Profiles in Courage
A moment of silence. A call to prayer. America can count its blessings for having such bold Congressional responses to yet another mass murder. Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are veritable profiles in courage.
Some might say that these gestures are ineffectual. Those doubters are simply ignoring the facts. Why, in 2018 we’ve had just 18 mass shootings in our country. That’s less than one every three days! Just imagine the carnage which would have occurred without silence and prayer.
Yes, there are those who point to Australia and the United Kingdom, which have had between them only one mass shooting since enacting strict gun control laws in the 1990’s. But really, would you feel safe in these countries? I mean, one was founded by convicts and the other is famous for its soccer hooligans.
When I was in grade school, we had “duck and cover” practice in our schools, so we’d be protected in case of a nuclear attack. It’s reassuring to know that today’s primary school students are receiving a similarly well rounded education, with Code Red drills mandatory in many school systems.
Paul Ryan rightfully cautioned against any knee jerk reaction, like tightening gun laws, before all the facts have been gathered. Yes, let’s first get all the facts, although that might hard due to the 1996 Dickey Amendment, which prevents the Center for Disease Control from gathering statistics on deaths from guns. I think it’s a great law. Why don’t we extend it and ban data collection on heart disease and cancer, which in 2015 claimed fewer victims in the 15–34 age category than guns. Out of sight, out of mind.
Some advocate for mandatory arming of teachers. Why stop there? Why not legislation requiring all citizens to carry some type of firearm. I would get such a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing my fellow Americans toting AR-15 rifles and Uzis at community Fourth of July celebrations. I’m sure that’s what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they enacted the Second Amendment. American exceptionalism at its finest!
I could write more, but I have to pray and take a moment of silence.
