Doesn’t Ninety Percent Mean Anything in a Democracy?

Poll after poll shows that 90% or more of Americans support universal background checks for gun purchases.  And that includes solid majorities of NRA members and Republicans.  Yet even this, the most popular  and least controversial of gun reforms, seems doomed, unable to get out of the Democrat-controlled Senate, let alone the GOP House.

Sahil Kapur writes today at Talking Points Memo:

“Politically, Democratic leaders are in a lose-lose predicament. If they somehow squeeze background checks through the Senate (it’ll still have to pass the House), their vulnerable members will face the wrath of the NRA. If the legislation fails, leaders will anger and demoralize their liberal base, which is demanding meaningful action on guns.”

It seems to me that if this legislation fails, the anger and despair and frustration will rightly extend well beyond the liberal base.  Background checks are not just a liberal cause, they are supported all across the political spectrum.

Kapur names four Dem senators who won’t vote for background checks because they are up for re-election in 2014:  Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Max Baucus of Montana.  I hope they lose their seats —  they don’t deserve the extraordinary honor and power of being a senator.

Jewish tradition says that if you save one life, you save the whole world.  I can’t imagine that universal background checks won’t save at least one life.  If I lost my Senate seat, but knew that I’d saved a life because of my vote, I’d consider that an excellent trade-off and be proud and at peace for the rest of my life.  And, given the lop-sided polling, I believe these senators can do the right thing and win in 2014 anyway.

It may be inevitable that crazies like Adam Lanza will do us harm, but it’s not inevitable that cowards will lead us.

Quote of the Day

“You’re safe now; your parents love you.”

Officer William Chapman to a little girl he found at Sandy Hook Elementary School breathing and with a slight pulse, as he carried her to an ambulance.  She did not survive.

From “Reliving Horror and Faint Hope at Massacre Site,” Ray Rivera, NYT

Paranoid Fringe 1, Newtown Children 0

Crazies in and out of Congress are threatening to impeach President Obama over his executive actions on guns.

Yes, those actions are very scary.

For example, he is going to nominate a director for the ATF.

He’s going to begin a conversation about mental health.

He’s going to begin a campaign to emphasize safe and responsible gun ownership.

He’s going to clarify what mental health services Medicaid must provide.

He’s going to offer additional training for active shooter situations.

Nominations and conversations and campaigns and clarifications and training, oh my!

All of the executive actions he outlined today are pretty wimpy and none of them can be interpreted as taking away anyone’s Second Amendment rights.

All the big stuff, the meaningful stuff is going to Congress, and it looks as if we may get better background checks, but we won’t get a ban on assault weapons or large ammo clips.

I can’t believe that this moment is going to slip away, but now I think it is.  And if Sandy Hook doesn’t get us to act, I have no idea what will.

It’s awful enough that those beautiful children and brave teachers died.  Even worse is that they will have died in vain.  Even worse is that the paranoid fringe is going to win.

Quote of the Day

“The public wants guns out of the schools, not in the schools.  I don’t think the NRA is listening.”

GOP pollster and evil genius Frank Luntz

A Message to NRA Members

If you disagree with what you’re hearing from Wayne LaPierre, let him know by sending your membership card back.

The NRA no longer speaks for the majority of its members, let alone the majority of this country, just the lunatic fringe and the gun and ammo manufacturers.

LaPierre Has Splaining To Do

At first I was dismayed when I saw that the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre will be on Meet the Press tomorrow.  I thought why give his garbage any more of an audience?

But then I realized that it’s wonderful he’s on, so we can hear him explain how much good that armed guard did at Columbine.

The Tyranny of the Crazed 20%

“I’m still amazed, angry, shocked that Wayne LaPierre actually tossed a ‘have you no decency’ at like 80% of the country today.”

Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo

I can’t say I’m amazed or shocked, but I am angry.

And the Tea Party types in Congress are doing the exact same thing to “like 80% of the country” when it comes to the fiscal cliff.

NRA’s Solution — Cops in Every School

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”  Wayne La Pierre, head of the NRA, at his press conference today in response to the Newtown massacre.

Um, how about stopping that bad guy from getting the gun, so that he doesn’t ever become “a bad guy with a gun.”

Anyway, LaPierre’s solution is to have police officers in every single school in the country.

And for good measure, he blamed violent movies, video games and music videos.

So, the NRA wants more cops who will of course need more guns.  Since the NRA really represents gun manufacturers, that is a great solution to make its masters richer.

Sometimes you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but this is really a moment to just scream at the top of your lungs.

 

 

Really Bad Idea of the Day (and Perhaps the Decade)

“Some friends said she [Nancy Lanza] hoped to teach Adam a sense of responsibility through the proper handling of guns.”

“Mother Was Gunman’s Link to World,” Matthew Dolan, Danny Gold, Alison Fox and Tamara Audi,” WSJ

What Does Michele Bachmann Have In Common With Adam Lanza?

I mean, aside from the fact that they’re both crazy.

In an interview last year, Bachmann said that her favorite weapon was the AR-15.  Hey, that was Lanza’s favorite too!

Isn’t that special?