Chan Lowe: Congress caves to the NRA
Since this has turned into Gun Theme Week, I don’t have much more to say beyond my discourse of a couple of days ago, except that if you are one of those people who worry about the tyranny of our federal government, you can stand down.
As long as the NRA exists, with its awesome fundraising power and ability to turn out single-issue voters when it counts, congresspersons of both parties will quake and cower.
Yes, our representatives and senators know that there is no justifiable need for extended clips. They know that assault rifles are an invitation to mayhem, but they also have a highly-developed sense of self-preservation that, sadly, overwhelms any impulse to do what’s best for their country.
You want to talk tyranny? It’s as clear as the view through your telescopic sight.
CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
Hmm, Congress sides with the 2nd amendment. Not bad at all.
Food for thought, how do you think the NRA gets it's funding? It's from people who feel passionately about their rights. Their MEMBERSHIP is about 1.4% of the U.S. population. It is ever higher if you count only those eligible to vote.
Posted by: burke | January 13, 2011 5:18 PM
First, please get your facts correct before trying to speak on a topic. There are no such things as "CLIPS" in handguns and those scary assault rifles. Clips are what you see in WWII movies, strips of metal that the rounds are held by. You and the rest of the media are referring to "MAGAZINES".
Anyone who has ever used a semi-automatic handgun or rifle with a MAGAZINE knows how quickly it is to replace one when empty. Limited magazines size will have little to no impact. Anyone who has practiced at all can drop and spent magazine and replace it within a second. Yes, fewer rounds in a short time but not enough to make a difference.
If you want to limit attacks like we saw in AZ, make sure the rest of the public is able to and encouraged to legally carry so they can react and protect when needed. Police investigate crimes, rarely do they ever prevent or stop them. Armed citizens are the only effective tool in actually stopping a crime in progress.
Posted by: JSA | January 17, 2011 9:00 AM
I totally agree with JSA's working. An assault rifle is a weapon that is capable of firing more than one round with the pull of the trigger. It will fire until all ammunition is expended or until the trigger is released. Semi-automatic rifles do not require a Form 4473 (class 3) paperwork to acquire. The media is ignorant and guns get a bad rap to heighten up a report. The general public needs to know what an assault rifle is and I just explained it.
U.S. Army (Active Duty)
Posted by: J.Smith | January 25, 2011 9:30 PM
Why do you fear lawful and decent people being armed. You are being led by the nose by an organization larger than the NRA. And they are trying to disarm Americans. Why? For your safety? If you believe that, you're too ignorant to deserve this liberty. Go move to Canada or the UK where you will feel much safer and provided for by "the government".
Posted by: James | January 10, 2012 4:19 PM