Mass shootings bring a predictable response, and perhaps nothing is more rote than to say the National Rifle Association — and specifically its political donations — are the reason “common sense” gun reform can’t happen.
In politics, it’s so much easier to blame a faceless group than grapple with the idea that people who disagree with you might be more effective at lobbying and winning the broader argument.
It’s not the money from the NRA, which is meeting in Houston this weekend, or any other gun group that carries the day. It’s voters, millions of them, who make their voices heard and make clear they’ll base their votes on an issue that’s important to them.
Take Sen. Ted Cruz, a frequent whipping boy on this front. The Texas Republican leads the pack with — gasp! — $442,000 lifetime from gun groups. In his career, Cruz has raised $178.7 million. So, we’re supposed to believe that, for one-quarter of 1% of his total haul, Cruz has been swayed to support terrible gun policy.
Why then, some ask, would politicians oppose policies with such broad public support, such as “universal” background checks? For one, take all polling on specific issues with a grain of salt. Most people haven’t thought much about the issue at hand. Questions almost never present trade-offs, which affect support or opposition.
And they don’t measure fervency. It’s probably true that the vast majority of voters prefer more background checks, restrictions on certain rifles and other changes. But they don’t vote on the issues. Many gun owners do, and politicians such as Cruz know it.
Democrats would rather rail against “countless political contributions from the NRA,” as Texas party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa did in a written statement Friday.
Oh, they’re plenty countable, Mr. Chairman. They just don’t add up the way you want people to think they do.
All this leads to a regrettable refusal to compromise. Conservative gun-rights supporters fight hard against any change. Many firmly believe that new gun laws won’t solve what is ultimately an issue with depraved humanity willing to kill. But they also believe any restriction will lead inevitably down the road to gun confiscation.
That’s not going to happen in America. But apparently, they don’t believe in their own power, even after decades of winning on the issue.
Gun-control advocates don’t believe it, either. They’d rather blame a shadowy force and its evil campaign contributions than accept that they haven’t figured out how to win the argument.
Editor’s note: A version of this column originally appeared in our conservative opinion newsletter, Right Turns. It’s delivered every Saturday with a fresh take on the news and a roundup of our best center-right opinion content. Sign up here.
©2022 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit star-telegram.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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This is a repeated comment, but it applies here too.
“When Cain killed Able with a rock,
God did not confiscate all the rocks,
God blamed Able, Not the Rock.”
“Guns do only what their handlers manipulate them to do.
Stop blaming the hammer because you were the one who hit your thumb with it.
It is not the tools fault that You the Treasonous Democrat Party have taken the love of God and the teachings of God out of schools and government.
IF you allow a baby to come out of the womb, it knows nothing but Love. The baby has to be taught Hate, Racism, sexual perversions and you treasonous, hateful, demonic Democrats have done a good job at teaching children Hate, Racism, sexual perversions.
#6 of the 10 Commandments of God – “Thou Sault not Kill/murder”
Mark 12:28-31 “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Bottom line is that We as a society no longer love one another or worship God…..
Unless you are a faithful and obedient Christian.
SINCE leftists loves criminals, they blame the tool, NOT the crook!
Part 1—As though the pro-abortion uproar over the leaked Supreme Court document didn’t showcase enough ignorance, the insanity that has come out over the Uvalde shooting has more than made up for it.
The NRA is vilified again—Governor Greg Abbott gets booed at a memorial—Ted Cruz is confronted at a restaurant—Congressional Democrats get back on their gun control horses—musicians cancelling their performances at the NRA concert—it is almost beyond disbelief. Does anybody remember who Salvador Ramos was? Well, he was the shooter who took it upon himself to use guns for evil and who made a voluntary decision on his own free will—went into Robb Elementary School, after shooting his Grandmother, and went on a killing rampage. HE, ALONE, IS THE VILLAIN. HE IS THE ONE UPON WHOM TOTAL BLAME IS DUE. HIS WARPED MIND TRANSLATED INTO EVIL ACTION. THAT’S WHO EVERYBODY NEEDS TO LASH OUT AT.
IF you note, all talk about that leak, has utterly DISAPPEARED from the media.. I wonder why?!
Part 2—The discomforting aspect of this whole thing is that all of these people who are overreacting, blaming, finger-pointing—need to stop and consider something very important: they are acting totally unhinged How little difference is there in their mental state than with Ramos? Ramos just snapped and went over the edge, but how close to that are these all of these people looking for blame and, supposedly, answers? It is a thinner line than they care to admit.
Everybody needs to calm down and think rationally. The chaos and hysteria is totally unnecessary. The venomous rhetoric and accusations are out of place. I certainly understand people being hurt and angry over this—especially those who lost loved ones—I get it. But don’t forsake sensibility and common sense. Maintain a level head and a sense of reason—don’t let your better judgment be drowned out by the loud voices of one-sided politics and Media sensationalism.