomly shoot innocents.
Now about that gun ad you see at the top of this page. It appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday July 22nd, less than three full days after the Aurora bloodbath. Right there is just about everything the next terrorist would need to go on a rampage.
Merry Christmas in July.
Update: On Wednesday President Obama spoke out against private ownership of assault weapons.
"We recognize the traditions of gun ownership that passed on from generation to generation, that hunting and shooting are part of a cherished national heritage," Obama said.
"But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals. That they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities."
Remember the old saying about freedom of speech, that yes you have that but you also can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theatre because the potential consequences outweigh the intended freedom.
Your right to own a gun is constitutional. But so should your right to send the kids off to a movie without someone coming in and blazing away like a terrorist. In fact, the Aurora gunman is a terrorist just like all the others who randomly shoot innocents.
Now about that gun ad you see at the top of this page. It appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday July 22nd, less than three full days after the Aurora bloodbath. Right there is just about everything the next terrorist would need to go on a rampage.
Merry Christmas in July.
Update: On Wednesday President Obama spoke out against private ownership of assault weapons.
"We recognize the traditions of gun ownership that passed on from generation to generation, that hunting and shooting are part of a cherished national heritage," Obama said.
"But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals. That they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities."
