Tag Archives: Gun Control
Breaking Point
Listen, Donald Trump supporters are a loyal bunch. For the most part, I can think of few things that will get them to even question Trump’s judgment. If Robert Mueller uncovers that Trump swore allegiance to Russia in an official ceremony, his supporters would find a way to suggest that it was the most patriotic thing that any president has ever done ever. He can do no wrong in their eyes, even when the things he does are empirically wrong. The same people who were chanting for Bill Clinton to be impeached almost 30 years ago are suggesting that Trump’s more shady infidelity is less than. All of the stuff that any other President would have been a traitor to our country for doing, is somehow excusable when done by an orange, rich toad. It’s mind boggling.
But I have to say, if there is one thing that might get some Trump loyalists to turn their head is him legislating their firearms. I know, even technically the NRA was on board for the bump stock ban, but I know that conservative gun enthusiasts are fans of their slippery slopes, and that had to raise a few hairs when Trump bypassed actual legislation and enacted a sweeping bump-stock ban. The way I see it, if we start seeing cracks in that specific armor, this might be where we see them.
Root Cause
Conservatives with ties to the NRA are looking for any excuse to keep the spotlight off of gun control. Extra points for finding a good Christian evil to point the finger at. So in walks Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee with a not just a theory, but an honest certainty about the root of all these shootings: Pornography! I kid you not. terms she’s attributed to the importance of Pornography as a motivator for school shootings are “Root Cause” and “Big part”. Which makes me wonder…does she have any idea why people watch porn or what it’s for? It seems to me that if anything, porn might have the opposite effect. It certainly isn’t something known for winding people too tightly.
Trump Off Brand
So Trump is…I don’t know if I’d call it a 180 on gun control provisions…but he’s definitely sounding…dare I say…somewhat reasonable? It’s weird to see him step so far away from his base’s views on anything. I mean, the VAST majority of Americans overwhelmingly favor some new measure of gun control. That is indisputable, but the very vocal minority, the people who comprise the loudest segment of Trump’s base, do not. So for Trump to come out and say he’s down for confiscating guns from mentally ill people, and for raising the age of purchase on certain firearms…I mean it’s a weird pivot that I’m not sure anyone saw coming. It’s a welcome one. But it also is so out of character for him that I would feel weird trusting it. I don’t know whether to expect him to go back on it tomorrow and say he never said any such thing in the first place.
Teachers: The Alternative to Gun Control
Trump and friends are now floating around the idea of arming teachers in the wake of Parkland. I know it’s not a new idea, but it’s a particularly bad one. Seriously, it’s dumb. It’s a bad idea for a multitude of reasons, where the benefits are haphazard at best. A teacher holding a gun is expected to get into a standoff with a mentally unstable person, perhaps shoot the person, who is hopefully not wearing any kind of body armor, and will hopefully, in a high stress situation, not misfire the weapon, or shoot an innocent person in the crossfire. All of this doesn’t even take into account the idea of having a stressed out teacher having a firearm within reach while thinking about a frustrating problem child who won’t shut up…Just sayin’….
Your Super Republican Neighbor Talking About Mass Shootings
Mind the Exit 