Gunning For Rationales

  • So, Colt has suspended its production of rifles, including AR-15s, for the civilian market.  Would that public safety were its overriding motivation. Actually, it’s a pragmatic business decision, because the market is now, alas, saturated with similar weapons.
  • When it comes to gun laws and addressing mass shootings, the Florida Legislature’s rallying cry is still “Incrementalism to the Rescue.” How stupid and spineless. When common sense and public safety cry out for assault weapons bans, non-loophole background checks and more, we get Tallahassee talk about the benefit of a threat-assessment alert system. It doubles down on “See something, say something.” It can help, but not nearly enough if we still allow assault weapons and too many gun sales to bypass serious background checks. Thanks for nothing, Rick Swearingen, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, who gave his threat-assessment alert blessing without pushing for more meaningful measures. BTW, “See something, say something” needs updating. How about “See something, say something, actually do something”?
  • President Trump’s MO when it comes to guns is to furrow his brow, feign empathy, offer thoughts and prayers and call for reforms after the latest mass shooting. Then the reality of his white-nationalist, gun-enamored base and Republican fealty to the NRA kicks in and nothing legislatively meaningful happens. Again. And now Beto O’Rourke has been targeted, as only Trump can target, as a scapegoat. “Dummo Beto made it much harder to make a deal,” explained Trump. A lot of people think this is just a way of taking away guns.”

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