Currently, there have been 28,284 gun deaths and 473 mass shootings (where at least 4 people were shot) this year. And both of those numbers are on a record pace with four months left in the year. Why is this happening? It doesn't happen in any other developed nation.
Republicans try to place the blame on anything but guns. They will tell you it's because of mental illness. Some may be, but not all -- and there is no more mental illness in the United States than in any other country.
They will tell you it's because of violent video games. But other nations have access to the same video games, and it is not causing an exorbitant number of deaths and mass shootings in those countries.
They will tell you it is because of the declining interest in religion in this country. But the European nations have even less interest in religion that American citizens do -- and it is not causing massive gun deaths and mass shootings there.
The obvious answer is because there are too many guns in this society (more than one for every citizen) and it's easy for anyone (regardless of how dangerous they are known to be) to get any kind of gun (and ammunition) they want.
Republicans will also tell you that passing stricter gun legislation would be a violation of the Second Amendment to the Constitution. That is simply a lie! The right to own a gun, like our other rights, is not absolute.
We have the right to free speech, but there are restrictions on it. You cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and you cannot urge another to commit a violent act. And those restrictions are deemed constitutional.
We have the right to vote, but there are restrictions on it. Most states deny that right to criminals serving a sentence for their crime. And that restriction is deemed constitutional.
There are restrictions on guns that are constitutional and supported by a majority of Americans. One of these is a strict background check law that would deny the right to buy or receive a gun to those deemed to be violent (criminals, terrorists, domestic abusers, and some of the mentally ill).
Currently, there are large loopholes in the background check law. And many states don't report offenders as they are supposed to do. As many as 40% of gun buyers do so with going through a background check. That must be stopped, and over 80% of citizens (including gun owners) want it stopped. They want a stricter background check law that can be enforced.
It simply makes no sense not to do this. Who are the Republicans protecting by their opposition to a stricter background check law? It's not honest and law-abiding citizens. They could still purchase or receive a firearm under a stricter background check law. The only people Republicans are protecting are criminals and other dangerous people -- the people who do not have a right to own a firearm!
Republicans are wrong on this issue, and it's time for voters to make that clear.
In Canada, their schools have more than 1 door. They have folks struggling with mental illness. They watch the same movies, listen to the same music and play the same violent video games as Americans. And, since Columbine, the US has had 200 school shootings. Canada has had THREE!
ReplyDelete.
It's the guns!