Like so many people I know, my reaction to the preventable tragedy in Pittsburgh is one of horror, anger and dismay. I reached ‘saturation’ point with such events many, many years ago. And still they keep happening.
Well, of course, they don’t ‘happen.’ It’s not something that just ‘happens. Someone DOES it. Every single time. It doesn’t come about because of a ‘random tragedy generator.’ Nor because of the whimsy of the universe. People do it. People in our culture. I HATE the truth of it, but it is a part of our culture.
That doesn’t mean we have to accept it. But what do we DO?
More below!
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I meet with a Moms Demand Action group to fight this issue. I support several different gun Sense causes … Nothing ever seems enough. And there are so many other huge, important fights besides.
It would be magical if our society made the progress on this that it has on marriage equality, with dramatic, rapid improvements. Before that progress, I wasn’t optimistic that it could happen quickly. Yet, it did.
I don’t think this can happen quickly, either. I hope it can, but I don’t know. Because I don’t know, I am trying to not be overly optimistic, unrealistically optimistic.
One of the biggest problem I see is how the bias in favor of those weapons is generationally engrained. Father to son, father to daughter … so the bias is perpetuated, along with a theory of NEED. That folks ‘need’ these weapons.
As you know, the NRA and like organizations focus on preventing any infringement of ‘supply,’ of accessibility to their chosen fetish items. So there’s no question they will fight what I would like to see.
I would like to see outreach in the schools. With information about gun violence, about their use in crimes, not just attacks on school children. I would like to see special requirements for hunting. If adults take children hunting, they should have to have their own hunting licenses, with stringent penalties (for the adults!) if they don’t. I would like for there to be significant training requirements that would have to be fulfilled before those licenses could be issued. It should be much harder for the generational bond to be perpetuated. It should be expensive. It should be responsible, verifiable, accountable.
Right now nothing interrupts this generational cycle. But it should.
I am certain you guys will have many more ideas in this vein, undoubtedly better than mine. I’m fine with that! I just want our world to be safer. Particularly for the youngest human beings!
On to comments!
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From thurayya:
In this comment, SottoVoce sums it up very well, what these Republicans do: they're "spitting in the eye of every American.”
Highlighted by StephenJoseph:
Is this short comment by chicago minx encapsulating the totality of Trump.
I will try to find and add some more highlights, time permitting!
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