Craven, Irresponsible Politicians And The NRA

So we have another tragedy, another crowded morgue, and another group of inductees into the sorrowful assembly of grieving families. The shootings in Isla Vista, California, have forever changed the lives of the victims and their loved ones in ways only they can comprehend. However, there is nothing unique about the profusion of these horrendous events that are occurring with ever greater frequency. And the father of one of the victims was crystal clear about who is to blame for the devastating rampage. [Video below]

Richard Martinez, the father of 20-year-old UCSB shooting victim Christopher Martinez, gave a heartbreaking statement about his family’s loss, but he included a plea to all who were listening to “Stop this madness!” He plainly felt empathy for the victims of similar attacks in the past and those who are destined to become victims in the future. And he let it be known where the responsibility lies.

“Why did Chris die? Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights. What about Chris’s right to live?”

To be sure, the NRA is craven and irresponsible. They are currently lobbying to block funds for research by the Centers for Disease Control to better understand the public health crisis of mass shootings. They oppose the sale of “smart” guns that prevent unauthorized persons from using stolen firearms. They fought for the availability of “cop-killer” bullets that have no sporting or self-defense purpose. They advocate radical positions that even their members repudiate. Their agenda is diametrically opposed to that of the American people according to a poll by (gasp) Fox News.

Fox News Poll

These facts demonstrate how out of touch the NRA-theists are with the public at large. Yet, in some sense, the NRA is not really the problem. They are just doing what their benefactors pay them to do. And make no mistake, their benefactors are not the nation’s gun owners. The bulk of the NRA’s support comes from the firearms industry. Gun manufacturers and retailers are bankrolling the NRA to be their lobbyists in Washington. So who can blame the NRA for shilling for their financiers?

On the other hand, politicians are supposed to be representing the voters. If there is craven and irresponsible behavior going on, it is on the part of the congressmen and senators who do the bidding of the NRA. That’s a choice they make to betray their constituents in favor of the gun lobby. No one is, as they say, putting a gun to their head. It is long past time for our so-called representatives in Congress to do their damn jobs. And the media needs to inform their audience as to the relationship between the NRA and the gun industry, as well as the relationship between politicians and the NRA.

Advertisement:

This entry was posted in General and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Short URL: https://wp.me/p4Ijg-3VC

17 thoughts on “Craven, Irresponsible Politicians And The NRA

  1. This is one of the few times I’ve actually read that a shooter had obtained his or her firearms legally. Generally that sort of statement is left out of news coverage of this type of crime. The NRA head honchos must be sitting in a room somewhere trying to figure out how to put their spin on it. You know, the old, “if everyone everywhere was armed he wouldn’t have been able to shoot so many people.” Now let’s throw in the fact that some people were stabbed and they’ll start tossing out the, “should knife manufacturer’s be held responsible?” Every time something like this happens there should be a statement in the article about how much money gun manufacturer’s contribute to the existence of the NRA. Every time something like this happens there should be a list attached of how much money the NRA and gun manufacturer’s contribute to political campaigns. Let people be more aware of what exactly is going on with the NRA by including in every article a list of the insane things (as you’ve shown above) the NRA supports. Maybe then more people will be outraged over what the NRA and irresponsible gun owners are doing to this country. It’s already happening with many of the responsible gun owners but it just isn’t enough.

    • You are spot on, Terri. This father certainly called out the right people. Will the voters?

      • I wish it would Bigtoe, but my guess is that people who refuse to see the big picture & who continue to believe that the big bad government will take away all of their guns will not vote for stronger restrictions. They’ll continue to vote for the NRA-designated candidates and mass-shootings will occur more and more often.

    • Government is not the answer no matter how many times you say it. I live where most people own firearms – lots of them, and every kind imaginable – yet this latest mass violence happened where the most strict gun laws exist – California. Maybe all your laws just don’t make a difference – you gave the shooter an easy bunch of targets – with virtually no chance of return fire. Liberalizing gun laws – keep the background checks, eliminate all the other laws – may save more lives in the end.

  2. Gun-nuterry is not a malady from which I have ever suffered. The ones who do seem to be irrational, paranoid and otherwise a bit off in the head. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Wayne La Pierre, a very odd, oddball indeed, along with the whole panoply of fellow-gun-nuts!!! If the states that are passing voter-suppression laws would make gun ownership at least as difficult as they do voting, gun-deaths in this country would probably drop precipitously. It is a topsy-turvy world we live in when getting a gun is easier than registering to vote, getting a driver’s license or even building onto an existing home.

    • You know how stupid you sound – California has extremely strict gun laws – and how many people are dead? There is NO supporting data for your claims in this country – gun rights states like mine haven’t had one of these rampages in my lifetime. I can get virtually anything I want, when I want and as many as I want – as can all my fellow citizens here – mass killing isn’t happening here – maybe we’re safer or saner.

      • California’s “strict” gun laws are superannuated by the lax gun laws in the South. Criminals can get there guns in the South and go to blue states. Just ask Rudy Giuliani.

        • If the information is correct with respect to this story – this killer purchased his guns legally IN California – you sound as dopey as the other guy. If the latest mass murderer purchased his guns as you note, then you could have a point, but it’s fantasy and a weak attempt to convince anyone of why gun control would have done anything in this case.

  3. The first 3 victims were killed with a knife and one with a car but we are calling this a shooting rampage. Keep calling responsible gun owners “gun nuts” and I’m sure they’ll listen to your opinion. If you own a gun then you know how difficult it already is to do so. If you don’t then you are one of the ill informed that pretends to know what you are talking about. Please shut up.

    • Gun nuts always try to cling to irrelevancies to advance their arguments. The fact is that there were three gun fatalities and other injuries, as well as a shootouts with the police. Twenty kids were shot to death in Connecticut. Then there’s Ft. Hood, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine, and on and on.

      The vast majority of the American people want reform. Is this a democracy or are our representatives just shilling for lobbyists and corporations?

      • Mark, why don’t you address the restrictive gun laws of CA and why they didn’t do the job here? Maybe you should address that very relevant issue while you’re trying to justify more laws for everyone else.

  4. No, cowards who are willing to give up their freedoms as well as mine for a false sense of security are the problem. Sorry if you are too much of a coward to defend your own friends and family but don’t worry, “gun nuts” like me will protect cowards like you when the time comes. You just hide with the women and children. We’ll keep you safe. PS if the majority wanted slavery back would that be okay. The Constitution is to protect minorities like me from unreasonable assholes like you.

  5. Don’t waste your energy Mark. There are responsible gun owners in this country who agree with us. Unfortunately everyone who owns a gun thinks they’re a responsible gun owner. You can’t have a logical discussion with someone who doesn’t think logically and who immediately goes on the . It’s just a battle that can’t be won. Sooner or later the NRA will be exposed for what they are and we may have more meaningful laws.

    • Where can I get me a pair of those rose colored glasses? Cause only someone as delusional as you anti gun nuts would believe that more gun laws would stop mentally ill people from committing murders. I know of one instance where someone used 2 airplanes to kill 3000 people. Do you want to blame that one on the airplane. What do we ban once the guns are gone? Big knives? Then what? People have always killed and will always continue to due so. I’m just glad I have a gun to defend myself. Of course, I can always run to a gun free zone because we all know that you can’t get in there with a gun because of the invisible forcefield. Please keep your dirty hands off of my freedoms. Thank you.

      • Those glasses are available only to those that turn off all reason and common sense – you’ll find a lot of them at this website.

      • The problem with your argument is that you are insisting that those who flew the planes into the WTC were mentally ill. They were not mentally ill, they were religious and fighting for a cause that they fervently believed in.
        That may sound familiar as we have all witnessed many American born and bred instances of violent acts by God fearing Christians that love America, guns, and freedom. People are still dead though.
        Are they all mentally ill or is it just the number of dead that weight in favor of that decision?

Comments are closed.