I don’t generally delve too deeply into “current events” here, but speaking as the father of two elementary schoolchildren, today’s events in Connecticut (to say nothing of Wednesday’s events in Oregon) have left me – much like everyone else – deeply demoralized.
As many others have said far more eloquently, I think it’s the PERFECT time to escalate the debate on gun control. Back in August, I suggested that I wasn’t going to wade into the Second Amendment debate, as it was "far too complicated to get into here,” but fuck that. Stop waving that around like it’s a magic golden Wonka ticket – that was written for people who were afraid of being ATTACKED BY MUSKET-WIELDING REDCOATS! It shouldn’t mean that any bozo can go out and buy an automatic assault weapon. These are toys you simply don’t need.
And to the people who suggest that today’s events transpired because “we removed God from schools” – I’m talking about shitheads like Mike Huckabee and Ryan Fischer – Go fuck yourselves. You sicken me.
XTC sang it best…
Right On Alex!
Just to be clear, you cannot go out and buy an automatic assault weapon. This is a common misconception.
ReplyDeleteAutomatic weapons (machine guns) have been tightly restricted since 1934 and banned from new manufacture or import (except for military and law enforcement) since 1986. The rifles that any bozo can go out and buy resemble their military counterparts, but fire only one bullet at a time.
These rifles are still exceptionally lethal of course, as is any firearm old or new, but the expired Assault Weapons Ban did not have anything to do with machine guns, as they were already effectively banned, and still are.