Biden has a opportunity now to lead from the front. He won't. They never do. Clinton didn't, Bush didn't, Obama (possibly worst of all with Sandy Hook) didn't, Trump didn't -- and Biden won't either. They all love the sound bites pretending to give a shit, but nothing comes of it. Biden could sit as his desk tomorrow and sign any number of executive orders creating immediate change. That's not to say these orders wouldn't be lawyered away in the months and years to come -- but it could start a wave of change - it could start a real narrative that it's possible in America.
This is a hopelessly naive take. Any significant action would likely be immediately halted one of the conservative circuit courts and eventually be kicked up to a Supreme Court that is currently anti-gun control.
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I think the change needs to include entertainment. Stop making movies and tv shows and video games and comic books etc using guns and gun violence as cool and entertaining. After a generation hasn't been bombarded with the coolness of gun violence - perhaps the social narrative will have changed.
People are watching violent movies and TV shows worldwide. People are playing Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto worldwide. Yet the US is the country having issues with gun violence. If entertainment is the same across the globe, but gun availability and attitude toward gun ownership is particular to the US, where do you think the issue actually lies?
The US President is able to do almost nothing except grieve after a mass shooting. There are no executive orders that can be put in place as stop gap measures after a mass shooting. The gun lobby is powerful and the amount of political inaction is a direct indicator of that power. Grim, but truthful points, Michael.
Can someone explain why anyone outside of the military needs to own military weapons that shatter children's bodies to the degree that they cannot even be identified???
I often hear about how most of the country is FOR sensible gun reform... so the majority need to stop voting for these BOUGHT politicians who won't stand up to the GUN LOBBY.
Can someone explain why anyone outside of the military needs to own military weapons that shatter children's bodies to the degree that they cannot even be identified??
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Watch RED DAWN. That will sum up the mentality for you.
As far as the US President being able to do nothing, this is what Biden said on the campaign trail in 2020:
"When I'm the president, we'll take them on, remove the immunity and allow those parents who are trying now to sue for the pain and mayhem they have caused."
Following on from that, he could state it is official policy of his administration to explore how to repeal the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms act.
He could issue an Executive Order that an additional Federal tariff of 25% is being placed on the import and production of ammunition as a part of a standard policy to limit the harms associated with potentially dangerous goods.
He could issue an Executive Order that imposes Federal regulations on ammunition sales. For example, these could match the state regulations already in place in California.
None of these things are a magic wand. But they don't clash with the second amendment and they would be doing something at least.
Watch RED DAWN. That will sum up the mentality for you.
A friend who had never seen it once asked me what it was about, and I replied, "It's the film that plays on a constant loop in [our very conservative friend]'s head." Which got the point across immediately.
“Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde. Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and we urge all Texans to come together to show our unwavering support to all who are suffering. We thank the courageous first responders who worked to finally secure Robb Elementary School. I have instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to work with local law enforcement to fully investigate this crime. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is charged with providing local officials all resources necessary to respond to this tragedy as the State of Texas works to ensure the community has what it needs to heal.”
This from the man who signed legislation allowing Texans to buy guns without licenses.
I know I'm being naive, but you would think law enforcement at all levels would want as few guns on the streets as possible, if for no other reason that it makes their line of work less dangerous.
There are multiple, multiple issues and possible causes and we could discuss them until the end of time but there's one (1) that's relatively easy to address: this isn't even about "guns" in general.
You can't perpetrate something like this with a regular gun, the gun Joe Normal likes to put under his pillow at night and is afraid "the guv'nment" wants to take away from him.
It's about a particular kind of military weapon that's specifically designed to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time, if that kind of rifle weren't instantly available to each and every lunatic... it wouldn't instantly solve the problem but it would be a great start.
Uvalde: AR-15
Buffalo: AR-15
Boulder: AR-15
Orlando: AR-15
Parkland: AR-15
Las Vegas: AR-15
Aurora, CO: AR-15
Sandy Hook: AR-15
Waffle House: AR-15
San Bernardino: AR-15
Midland/Odessa: AR-15
Poway synagogue: AR-15
Sutherland Springs: AR-15
Tree of Life Synagogue: AR-15
Edited by Rodrigo castellanos on 25 May 2022 at 5:02pm
We need an “Emmet Till Moment” from this latest massacre.
The mother of Emmet Till defied all the voices trying to dissuade her from publishing the very graphic images of her young son’s mutilated face and body at his open casket funeral.
Law enforcement, the NAACP, elected officials and many others asked her not to. She said “no” and her dead son, with a face that looked like a bag of loose rocks inside was laid out for all to see at his funeral. And it was a galvanizing moment and one of the many sparks that started the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks didn’t sit on that bus and refused to get up because her feet were tired. She was pissed about Emmet Till and got involved.
Photos of those bodies need to be shown…and a name and face of a politician or media figure who played a part in blocking significant gun legislation) needs to be attached to that pic.
The physical toll of the assault weapon in America needs to be made plain to people. Not the BS we get from action movies. I mean the real deal with the murdered children so sweet and pure they might as well have had halos and wings on while they were walking here on Earth. And those pics need to be viral on on every fucking iPhone screen and computer. Because within a week this will become old news….and the countdown until it happens again is currently ticking.
We are so far showing the United States of America is haplessly, hopelessly broken. I’m so fucking glad I do NOT have grandchildren.
And if you don’t know who Emmet Till is…Google him.
Edited by David Allen Perrin on 25 May 2022 at 5:23pm
A “normal” gun can be used to wound and potentially kill six people. That fits the bill for a mass shooting by FBI definition.
Think about a normal day. Driving to the grocery store. Some a-hole cuts across traffic. How many of us have flashed on an imaginary death ray mounted in the front of our car?
Translate that death ray to an actual weapon in our pocket. Mix in racism, fear, paranoia.