Let me be brief and to the point in this post after a weekend where 30 people were killed from mass shootings in Texas and Ohio. Many more were wounded. How we got to this absurd point in our nation needs to be pointed out.
Republicans think you are stupid, and far too many of us are. They would have you believe that our gun death problem is caused solely by mental illness, or video games, or God knows what else they can make a claim about. But they can’t explain why every other industrialized country in the entire world has a minuscule number of gun deaths compared to the United States. Should we then surmise, based on GOP reasoning, that those other countries have no mental illness and no video games? Just asking for the majority in this nation who want gun violence to end.
The next time a Republican is heard on radio or television blaming mental illness for all of the gun violence, ask yourself why, in 2017, the Republican House, the Republican Senate, and the Republican president revoked an Obama-era rule that made it difficult for people with mental illness to buy a gun.
Let’s be honest: As long as Republicans hold any power, the slaughter from gun violence will continue.
There are two bills passed by the House on a bipartisan basis that Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to bring to the Senate floor for a vote. I understand that not everyone follows these types of bills in congress. So allow me to update you on what they are, and why they matter.
First is the matter of background checks. Since February, the Senate has had a House bill designed to close a huge loophole in our gun laws: There could be virtually no person-to-person firearm transfers at gun shows and between individuals unless there is a background check first.
Secondly a waiting period. Right now, there is a National Instant Criminal Background Check System for those buying at shops and stores. But if the system doesn’t return any information within three business days, the sale can be made. Since February, McConnell has sat on a bill that would increase that waiting period to 10 days.
Something is dreadfully wrong in the nation when in less than 24 hours there were two mass shootings. And those were not the only ones for the week! Until our nation finds the resolve to push back on the NRA, and the stooges they buy to sit in congress, the bullets and blood will keep making headlines.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 