US Opinion and Commentary

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Conservative for Gun Control

Posted June 14th, 2016 at 12:19 pm (UTC-4)
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Let’s not hear any more about expanding background checks, which already are comprehensive so far as licensed firearms dealers are concerned, until we start punishing the people who subvert those laws.

Do Citizens (not police officers) With Guns Ever Stop Mass Shootings?

Posted December 6th, 2015 at 9:36 pm (UTC-4)
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…Always keep in mind that mass shootings in public places should not be the main focus in the gun debate, whether for gun control or gun decontrol: They on average account for much less than 1 percent of the U.S. homicide rate and are unusually hard to stop through gun control laws…

End the Gun Epidemic in America

Posted December 4th, 2015 at 10:41 pm (UTC-4)
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Certain kinds of weapons, like the slightly modified combat rifles used in California, and certain kinds of ammunition, must be outlawed for civilian ownership. It is possible to define those guns in a clear and effective way and, yes, it would require Americans who own those kinds of weapons to give them up…

Why Mass Death Is Our New Normal: The Real Root of America’s Gun Violence

Posted December 3rd, 2015 at 3:01 pm (UTC-4)
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The problem is U.S. culture, which venerates firearms as symbols of self-control and rugged individualism; which is so taken by the seductive power of guns that it’s willing to give absurd myths like “a good guy with a gun” a serious hearing…

Mass Shooting in San Bernardino: America’s War With Itself

Posted December 3rd, 2015 at 1:59 pm (UTC-4)
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It was frighteningly familiar: people going about their business during a typical week day when suddenly gunfire erupts, killing and wounding innocent civilians. This time it happened at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. Fourteen people are dead, numerous others wounded and two suspects – a young Muslim couple – were shot and killed by police. Terrorism has not been ruled out. Neither has the possibility that the male suspect was a disgruntled employee. Once again, President Barack Obama appeared on television to offer condolences and press for stricter gun laws. Obama also pointed out that these incidents are unique to America. “We have a pat­tern now of mass shoot­ings in this coun­try that has no
par­al­lel any­where else in the world.”

Obama Makes Statement on Mass Shooting in San Bernardino

Posted December 3rd, 2015 at 1:14 pm (UTC-4)
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President Obama made a statement to reporters in the Oval Office one day after 14 people were killed during a shooting at a social services facility in southern California.

One More Shooting Massacre in America

Posted October 2nd, 2015 at 4:06 pm (UTC-4)
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Columbine. Newtown. Blacksburg. Aurora. Now Roseburg joins the infamous list of American towns where mass shootings have occurred. At least 40 times in the past 30 years, gunfire has interrupted the mundane goings-on at a workplace, a church, a shopping mall, a restaurant, a school. 375 people have been killed. Just a few hours after a 26 year-old man opened fire Thursday on the campus of a community college in Oregon, President Barack Obama appeared before the cameras. “But as I said just a few months ago… our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It’s not enough.” The president’s voice was thick with frustration and anger as he spoke about the spate of mass shootings that he said “… has somehow become routine.” At the heart of his ire is not only grief for the 10 people gunned down while attending class, but the issue of gun control. Access to firearms in America is a deeply emotional and divisive issue. Obama believes that laws limiting a citizen’s ability to get hold of a gun is key to stopping such tragic shootings. But to do that, who would be willing to commit political suicide in the name of gun control?