And For Once, He Is Right – as in correct.
Not surprisingly – it is one of the only times that I agree with him.
All this in regard to the October 1st shooting rampage at a Community College in the State of Oregon where 9 were slaughtered.
Here is what Obama had to say: “we are not the only country on Earth that has people with mental illnesses or want to do harm to other people. We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months”.
Pundits were quick to label the President’s comments ‘political’ but even so – they trailed Obama, since he, himself acknowledged this as part of his overall statement.
I personally did not find his comments to be political but more of a plaintiff cry for a nation that has succumbed to the culture of death by firearm.
Obama mentioned several examples of past examples of this but notably did not include the experience of his home city of Chicago which sees a shooting occur every 3 hours or so and a death at the rate of slightly more that one per day.
So if there was a failing in his message – it was that he failed then and indeed since the beginning of his Presidency to shine a light on the fact that most gun killings occur between ghettoised Blacks.
I am though getting off point – since the matter he addressed – that the US of A needs stricter gun control – seems like a no-brainer to me.
And yet the majority of Americans parrot like trained seals the second amendment to the Constitution that permits citizens to bear arms.
Recall though that this amendment was written at the time of the one shot musket and recall that at that time – the sense that citizens had the right to bear arms was intended for a Citizen Militia and not for individuals per se.
despite these annoying facts, today individuals fall back on this law to support their right to carry automatic weapons – some capable of piercing metal.
It surprises me that some nut has not used the 2nd amendment to allow him right to drive a tank down main-street on the basis that it too is merely a type of armament.
But the real knee slapper is the position taken by the totally deranged National Rifle Association. In the face of these continuous massacres the NRA’s position is that they would stop if all Americans – even presumably students – were packing.
What utter nonsense.
All that that would do is increase the carnage.
Here is what the United States needs to do:
1. If the US Supreme Court continues to follow its errand ways – move to revoke the 2nd Amendment out from under it;
2. Hunters be required to store their weapons – ones that can really be used for hunting and not for mass killing – at a suitable depository (e.g. a gun range). No one, save as per #3, needs to keep their gun at home.
3. Farmers – those with farming acreage and those living in wilderness locales be allowed to keep a shotgun on hand to deal with dangerous wild / sick / injured animals.
Will the United States get around to doing this?
Yes it will, but it will probably take another 50 years before Americans come to their senses.
Too bad that so many are going to pay the ultimate price for this tardiness.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
