How many more?
On Saturday night I went to bed, disturbed by the mass shooting in El Paso. Sunday morning I awoke to news of another mass shooting, this one in Dayton. In one 24 hour period, 29 lives taken, dozens more injured.
I watched the coverage on CNN and elsewhere all day, abandoning my plans to go to the movies. Finally I could take no more. I channel-surfed until I came upon the film The Patriot, in time to watch the last 40 minutes or so. Here is a scene from that film that shows how wars were fought in the era where our nation's Constitution was written.
Single-shot muzzle loaded weapons. After firing they had to be reloaded by hand. 168 years later, when the Allies landed at Omaha Beach, the weaponry had changed dramatically.
That's the opening battle of 1998's Saving Private Ryan. The weapon being carried by Tom Hanks is a M1A1 Thompson submachine gun. He used 30 round magazines and that weapon could fire 600 rounds per minute. The machine guns being used by the Germans looking down on the beach were MG-42s. They could fire 1,200 rounds per minute and were referred to as "Hitler's buzz saws."
In the 75 years since, as technology has advanced in every other field, so have the ability to make even more lethal assault weapons.
This is a photo of the weapon that the shooter in Dayton used.
This magazine holds 100 rounds. That shooter had the ability to fire off 100 bullets before having to reload.
* * *
Let's review the text of the 2nd Amendment.
I've blogged about this before. A little over three years ago I suggested we pass a law to reinstate the ban on assault weapons and amend the current law on the militia.
Like it or not, there is NO good reason for anyone who is not part of our military, law enforcement or that well-regulated militia to own an assault weapon. The only reason for magazines for such weapons that can hold more than 10 rounds is to kill people. The emphasis on people, plural.
Republicans tried to place the blame on mental illness, violent video games and so on. The same Republicans who tried to stop the funding of treatment for those mental illnesses. Violent video games do not stoke the flames of bigotry.
Hatred and bigotry are learned behaviors.
Thoughts and prayers have accomplished nothing. The NRA's lobbying has accomplished a lot.
We need change. Now.
I watched the coverage on CNN and elsewhere all day, abandoning my plans to go to the movies. Finally I could take no more. I channel-surfed until I came upon the film The Patriot, in time to watch the last 40 minutes or so. Here is a scene from that film that shows how wars were fought in the era where our nation's Constitution was written.
Single-shot muzzle loaded weapons. After firing they had to be reloaded by hand. 168 years later, when the Allies landed at Omaha Beach, the weaponry had changed dramatically.
That's the opening battle of 1998's Saving Private Ryan. The weapon being carried by Tom Hanks is a M1A1 Thompson submachine gun. He used 30 round magazines and that weapon could fire 600 rounds per minute. The machine guns being used by the Germans looking down on the beach were MG-42s. They could fire 1,200 rounds per minute and were referred to as "Hitler's buzz saws."
In the 75 years since, as technology has advanced in every other field, so have the ability to make even more lethal assault weapons.
This is a photo of the weapon that the shooter in Dayton used.
This is a better photo of the double-drum magazine the shooter was using.
This magazine holds 100 rounds. That shooter had the ability to fire off 100 bullets before having to reload.
* * *
Let's review the text of the 2nd Amendment.
Like it or not, there is NO good reason for anyone who is not part of our military, law enforcement or that well-regulated militia to own an assault weapon. The only reason for magazines for such weapons that can hold more than 10 rounds is to kill people. The emphasis on people, plural.
Republicans tried to place the blame on mental illness, violent video games and so on. The same Republicans who tried to stop the funding of treatment for those mental illnesses. Violent video games do not stoke the flames of bigotry.
Hatred and bigotry are learned behaviors.
Thoughts and prayers have accomplished nothing. The NRA's lobbying has accomplished a lot.
We need change. Now.
posted by me at 7:48 PM
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