Thursday, April 18, 2013

Gun Lobby Bullies Another Win

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Ninety percent of Americans favor stronger background checks for persons purchasing guns, yet the United States Senate continues to ignore the pronounced will of the majority.  Yesterday most Democrats and even a few Republicans in the Senate voted for stronger background checks, but sponsors of the bill were unable to garner the sixty votes necessary to move the legislation forward.

The American gun lobby flexed its muscle and its money, and the will of the people was thwarted.

Kudos to Arizona Republican Senator John McCain who bucked his party and the gun lobby to vote for the better background checks.  McCain, who often folds on hot-button issues, stood tall on this one. Three other Republicans joined him in the sudden burst of moral fortitude:  Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Mark Kirk of Illinois, and Susan Collins of Maine.

Unfortunately, four cowardly Democrats voted with the remaining Republicans to keep it easy for criminals and insane people to purchase firearms.  Those sniveling Democrats were Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Mark Pryor or Arkansas, and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.  Harry Reid of Nevada also voted with the Republicans as a matter of political necessity so that he would be able to bring the bill up again later.

So Wayne LaPierre wins another one and America loses - and the body count continues unabated.  How many more massacres will it take before Congress summons the strength to listen to America?

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