Guns don’t kill people, people kill people, has been the big selling point for the defense of the antiquated Second Amendment. Would there be cybercrime without the Internet? Do you ever hear drugs don’t kill people, people doing drugs kills people? Would there be homophobic bullying if it weren’t for religion preaching its alleged immorality through indoctrinated hate? Why is it the preponderance of guns is NEVER the reason for gun violence? With less than 5% of the world’s population, the United States is home to roughly 35–50 per cent of the world’s civilian-owned guns, heavily skewing the global geography of firearms and any relative comparison. Our culture of guns has armed our citizens with roughly 88 guns per 100 people.
The main reason is because the NRA, with the help of ALEC and the Heritage Foundation rule America through the Republican Party (and a few Democrats as well). Most of the nation’s most lax gun laws are passed by Governors with GOP administrations, such as Rick Scott in Florida. The GOP has an alleged “family values” message, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The Republican Party is a criminal conspiracy to betray the well-being of the American people in favor of oligarchical and corporate interests, and insane fundamentalist religious groups. Gun rights, not human rights, are far more important. This is only befitting of a party who takes the wrong side of every single issue since the New Deal.
The attack on anyone who comments on the easy acquisition of firearms is generally brutal. Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock candidly voiced their opinion on our gun culture after the tragic murder suicide of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher. This was met with disbelief by those who, let’s face it, cling to their religion and their guns. I found it to be an absolutely honest and heartfelt observation where they admit handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it. If Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kassandra Perkins would both be alive today. Our current gun culture ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy. More convenience store confrontations over loud music will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead. The outrage was not directed at the actual murders or the easily accessible guns, but at those who criticize our gun laws!
The gun-rights zealots’ criticism can be aimed at politicians or any public figure who dares challenge their insane logic. So our culture, enhanced by strong-arm tactics by powerful lobbies and hate groups, is obsessed with guns. I can easily understand someone’s right to defend themselves or hunt, but why the need for large capacity ammo clips or assault rifles? When is it going to end? Can I get my own personal surface to air missile just in case I want to shoot down a potential enemy drone or if I’m paranoid about my “Socialist-Marxist government?” Why is it President Obama has done absolutely nothing to restrict gun owners’ rights yet the number of hate groups who advocate the most lenient gun laws is at an all time high? Largely because they have managed to appeal to the American psyche by invoking Jesus Christ, the most popular deity in America, to their cause.
These hate groups masquerade as religious organizations promoting their version of family values. MVP American Family Association Executive Director and radio host Bryan Fischer was discussing the NRA’s latest conspiracy theory, about how the United Nations is supposedly plotting to take away guns and destroy American’s Second Amendment rights though the Arms Trade Treaty. During the discussion, Fischer claimed that Jesus preached the right to self-defense and therefore his teaching is “virtually the foundation of the Second Amendment.”
This psychosis fostered by hard-right wingers creates a culture where any organization trying to promote peace and minimize destruction is looked upon suspiciously. The TeaPartiers in the Senate recently voted to reject a UN treaty essentially promoting the world’s adoption of OUR very own ADA which intends to treat the handicapped in other countries with greater dignity and equality. Led by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and SenatorJim DeMint (R-SC) (who recently announced his retirement to head the Heritage Foundation), they convinced enough of their sympathizers to humiliate the handicapped in their very own chamber, especially esteemed GOP Senator Bob Dole. The Teaparty is still trying to convince its NRA-obsessed sympathizers that we are truly turning into a Marxist-Socialist nation. It’s no coincidence the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the Family Research Council, a huge supporter of DeMint, as a hate group.
So what recourse do sane, thinking Americans who love this country and the Constitution have? Based on the most recent elections we have already begun by sending a few of these hard line crazies back home. Hopefully, the NRA and its Religious Right organizations will be emasculated to the point of impotence. Firearms must be more closely regulated than they currently are. If the TeaParty could lose its grip on our government, perhaps there will be more regulations placed on gun show sales and will discourage the emotionally volatile from arming themselves to the teeth. Our Constitution was designed to protect our citizens not just from tyrannical government, but from general anarchy and violence. Stand Your Ground and other such flawed laws must be amended to do what they should do: protect ALL Americans.
