Good morning America and welcome to another mass shooting sponsored by the NRA… and perpetrated by nothing but a “mentally deranged” individual.
Judging by the last 6 months, it looks that this country has a large number of nutcases on the loose… but If I had a choice I would definitely prefer more deranged people running around and way fewer guns, because it is not the demented who kill. It is automatic weapons.
An unarmed madman might club or stab somebody to death, but without an automatic weapon he could never inflict the kind of damage that a Stephen Paddock or Devin Patrick Kelley did.
After another shooting, we get teary speeches, candlelight vigils and futile prayers. And that’s it. No official has the nerves to talk about the elephant in the room: the gun lobby.
Is this madness ever going to stop? Will our legislators ever muster the nerves to tackle the Second Amendment? We should remember that unlike the Ten Commandments, the Constitution is not cast in stone. It can and should be amended.
But “now is not the time” has said our “extremely intelligent” leader. I really wonder when the right time is going to be?
Here is the amendment as ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson:
“A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
The right to bear arms, OK, but definitely not automatic weapons! Do you need an AR-15 assault-type rifle with a 50-round drum magazine to protect your family or go rabbit hunting?
Ultimately though the problem lies with Congress. Due to the fact that these officials are elected, they are highly susceptible to blackmail; especially the members of the House of Representatives who are in office for just two short years. They constantly chase money to get reelected.
If they want to keep their lucrative jobs ($174,000 annually) and their precious perks, they have to swear fealty to their Godfather, the NRA. Failing to do this will jeopardize their lofty status and could possibly get them kicked out of office. Horror!
Sticking with the NRA and its deep pockets is the safest way to keep their jobs.
Senators (elected for a six-year term) are a little less vulnerable, but still susceptible to corruption. As proven by the Russian investigation, a politician is not below accepting a (discreet) bribe in exchange for influence peddling.
Finally, a “brave” congressman might be willing to buck the system, providing that he is not going to run for office again. With nothing to lose he can finally feel free to vote his conscience, not his self-preservation.
I favor term limits. A legislator should not die in office. He should croak in his bed, after completing a maximum of two terms (just like POTUS) in office. With little to lose, he might vote candidly.
Alain
“Congress has 535 voting members: 435 Representatives and 100 Senators. The members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms representing the people of a single constituency, known as a “district”.
Each state, regardless of population or size, has two senators. Currently, there are 100 senators representing the 50 states. Each senator is elected at-large in their state for a six-year term, with terms staggered, so every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election.”