The Patriot Act was passed with the overwhelming support of both parties in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. The act allows the government new and unprecedented permission to snoop into private financial records, authorizes warrantless searches in some cases and expanded wiretapping of telephone call and interception of Internet communications without warrants. It also permits unlimited detention of immigrants. Whether you agree with the law or not, you’d have to agree that these are quite significant infringements of Constitutional rights established in the Bill of Rights, which have protected Americans for more than 200 years. These unprecedented infringements were enacted by Congress a result of 3000 tragic deaths perpetrated on a single perfect fall morning in 2001.
Last year 30,000 Americans were killed by guns. Ten times as many as were killed on 9-11. Another 60,000 were wounded; many disabled or scared either physically or emotionally for life.
And yet there isn’t a single Congressperson that I’m aware of with the nerve to propose that people don’t need to be able to own 33 bullet magazines – let alone to suggest that any interpretation of the Second Amendment is possible other than the one that says unlimited procession of any kind gun is every American’s absolute right. It seems for some, the Constitution is a convenience at times and a nuisance at others.
Is the NRA any better than Hosni Mubarak? Is their tyranny any less lethal? Do they corrupt the political process any less? Do we lack the courage of the Egyptian people?
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Yes we do lack the courage of the Egyptian people. We didn't used to (research a period known as "the sixties"), but now we do. Just a general comment since I've already made my contrarian (for a leftist like me) position known on guns.
Would you consider it hubris to call this democracy when a special interest has the populace held by the short and curlies under a "non-activist" judicial interpretation of The Bill of Rights?
We not only lack the courage of the Egyptian people, we certainly lack the energy.
Dennis, you, however don't lack for either. I thought you had abandoned this hobby horse a few weeks back. I applaud your tenacity and agree with everything you say. I'm sure glad these conservative republican judges are "activists". Lord knows we wouldn't want that.
I don't think I deserve many props for preaching to the choir on this issue but I just don't know what to do about it.
Anyone have any ideas?
" I just don't know what to do about it.
Anyone have any ideas?"
We should all get lobotomies and watch reruns.
People will not take to the streets to force a change over invasion of privacy or gun control.
Blacks, along with some Whites, took to the streets to protest laws that made them second class citizens. Young people did take to the streets in an effort to get out of going to a war that they didn't believe in, much like they would be doing today if there were a draft.
As long as someone near us doesn't get shot, then gun laws are like the wars out of sight out of mind.
We should just assume that whatever we say on the phone or online is monitored to keep us safe from "insert which enemy".
It is also not surprising that Obama does not want to surrender those powers. All Presidents want as much power as they can amass no matter what party they represent.
The most recent statistics on gun deaths show that of the approximately 30,000 people killed by guns that 12,000 were by homicide, 17,000 by suicide, 700 by accident, and 5,000 were criminals killed by the police. Contrast that with 14,000 people killed by drunk drivers. Considering those numbers, I will give up my guns when my fellow citizens give up their alcohol.
Until then, we should find something else to discuss over a cocktail or take Hankster's advice and get the lobotomy.
For the record I don't advocate banning all gun ownership. However I see no logic or Constitutional blessing, for assault weapons and other automatic guns. And we are clearly doing a lousy job of screening out people who should obviously not own any gun, and an even worse job of keeping unregistered guns out of the open market through lax enforcement and by permitting "gun show" sales. The NRA steadfastly blocks any effort to do anything about these problems by bribing Congressman.
I'm sure that anyone reading your blog has heard that even Dick Cheney is opposed to large magazines for guns.
If he’s opposed what more endorsement do we need?
Cheney is only opposed to large magizines for YOUR weapons.
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