It is highly unusual for 91% of Americans to favor anything, but when we do, one might think that political support for such things would be nearly universal. But that does not take into account today’s Republican Party, that continues to goose-step in lock step behind Wayne LaPierre and the gun industry.
A Senate committee approved legislation on Tuesday that would expand background checks covering all U.S. firearms sales, part of a federal gun-control push prompted by December’s school massacre in Connecticut.
The Judiciary Committee decision by a party-line vote of 10-8 cleared the way for the Democratic-crafted background check measure to be debated and put to a vote in the full Senate.
Less clear is the fate of a proposed ban on military assault rifles proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat. The panel put off a vote on that plan, but is expected to revisit it as early as Thursday.
There is little expectation Feinstein’s proposal, which President Barack Obama backs along with expanded background checks and other steps, will win congressional approval due mainly to stiff opposition from lawmakers aligned with the politically potent National Rifle Association… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <CNN>
Photo credit: Care2
Rachel Maddow covered the state of firearms legislation in detail and interviewed Elizabeth Esty (D-CT). She also covered the historical background, including how the NRA assisted, albeit unwittingly, in the assassination of JFK.
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Let me reiterate. Nobody has sponsored legislation to take away people’s right to own and use firearms responsibly. I want to see is legislation to bring the requirements for responsible firearms ownership and use up to the same level as it is for responsible motor vehicle ownership and use. Instead, universal background checks, the most popular measure, received ZERO Republican votes.
15 Responses to “America 91 – GOP 0”
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Whenever a big lobbyist like the NRA shouts, or even whispers threats, The GOP cringes because they fear for their seats and for the money in their pockets.
They will never vote for reasonable legislation in regards to fiream ownership or anything else.
Too True Patty!
All about money–!! Always—
Money is most of it, but on this issue, fear andf hate also enter into it.
Fake it till you make it just isn't working for the GNOP… 🙂
LOL, Richard!
I would love to pry the NRA's background check from its cold, dead hands!
LOL. Yvonne!
I am so tired of some Americans who berate me (not on this site!) for being anti-gun. I am anti gun, however I also recognise that the US is not my country. I have modified my view to call for gun control that is consistent with the regulations around driving a motor vehicle that TC enumerated in his following post: https://www.7thstep.org/blog/2012/12/21/open-thread12212012/comment-page-1/
These are very reasonable. My country has gun control and a much lower rate of homocide from a firearm. I object to people being able to go to thw US and buy firearms without so much as a background check. They smuggle back their nefarious purchase and it goes from there. Aproximately 90% of the guns used in crimes in Canada are brought into Canada from the US.
As far as Wayne LaPierre is concerned, I think he should be declared Public Enemy #1 and his picture hung on the Post Office wall while the US still has a Post Office. The NRA no longer carries out its original function and is nothing more than a shill for the weapons industry. It should be declared a terrorist organisation given the negative influence it holds over the elected officials of the US. And there needs to be legislation to take money out of politics to prevent such lobbies (not just limited to the NRA) from having such a stranglehold on government officials.
In an ABC Poll, that 91% of polled Americans favour background checks is awesome, and as some have said is unprcedented. But why is it that all 8 members of the Republican/Teabagger delegation in the Senate Judiciary Committee voted against background checks, against the American people? These Republican/Teabaggers are totally out of touch with the people they represent. They clearly represent the gun industry, weapons industry corporations. Despite what Citizens United would have you believe, corporations are not people and money is not speech. Isn't it amazing at just how far reaching Citizens United has become. Keep remembering all these things because 2014 is coming and the maximum number of domestic terrorist Republican/Teabaggers must be swept out of the halls of Congress. With that, the SCOTUS must also be cleaned up.
I think I'll shut up now.
It wasn't I. It was MoveOn. 🙂
I fully agree with everything else you said.
I have said this for some time now, release the crime scene pictures and morgue photo's from the Sandy Hook – Newtown, CT. child massascre. Let the people, all people see what was done to these children and their teachers by the NRA otherwise known as the Nazi Racist Association.
Read link
But I have a prediction. I believe someone in Newtown, Connecticut – a grieving parent, an upset law enforcement officer, a citizen who has seen enough of this carnage in our country – somebody, someday soon, is going to leak the crime scene photos of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. And when the American people see what bullets from an assault rifle fired at close range do to a little child’s body, that’s the day the jig will be up for the NRA. It will be the day the debate on gun control will come to an end. There will be nothing left to argue over. It will just be over. And every sane American will demand action.
If you want common sense gun legistlation then demand that the photo's are released and put out in the public domain. If neccessary get the parents permission to publish them and make out Representatives in Congress do the right thing.
Have a great day.
PS: TC…
I no longer have my blog. I deleted it because I could no longer go on fighting the evil that the Republican Fascist Nazi Party has wrought upon our Country. Have a great day.
AP, I do not need to see the mangled remains of children to appreciate the magnitude of the tragedy, and I'd like to think that most Americans are similar. Also, I'm concerned that such images may becoime porn for people like LaPierre and his ilk.
I am very sorry you took down your blog.
Just another note on gun control. Gov. Cuomo has just enacted stricter gun laws in NY and a judge has refused to rescind them. On this same day, about 20 miles from here, a gunman went crazy and shot 6 people in 2 separte locations killing 4 and seriously injuring 2.
The craziness does not end! He is still holed up in an abandoned building 20 hours later. A battering ram used last night wouldn't work.
police killed him in a shoot-out today after he killed one of their K-9 dogs.
Stricter laws will not end the problem, but without them, it will be worse.