Times: Shootings Spur Debate on Extremism and Guns, With Trump on Defense

by Paul on August 6, 2019 at 7:51am

Alexander Burns writing in the paper of record:

The politics of American gun violence follow a predictable pattern in most cases: outraged calls for action from the left, somber gestures of sympathy from the right, a subdued presidential statement delivered from a prepared text — and then, in a matter of days or even hours, a national turning of the page to other matters.

But after a white supremacist gunman massacred 22 people in El Paso, the political world hurtled on Monday toward a more expansive, and potentially more turbulent, confrontation over racist extremism.

What we need–at the very least–is a dialogue. Unfortunately, the NRA-types are unwilling to even discuss our nation’s massive problem of gun violence. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m a libertarian for fuck’s sake, so I’m squarely in the ‘2nd Amendment Supporter’ corner. But, what I’m not is a fucking ostrich sticking my head in the sand*.

The writing’s on the wall, people: seventy percent (70%) of Americans do not own a single firearm of any kind — not even grandpa’s old hunting rifle kept in a rifle case in the attic. And when those 70% get good and fed up with the gun violence, and the NRA-types aren’t even willing to discuss the situation, those 70% will take unilateral action and none of us 2nd Amendment supporters are going to like it one little bit.

Here’s a radical idea: let’s talk this out like grown-ups, shall we? Who knows, maybe we can find some common ground, and make our nation safer for ourselves and our children.

yeah, in a minute…
* Yes, yes, I know that otriches don’t really stick their heads in the sand, but stick with me here, okay?
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