A few of our stories and columns are now in front of the paywall. We at The Chief-Leader remain committed to independent reporting on labor and civil service. It's been our mission since 1897. You can have a hand in ensuring that our reporting remains relevant in the decades to come. Consider supporting The Chief, which you can do for as little as $3.20 a month.
0913Letter_Bullaro
No solace
On Sept. 4, there was yet another mass shooting in America when a 14-year-old student with an AR-15 assault rifle killed two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school.
Like parrots who learn by rote, Republican politicians recite the words “thoughts and prayers,” “thoughts and prayers” over and over again after every mass shooting.
When combined with solutions to America’s gun violence epidemic, those words bring solace. But sadly Republicans refuse to take any productive action like implementing a ban on military-style assault rifles and enacting common sense gun legislation which most people endorse.
Instead, they gaslight Americans.
Their fecklessness enables the slaughter of children and adults and literally holds the entire country at gunpoint in a defenseless state of despair. In America, gun violence menacingly looms like a guillotine, from sea to shining sea.
Will Second Amendment zealots ever commit to reforming gun laws? Since 2014, there have been about 5,000 mass shootings and 400,000 firearm deaths in America. Yet, little has been done on a national level to stop the shootings. In fact, gun violence is on the rise.
When Republican presidents hold public rallies and fiercely defend pro-gun issues virtually without limits, they do so ensconced behind bullet proof glass. A contradiction loaded with irony and paradox.
Republican politicians are more concerned about getting big donations from the NRA than the safety of Americans, especially children. In fact, because of such strong gun lobbying more states have recently allowed constitutional carry and open carry without a permit.
For decades Republican leaders have abandoned Americans. They preach thought and prayer but legislate slaughter and despair.
If you listen closely with your heart you can hear the murdered victims of gun violence lamenting in silence.
Marc Bullaro
1 comment on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
reenjoe
I'll go further. Since the University of Texas mass shootings in 1966, more Americans have been killed by guns on home soil than the combined total in all U.S. wars dating back to the Revolution, over 1.7 million deaths.
We can't just blame GOP leaders. Those who vote for Republicans, many of which do so because of lax gun policy, are just as culpable. If voters won't hold elected leaders accountable for the gun violence in this country, then they are complicit.
Saturday, September 14 Report this