There is no chance – none – that Republicans will do anything about guns. If first-graders being murdered didn’t move them, nothing will.
The NRA owns Washington, Frankfort, and all other halls of government. The only thing we will hear from our GOP friends is “thoughts and prayers.” Oh, and “let’s not politicize this.” And the ever-popular answer already in a bill in Frankfort: MOAR GUNS! That’s always their answer to gun violence.
18 school shootings so far this year — and we’re only into February. If we stopped making guns right now, there would still be a gun for every man, woman, and child in the country. We can’t even agree that people shouldn’t be allowed to buy high-capacity magazines — because of course I need to put 50 or 100 bullets into that deer.
We don’t worship God — we worship guns. We don’t value our children — we value our guns. We don’t want to solve this, or work on this, or even talk about this — because we want to keep our guns.
Let’s be clear: this is not unsolvable. We could pass permit-to-purchase. We could outlaw assault weapons, like we did until 2004. We could outlaw high-capacity magazines. We could require background checks for all purchases. We could regulate gun show sales. There are things we can do.
But we won’t. We won’t do even the easiest things … because our political system has devolved into each party only worrying about the 1/4 of the country that is its base – and the GOP base loves guns, guns, and more guns. And right now, they control the GOP, and they control Washington. And they control Frankfort.
So until we elect a new set of people who are not owned by the NRA, this will be our new status quo: school shootings every 2 school days, somewhere in the country. Weeping, grieving, funerals. Wringing of hands by impotent politicians who claim they cannot do anything, when the truth is they choose not to do anything.
Except thoughts and prayers.
Thoughts and prayers.
Always … just … thoughts and prayers.
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