Someone has some flawed math skills, because the numbers flowing out of the Senate today with regard to the assault weapons ban proposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein does not square with the percentage of Americans who want it.
According to polls, over 60 percent of Americans support an assault weapons ban. However, according to Harry Reid, over 60 percent of the United States Senate oppose it.
Tuesday’s developments are a major win for the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), which launched a massive lobbying effort soon after a Connecticut gunman killed 27 people, including 20 children, last December. Obama later called that day the worst of his presidency.
Reid said the assault weapons ban sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), which faces staunch opposition from the gun rights group, could have sunk the entire legislative effort.
“Right now, her amendment, using the most optimistic numbers, has less than 40 votes. That’s not 60. I have to get something on the floor so we can have votes on that issue and the other issues that I’ve talked about. That’s what I’m going to try to do,” Reid told reporters Tuesday. Reid has previously opposed the assault weapons ban.
What's happening here? Well, it seems that the will of the people is subsumed by the will of the NRA, an organization headed by a lunatic who thinks Obama's going to take his guns and run for a third term. It's hostage to an antiquated system that values "comity" over actually getting anything done.
Evidently the NRA has not reached the requisite number of sacrificed children to justify actually limiting access to weapons of mass murder and destruction, and there appear to be 60 or more senators who don't have the guts to stick their middle finger in the NRA's face and stand up for the lives of innocent Americans slaughtered by crazies.
"I'm not going to try to put something on the floor that won't succeed," Reid added. "I think the worst of all worlds would be to bring something to the floor and it dies there."
Reid's announcement confirms a long-standing belief by leaders of the National Rifle Association and its legislative arm, the NRA-ILA, that the Assault Weapons Ban stood little chance of passing the Senate, let alone the House of Representatives.
I would like for the NRA to tell the 69 percent of people who support banning high capacity clips (also chopped out), and assault weapons how many people have to die before they decide it's all right to limit ownership? Perhaps they could name their price or something.
I understand Reid's desire to get something through, but I honestly feel like it would be better to keep fighting for a stronger bill even if it means it doesn't happen right now. What say you?
John Amato:
Harry Reid, make all Senators vote down a real gun control bill if that's what happens. Get all the cowards on the record---no matter what party they are from. What is being proposed is a shame of a bill and the American people deserve much more. You must be kidding me with what you are proposing to do, right? WTF!!!!!
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