Their sorrow can very easily be hijacked by left wing groups who have an agenda. Do we really think 17 year olds on their own are going to plan a nationwide rally?
Former Georgia republican congressman Jack Kingston speaking about the surge of activism being displayed by survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Ah, the old, "They have an agenda," response to anyone with the temerity to suggest some sort of gun control in this country might be a good idea. Guess what, Mr. Kingston you're right. We do have an agenda and the aim of it is to stop retail arms dealers from selling lunatics the means to gun down school children as they sit in their classrooms.
A quick visit to the NRA online home reveals where Kingston gets his twisted philosophy. Shuffling through the headers one sees a series of announcements made by various NRA spokespersons. They include words and terms such as, "the lying fake news media, the lying media, the media is failing," and no doubt Kingston's inspiration: "The NRA will not tolerate their use of a tragedy in their war against the second amendment."
That's right, mass shootings wrought by the easy access to military style weapons should have no place in America's gun debate. After all, dead babies and adolescents, while unfortunate, are just the price we pay for freedom and to argue otherwise immediately after they've been murdered is distasteful. Besides, if there had been an armed guard at Stoneman Douglas High School the killer would have been stopped.
Oh wait, there was one. He, or she didn't get off a shot.
An ABC/Washington Post poll released today showed 77% of Americans don't think congress is doing enough to prevent mass shootings in this country. 62% say Don Trump isn't either. That doesn't mean we've come together though. The same poll showed while 80% of democrats and 75% of independents don't believe El Donald is doing enough to stop the carnage, 60% of republicans do.
In other words, six out of ten republicans are convinced doing absolutely nothing--which is exactly what Trump has done so far--is helping to halt the unrelenting slaughter of American school kids. My God, the word delusional doesn't even begin to apply to that mind set.
After the bullets stopped flying and what was left of the Stoneman Douglas student body took to the streets in anguish and anger, White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders issued a statement saying her boss is supporting efforts to improve federal background checks. That would be the system which is totally dependent on each state to copy the Feds the ID's of prospective gun buyers so they can see if they're run amok felons. The bill in the works would provide unnamed incentives to states who stop fucking up for a change and provide the feds with accurate and timely information.
The proposed act, sponsored by a Texas republican and a Connecticut democrat, is such weak tea it doesn't even address the sale of military style semi automatic rifles, specifically the AR-15. You know--the gun Nikolas Cruz bought at age 18 with absolutely no waiting period.
There is a reason the proposed legislation doesn't go there. The ABC/Washington Post poll also showed a mere 50% of Americans favor a ban on the sales of such guns while 46% oppose it. The survey found 45% of independents and 71% of democrats want the prohibition while only 29% of republicans do.
Given those numbers there isn't a republican, or democrat outside of a select few districts and states in either house who will feel the slightest bit of heat to challenge the NRA on the issue. Unless, of course, they have a conscience which outweighs their instincts for self preservation. And, as we all know, that notion falls into the realm of science fiction.
The terrible truth is congress didn't do anything after Columbine. It didn't do anything after Sandy Hook, or the Pulse nightclub. It didn't do anything after Las Vegas and dozens upon dozens of other places. Hell, the only thing that has been done on a national level since the assault weapon ban expired years ago is an Obama era executive order which prevented a precious few mentally ill social security recipients from buying firearms.
Donald J. Trump voided that order a few weeks after he took office.
Well, here's to the heroes of the one sided battle of Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They have shown grace and bravery after being under fire. Certainly far more than those despicable bought and paid for NRA shills like Jack Kingston and the vile clowns in congress who continue to prove themselves abject cowards.
sic vita est
2-20-18
Don't know what to say, other than it is the shame of shames that the young people in Florida are having to take the point on their own safety.
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