I was writing a post, wondering if Trump would throw gun owners under the bus, then a news bulletin popped up to say he already had. He has instructed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to ban bump stocks and trigger devices. So, the question we need to ask is simple, “Is this a delaying action to keep the gun grabbers at bay, or the start of a total sell out?” I am sure the title of this story alone may be enough to raise gun owners’ hackles. Is President Trump going to make a deal favoring gun control? What about his promises to never go against the Second Amendment during the election and NRA convention?
One day after the shooting, Trump singled out mental health as a possible factor. “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!” the president tweeted.
President Trump will hold a listening session with high school students this week following the deadly school shooting in Florida. According to the White House schedule, Trump will host students and teachers Wednesday. He also will meet with state and local officials on school safety on Thursday. Trump was last seen publicly Friday night when he visited the Florida community, still reeling from the massacre, which gave rise to a student-led push for more gun control.” According to reports, the students are trying to organize a march on the Capitol in Washington DC on March 24.
Late Saturday, after reports emerged that federal investigators failed to act on warnings about the Florida school shooter, President Trump tweeted: “Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable.”
Let’s Stay Calm Until We Know the Details
Politicians have one tool in their collective toolboxes—make more laws. However, do we need another law? What new law could be imposed to curb the actions of someone bent on committing a mass murder. Even if you outlawed all firearms and managed to confiscate every weapon in the U.S., would that prevent anything? The answer is no. Remember a few years when a guy in China murdered 25+ people in a train station with a knife? Sadly, you can Goggle most any country and come up with results where a mentally ill person or terrorist has taken the lives of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 , 70, 80… people on a single spree. The U.S. does not have a monopoly.
I am not sure if there is a solution that would stop a mentally ill person from committing such acts. However, I am sure that new laws from politicians would be nothing more than “feel good” politics. More regulation with zero results pointing to the intended goals. If reducing or stopping mass shootings is the intended purpose, banning one piece of equipment or limiting the number or cartridges in a magazine only affects the law abiding, by definition.
Take the latest event in Florida. The shooter legally bought the gun. He was known and reported to law enforcement. Unfortunately, signs were missed or the ball flat out fumbled by the FBI. However you look at it, the current laws and system, if applied, should have stopped the tragedy, and it did not. What makes anyone think more laws would have?
Will President Trump sign legislation “strengthening” background checks? If so, would they have prevented any of the tragedies of the past 20+ years?
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While I agree that most mass murderers are crazy and SHOULD have been locked in a rubber room (like they USED to be), my problem with blaming “mental health” being used to restrict gun purchasers, are the “mental health professionals” who would necessarily have to determine who is a threat and who is not. I DON’T TRUST SHRINKS! Those are the morons responsible for closing down the “cuckoo nests” and loosing thousands of NUTS on the innocent public. Lord know I wouldn’t want some SHRINK determining MY emotional stability. You?
Those students protesting should be asking why the federal back round check failed so miserably and they all guessed who shooter was even while the shooting was still going on why didn’t they do more to get Cruz on the police radar. Cruz was the #1 suspect in the shootings,why didn’t they do more to monitor Cruz.Instead of demanding more gun laws they should be demanding more guns in the form of armed teachers or at the very least armed guards. They must accept the real world is not perfect,shooters should know all schools will have armed resistance. The potus and congress ,as well as the hypocritical entertainment industry all have armed protection. More gun restrictions will do nothing to stop shooters,just penalize legal gun owners. If law enforcement would have done their jobs they could have stopped these shootings with the laws they already have on the books. Laws are just like guns they do nothing unless someone uses them.
Great article. I share the concerns you have pointed out.
First I must say, all shooting like this is just evil. My heart an prayers go out to the family an friends lost. What brothers me is you don’t see our government an groups junk on the band wagon about all the deaths related to drinking. Just 2015 over 10,000 people died by drunks. You don’t here no more kigs, just 2 beers. So what is the real agenda, like we don’t know. There is a lot more going on that the youth know. By the way, who backed an put the rally an trip together. Their under age. Why is it that every time someone is evil they want the law abiding Americans pay the price. When a officer shoots some one, the blame the officer not the Gun, not the even . We need respect, we need God back in schools. I wounder out of all the youth on that rally play blood an gut games at home. This is America an we need to fight the problems and who. Not twist it for their hidden agenda.