I don’t know why I still get angry when these things happen (and it sure seems like they happen more and more frequently.) As others have said, I really don’t expect gun laws to ever change in this country – if nothing changed after five- and six-year-olds were slaughtered in their classrooms, then what could possibly ever change the will of our elected representatives?
When the guy that shot up this church bought his AR-556, he claimed in his background check paperwork that he didn’t have a disqualifying criminal history. Obviously he lied, since his court-martial and 12-month confinement in a military prison should have precluded him from buying a gun.
According to the Texas Attorney General, this just proves that “you can’t keep guns out of the hands of people who are going to violate the law.” In fact, AG Paxton is calling for more guns in church, saying that we should "at least [be] arming some of the parishioners so they can respond to something like this.”
@rockvillemom bipartisanship?? That’s a dirty word these days! Heaven forbid you may have to take a tough vote and lose your seat. I’m really disgusted about the gun issue and I say that as a Person who doesn’t mind folks owning a gun. I mean why can’t we even pass laws restricting the size of magazines. I know I’m wasting my time. If nothing was done after Newton and Vegas nothing will be done.
Regarding my point about persons of color buying, yeah that would spur movement. When Reagan was governor of California, the Panthers started to openly carry, to protect their communities and assert their 2nd amendment rights. Yeah, a law was passed quickly.
Then do it. Start a movement and get the blasted gun laws changed. If that is what it takes, then there should be a national movement to make it happen. These shootings just have to stop. Do what it takes to make it happen. Be a pioneer.
I’ll admit I’m now suffering from a certain amount of massacre fatigue. When my IPhone dinged with the news alert about this latest shooting, I couldn’t do more than sigh, shake my head, and think, “Another day, another gun massacre, because ‘dis is Amurica,’ where the 2nd Amendment is more sacrosanct than God Himself!” If I allow myself to feel heartbroken every time another tragedy like this occurs, I’ll barely be able to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. It’s bad enough that I’m once again taking meds for depression and daily battling feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. These increasingly frequent instances of gun insanity and the callous disregard for human life evinced by the NRA and it’s bought-and-paid-for lawmakers now just render me numb and bone-tired. I sincerely apologize for my lack of outrage, I used the last of it in the wake of Sandy Hook, when even roomsful of dead six yr. olds couldn’t provoke a National will to stop the madness.
Please don’t forget that within the past year Congress repealed a rule that would have made it harder for the mentally ill to purchase guns. Then after another shoooting the words out of their mouths after thoughts and prayers (and the newest talking point to mention brave first responders) they spout the mental illness excuse.
Separate issue- but when was the federal law banning assault rifles sunsetted? 2004? Why isn’t that revisited? Its the tip of the iceberg, but still, a good start.
CC is hardly a microcosm of the US political scene. This vast majority of people here lean hard left.
Personally, as someone who is politically independent, I think real progress on gun control will not happen until the passive aggressiveness stops, and the left stops politicizing these tragic events. Just reading the first page of comments here had me shaking my head… so much arrogance and snarkiness. No wonder the pro-gun crowd is being pushed further to the right, and defending their guns more these days. They are tired of feeling manipulated and talked down to.
If we want real change to happen on gun control we need to stop acting like a bunch of self-righteous a-holes. Until that happens, nothing will change. You don’t persuade a group of people by attacking them. It just doesn’t work that way…
@jym626 There’s a large contingent of black gun clubs in Texas but thats not shocking given its Texas. In general, as a percentage of law abiding gun owners we are very small. When I think about all of my friends, hardly any have guns. Now my family in the south, yeah all of them have guns in the house. Even my older family members originally from the south that now live in the north have guns. My friends who were born and raised in the Midwest, with really no southern connection are pretty anti gun so it would be a hard road to convince a lot of Blacks to go out and purchase. Convincing hispanics and other persons of color is probably even harder since they are feeling quite targeted these days.
Something has to be done. I refuse to accept this as a way of life in the US.
News reports from multiple sources are now indicating that the gunman’s in-laws attended that particular church, although they were not in attendance at the time of the shooting.
Nope, not Antifa. (Probably) just bitterness, hatred, and a history of violence.
I heard this morning that nine members of one family, including an unborn child, were killed. I cannot imagine how the remaining members will go on. It is impossible to wrap your head around this.
Nothing will change. It never does. If I did not have family in the U.S., I can honestly say that I would never enter the country again.
I agree with the poster who is suffering from massacre fatigue. Last night I thought back to the 1999 Columbine School shootings, and how devastated and traumatized I was by that. I watched Katie Couric’s interview with victim’s families the next morning, and it was so riveting that I couldn’t tear myself away and was almost late for work. I was glued to the TV as soon as I returned home from work. It took me a long time to process the horror.
But last night I realized that if that same type incident happened today, I wouldn’t even turn the TV on. I hate what has happened to me. To us.
They don’t have to purchase. They just have to apply for one. And if it worked in California, why cant it work nationwide? If people claim that that is the way to get gun laws changed, why not pursue it? Otherwise its just an empty tagline.
@jym626 In the California case, they were openly carrying. Yes, seeing persons of color openly carrying nationwide i surmise would spur legislation.
We can take Charlottesville. If a group of Blacks, Muslims, and or Latinos had marched into Charlottesville shouting "down with whites, or some other nonsense ", while carrying all types of weaponry, you can best believe things would’ve turned out differently.
@CottonTales – Because the statement was that prayer and worshiping did nothing – smacks of victim blaming to me. You know, too bad for “those” Christians that their God didn’t protect them. Use that overlay with some other tragedies and see how that works for you.
Then, within the very same breath it’s all about “me” and what “I” feel. I’ll go against the tide on this thread and think that within at least the first 24 hours after a tragedy we try to get the facts, share some empathy and grief before hopping on the podium to assign blame.
Pilot - people are just sick of hearing about thoughts and prayers coming from politicians. They are the ones who could do something and most of them don’t even try. It’s become hollow.
Do you find this chronic carnage acceptable? Is this just part of the price of the freedom to have guns in this country, and our obsession with gun violence? Wild West shoot-em-ups? Cops and robbers? Glorifying war?
^It is difficult to hear “sending thoughts and prayers” when the victims were already praying in a place of worship.
What I am praying for is that we are moved to make sweeping changes by voting these ineffective politicians out. I’m in a blue state but there are communities here that can stand some House cleaning.