"What About Bomb Control?" And Other Nonsense From The Right

Seth Meyers covers Republican semantics faux-rage, rampant right- wing Islamophobia, "bomb control" and media hysteria in this clip from "Late Night:"

It Wasn't Always Like This

Remember when this happened in 1994?

... a United States federal law [was enacted] that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms it defined as assault weapons, as well as certain ammunition magazines it defined as "large capacity."

The ten-year ban was passed by the U.S. Congress on September 13, 1994, and signed into law by President Bill Clinton the same day. The ban only applied to weapons manufactured after the date of the ban's enactment, and it expired on September 13, 2004, in accordance with its sunset provision.

Several constitutional challenges were filed against provisions of the ban, but all were rejected by reviewing courts. There were multiple attempts to renew the ban, but none succeeded.

During the decade since the ban expired, Congress has become all the more beholden to/ afraid of the National Rifle Gun Manufacturers Association, perhaps the single most evil advocacy organization in the world.  The N.R.A.'s Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid/ Shooter's Party has a lock on the House of Representatives that may last another generation.  So what are the odds even the most minimal, common sense legislation -- on background checks or limiting assault weapons or magazine capacity -- will emerge from Congress?

It's all the more frustrating and bittersweet knowing we had something reasonable and good, and it slipped away.

Fixing Things

(click to enlarge)

Yesterday's mass shooting in San Bernardino, which took 14 lives, is the second in less than a week.  The motives of the two shooters, a husband and wife, aren't yet known, but Federal and local authorities haven't ruled out a domestic "jihadi"- inspired attack, or a workplace-related dispute (the husband worked for the organization that was targeted), or a combination. The couple's rampage also wounded 14 more.

The New York Daily News' front page today comments on the canned "thoughts and prayers" statements that we hear routinely from politicians Republicans, who make excuses for not considering even the most benign gun safety reforms (i.e., background check requirements for high volume dealers in private sales). Of course, there are also the calls by the gun manufacturers lobby and their politicians to let things "cool down" before any actions are taken, knowing that no action will be taken as a result. Thoughts and prayers aren't doing the job, and neither are our elected officials.

UPDATE:  Many are issuing statements and tweeting along the same lines as the Daily News.  Here's just one example, from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT):

Your "thoughts" should be about steps to take to stop this carnage. Your "prayers" should be for forgiveness if you do nothing - again.

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 2, 2015