In a span of days, two mass shootings occurred in Boulder, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia. Regretfully, the death of 18 innocent people only proves once again that nothing has changed about gun violence, which should be a concern to all of us as a nation. However, Republicans and even a few Democrats in Congress aren’t able to ever pass gun reform legislation for our safety. Instead, there is too much money funneling through the NRA that helps influence elected officials that we trusted to work for us to do the right thing for all and not just to line their pockets and hold onto power.
Tell me why the average citizen needs to own a gun like an assault weapon that is geared for combat like the ones used by those shooters? Of course, there can be some instances where a case could be made for owning an assault weapon such as having a lot of acreage on a farm to shoot predators coming to prey on crops or livestock. Yet, we are in a crisis when it comes to gun violence, especially in regard to assault weapons and the destruction they can do.
President Biden is trying to persuade Congress to finally reinstate the assault weapons ban and pass some form of gun control legislation in place of instituting an executive order, which would not stop people from owning guns. The House is calling for longer times for background checks on all firearm purchases and transfers of used guns, which only makes sense to help better defend us from gun violence. This would also not take any freedom away from gun owners.
Needless to say, a partisan effort to finally pass suitable gun control legislation would be the best solution. But one excuse after another seems always to be the course either by objecting or the need to constantly add riders to their bills that could benefit their state or district.
For instance, Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat) of West Virginia doesn’t want background checks on the transfer of guns to people that the seller personally knows. Transferring your gun to a friend, family member, acquaintance, co-worker, or employee that you know doesn’t guarantee that association is going into emotionally stable or trusting hands. The only thing it can do is save those people money requiring a further background check.
The one thing about this is that politicians are very focused on “securing” the vote and imposing many requirements for voter ID, limiting early voting and to make it vote hard or even banning it. So guns should be easy to get, but casting a ballot should be hard?
I could not agree more. My niece attended a school where a mass shooting happened. That is horrifying. Children should not be accustomed to mass shooter drills and no one should have to fear that every time they go to work, go shopping, go out to a nightclub or concert… that they could DIE at the hands of a man armed with assault rifles, assault pistols, and high capacity magazines!