Very powerful speech! I caught most of it live.
After every one of these horrible events, it feels like - THIS TRAGEDY IS DIFFERENT - and FINALLY something WILL be done! However obviously nothing effective is ever done. In response America doubles-down on gun culture, making it easier for mentally ill people to buy guns for example.

Sorry, but I completely gave up on this whole thing after Sandy Hook on 12/14/12 when 26 children and 6 adults were killed and nothing was done. Even worse, rumors were spread far and wide that the killings were faked. Revolting.

Taylor wrote:

Robert Tulip wrote: It is the metaphysics, that guns are a magical talisman of liberty and restriction of government intrusion, a symbol of America's pioneer frontier fantasy identity.

Exactly this.

The American attitude to guns reminds me of the Aztec human sacrifice rituals, with the routine mass sacrifice of the innocent to atone to the Gods, sustaining the universe by repaying a divine debt.

That primitive attitude continues today with the American view that we should keep the whole society on tenterhooks, living with the constant painful suspense of never knowing when a madman with a gun will attack at random.

Unfortunately the religious ethics in that attitude to human blood sacrifice is a pathological traumatising derangement. The totemic religious fervour surrounding guns apparently extends to deliberate federal government insistence that crazy people should have full unfettered free access to weapons made only for large scale human massacre.

It is a shame that the most advanced nation on earth also lines up with the most primitive. US gun laws display barbaric contempt for human rights, dignity and freedom. People should be able to live in liberty from the terror imposed by government laws that allow crazy shooters to fire away at will.

I'm not offering the GOP advice but- take my advice GOP this issue will come back to haunt you at the mid-term elections.

In 2018, Gun Control will be the issue that more than any will sink the GOP. They Know it and they are sweating bullets over it. (I'm curious to see if senate bill 446 will pass) It shouldn't. I've emailed my reps my opposition to the bill, of course I've gotten no response, which when I think about it, I'd prefer.
Imigration is going to be another kick in GOP balls. (I hope bigly)
Equal pay will have the GOP pulling nose hairs as an internal destraction from their power slide. (Come on women these guys suck and you know it)
Trump is the poster child for GOP dysfunction. (is there anything likeable about this guy?)
Mitt Romney will come out swinging at the current GOP leadership only as a cover for continuing the GOP's free market fundy approach to social politics. (he'll prove to be a hipocrate par excellence)

Robert Tulip wrote:The American attitude to guns reminds me of the Aztec human sacrifice rituals, with the routine mass sacrifice of the innocent to atone to the Gods, sustaining the universe by repaying a divine debt.

It makes one wonder if they(Gov't) really do prefer us killing each other and ourselves. I suppose they'd prefer that than people pointing those weapons at the U.S. capital. Or worse-voting them out of office, so it really must be the will of the people. As DB Roy put it 'we're to stupid and selfish'.

.
Here's a big part of the problem.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/shoot ... -stop-them


Robert Draper, writer-at-large for “The New York Times” magazine, he has studied the history of the NRA.

"The National Rifle Association is the most powerful lobbying organization in America. It’s powerful not just because of the money that it has and membership that is, but quality of the membership, which is to say that they make their opinions heard, make their opinions count more quantifiably, I think, than any other organization in America.

[T]he last time we saw any major legislative effort mounted to control guns, any kind of gun safety law, was almost exactly five years ago at this time in the wake of the Newtown shooting.
There have been numerous such shootings since then, and no political will whatsoever to seek a legislative remedy. And that is clearly because of the efforts by the NRA, who have made it clear to Republicans in particular that they will pay a high political price if they were to sign on to such legislation."

Taylor wrote:In 2018, Gun Control will be the issue that more than any will sink the GOP. They Know it and they are sweating bullets over it.

I'm not sure about that. I scroll down my facebook feed and every third post is someone I know repeating talking points about how "guns are not the problem." The sheer number of people who think this way is staggering.

Yes, guns are not the problem. Neither is mental illness. Each of these on its own does not equal the problem. The problem is people with mental illness owning the types of guns that can kill many people in short order, coupled with something culturally ineffable(the memetic spread of mass shootings).

Yes, we should treat mental illness, screen for it and report unusual behavior. Yes, we should restrict the ability to own guns that can kill many people in short order. We could blame culture, but good luck finding an avenue to solve the issue on that front.

Interbane wrote: Yes, we should restrict the ability to own guns that can kill many people in short order

The hardest part of the entire issue seems to be simply taking a first step. I have chosen to help/support these kids push for someone to take that first step.

America delivers an oversized load of thoughts and prayers to the next mass shooting.