Debate Magazine
There is much to reflect upon whenever a tragedy happens.What we should focus on, easing the pain to the extent any easing can be done.Trying to provide some justice so that the tragedy can be avoided if that is even possible.Looking for a way to bridge the divide that caused the hate to develop.
When I look at the reaction of various groups to the Orlando massacre, I see most people wanting to do nearly all of this.A few, like Donald Trump, seek to use it for political advantage, some others seek to use it to make false claims about “gun free zones.”A number of others, like the NRA, seek to get ahead of any outcry and so make some false claims, using misleading statistics, about crime and gun violence.
I won’t compound the rancor with more rancor.I will simply say that the NRA and its supporters in Congress are wrong to ONLY offer up that they’ll modify the law to include people on the “No Fly” list as those who can’t buy firearms.That misses the mark by a long way.It’s not just access to firearms, it’s the type.
The high capacity magazine and semi-automatic “assault” rifle are really more to blame than any hole in the “No Fly” list.The gun-show loophole is also in that it allows for straw purchases for the purpose of reselling firearms to criminals.The weapon type and magazine point should be what we are discussing not the political theater of the “No Fly/No Buy” bill.That bill is pablum and would never have stopped Omar Mateen.It would never have stopped the shooter at Sandy Hook, or San Bernadino, or Aurora Colorado, or Virginia Tech or Gabby Giffords shooter.That said, it’s not a bad thing to do, but it’s far short of enough, enough to offer the victims justice, their families solace, and the nation some meaningful improvement in safety.
Instead it’s time to admit assault weapons and high capacity magazines are not needed by civilians for home defense.It’s also time to close the gun-show loophole nationally.It’s also time to require the national database to be universally implemented and enough time for it to be accessed prior to the completion of a sale.These aren’t even hard measures.They will curtail gun sales and so the gun lobby and their mouthpiece, the NRA, will hate it.But, in response to a tragedy, we have the obligation to the dead and their loved-ones to stop pointing fingers and do that which we’ve known for a long time needed doing.This isn’t knee-jerk legislation, it’s finally pushing aside political resistance we should never have let stop us in the first place. Honor requires it, decency pleads for it, and the memory of the dead demands it.
