DEALING WITH REAL GUN CONTROL MAY FINALLY BE IN THE RIGHT AMERICAN HANDS

…Here is the shooter Nick Cruz being arrested after killing 17 Florida high school students and teachers.

 

Can the surviving Parkland students create a “Badge of Shame” for all politicians that take money from the NRA?

 

Students at the Florida Parkland City High School are receiving many donations for organizing nationwide marches in America’s major cities for creating a “badge of shame” for US politicians who take money from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun rights groups.  

 

One Parkland Junior, Cameron Kasky said Sunday they are organizing nationwide marches all over America and in Washington DC on March 24, all for gun control.  Ms. Kasky said: “We are losing our lives while the adults and politicians are playing around.”

 

Ms. Kasky is only one of a number of the students that survived the deadly attack of a disturbed 19 year old former student who had been expelled for disciplinary issues.  This has been a part of the outpouring of anger from students who survived the shooting.  Many of whom have publicly blamed President Trump and the NRA-supported politicians for creating the conditions that led to the shooting.

 

“This is about us begging for our lives; this isn’t about the GOP, this isn’t about the Democrats, this is about us creating a “badge of shame” for any politicians accepting money from the NRA and using students as the collateral,” said Kasky.

 

Obviously, the NRA spokeswoman declined any comment.

 

Another student, David Hogg, also ripped Trump for suggesting in a tweet Saturday night that Democrats had let them down by failing to pass gun-control legislation when they held Congress.  (However, Hogg dosen't understand that the Democrats may have had the majority, but they did not have the 60 votes needed in the US Senate to pass a gun control bill.)

 

“We’ve seen a government shutdown, we’ve seen tax reform, but nothing to save our children’s lives,’’ Hogg said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “Are you kidding me? You think now is the time to focus on the past and not the future to prevent the deaths of thousands of other children? You [Trump] sicken me.”

 

President Trump grabbed his phone and tweeted Saturday night that it was “not acceptable” that the FBI failed to stop the Parkland shooting, stupidly arguing that the agency was too focused on probing Russian interference in the 2016 election and the FBI should get “back to basics.”  Our narcissistic president doesn’t understand that the FBI can walk and chew gum at the same time.  Yes, the authorities did miss the issues that should have brought the young Mr. Cruz to their attention.  But with over 30,000 FBI employees around the world, there was plenty of individuals available to focus on both a Russian investigation and dealing with other FBI issues.

 

Trump is just trying to blame others instead of taking on some personal blame for his and the GOP’s love of the NRA policies of “ASSAULT GUNS FOR EVERY AMERICAN”.

 

Carly Novell, was a student who had to hide in a closet for two hours during the shooter's attack.  She tweeted an angry and appropriate respond to the president: “You know what isn’t acceptable? Your blaming everyone but the shooter and the lack of any gun control in our country. You even blamed us, the students. We did report him; at least we tried. But how were we supposed to know what would happen after we did? It was your lack of sympathy and blaming others that proves how pitiful of a person you are.”

 

I have to hand it to Ms. Novell, I could not have said it better.

 

One person who spoke to Trump over the weekend said the president had closely watched the students’ television appearances and talked about the issue with guests at his Mar-a-Lago Club. “He knows he has to do something,’’ said another person who had spoken with Trump about the issue, who said the president seemed open to stricter gun control, but had not decided what this control would look like.

 

I have to say I doubt that anything of any substance will happen due to Trump’s efforts.  If something positive happens, it will probably be driven by these young people and these are the future voters of this nation.  (Many are old enough to be voting in the up-coming mid-terms or at least in the 2020 election.)

 

Michael Udine, a commissioner in Broward County, Fla., said he told the president that the students “are extremely motivated and well-spoken and they are going to be demanding change in Washington and Tallahassee”  The president said, ‘Well, I would welcome that.’­ ”  But what that means with this president historically is absolutely squat.

 

Mr. Udine said Trump was thoughtful on the call and repeatedly expressed his condolences, but as usual, “so what?  All Trump ever offers is prayers and condolences, no actions.”

 

“Any politician, including the president, who is coming to just talk or just to give their thoughts and prayers, that’s not needed,” Udine said. “Thoughts and prayers are not good enough anymore.”  (Hear. Hear!)

 

The students said they are organizing the “March For Our Lives” rallies in Washington DC and other major US cities on March 24 to demand real action on dealing with gun violence.

 

About 20 students have launched a group that will push for changes in gun laws. The rallies are being planned with help from various groups, including the organizers of the DC Women’s March, and they have gained support from several prominent Democrats and gun-control groups, according to Alex Wind, one of the student organizers.

Another student, Emma Gonzalez, said on ABC’s “This Week” that the students want to talk seriously to political leaders, including President Trump, about gun control.

 

“We want to give them an opportunity to be on the right side of this issue,” said Gonzalez.

 

The students appeared on multiple Sunday morning political shows to discuss their views and goals in the wake of the shooting and they made clear they are going to target lawmakers up for election this year who they view as standing against their cause.

 

“At this point, I don’t even know if the adults in power who are being funded by the NRA, but I don’t think we need them anymore, because they are going to be gone by the midterm election,” Gonzalez said on “Face the Nation” on CBS. “There’s barely any time for them to save their skins, and if they don’t turn around right now and state their open support for this movement, they’re going to be left behind because you’re either with us or you’re against us at this point.”

 

While the student activists repeatedly expressed optimism and hope for constructive conversations and changes to US gun laws, the politicians who appeared on Sunday’s shows expressed great skepticism that anything would actually change.

 

Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), told CBS that he doubted anything will happen until voters force changes.

 

“I am not optimistic that until there is real action by the American public to demand change in Congress that we’re going to see real action to confront gun violence out of this Congress.,” he said.

 

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said the issue raised by the Florida shooting is that the FBI could have prevented the shooting and added he thought Congress “will get something done this year” on the gun background check system.

 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, said the students “are absolutely right when they say that politicians have not been responding to any of this” and blamed congressional dysfunction.

 

Kasich, speaking on CNN, said gun rights advocates should consider “common-sense” regulations.                                                                                               

 

“Would you feel as though your Second Amendment rights would be eroded because you couldn’t buy a goddurn AR-15?’’ he demanded. “These are things that have to be looked at, and action has to be taken.”

 

Kasich said he doubted Congress would take any actions but said he held out hope that the nation’s states and local legislatures might.

 

From my POV, Kasich would have been an acceptable Republican president.  He has better common sense than most Republicans and he’s about as honest as any Republican can be…….but then, I digress.

 

Copyright G.Ater 2018