Another Mass Shooting - Welcome to Guns R Us

Those refusing to take on gun control have made it the third rail of politics.

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA.) - On April 28, in Cleveland, Texas, a man with a AR-15 style gun killed five people, including an 8-year old boy and a teenage girl. Welcome to "Guns ‘R’ Us”.

Don’t mind the carnage; we are a nation of gun violence with 140+ mass shootings and at least 18 mass shootings in which four or more people were killed, not including the shooter so far in 2023.

After the rash of this recent gun violence, ordinarily I would advise skipping thoughts and prayers and go directly to Congressional reasonable gun control legislation starting with a ban of AR-15-type semi-automatic weapons (with buy-back provisions), safe gun storage laws and universal background checks.

However, the recent rash of gun violence occurred midst the top 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls attendance at the three-day (April 14-16) National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis, not to discuss reasonable gun control measures, but to defend the Second Amendment at all costs, highlighting the political power of the NRA.

The influence of the NRA; the unfortunate interpretation of the Second Amendment by the U.S. Supreme Court in District of Columbia vs. Heller finding that individual Americans have a Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms;” and the present very conservative Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. v. Bruen, striking down a New York concealed handgun law, makes further gun control laws iffy at best.

Finally, too many politicians view supporting gun control measures as an end to their political careers, making gun control the third rail of politics. Any politician who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically.