Republicans Are Blaming Everything Except Guns For Mass Shootings - Ring of Fire

[Rhiannon12866]

This past week, Republicans went out of their way to blame everything except guns for mass shootings, and none of them want to address the actual problem. There is no other way around it: Guns are the problem, and the ease with which Americans can get their hands on weapons of war is terrifying. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins talks with Cliff Schecter about this.

[Lithos]

1. The only thing I would accept in lieu of guns being the primary problem

Are Republican Lawmakers as being the problem.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I think it's Republicans inexplicable refusal to regulate guns

In particular, weapons of war.

[Lithos]

3. Yes, that is a blindness

They will never consider guns in that terms...

They will consider guns in terms of the addiction to their base and how much this will energize their (addicted) base.

The human costs of course will never figure into this. But we all know Republicans have long lost their moral guidance and are into a zero/sum game of power politics.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Well said. The Republicans have long lost any semblance of moral guidance

It's all about retaining power for them now - not to mention that the majority now support the twice impeached least qualified president in our history, who lost the popular vote twice. Back in the day when Clinton needed support in passing the assault weapons ban, he called on former presidents - Carter, Ford and Reagan.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Here was Dianne Feinstein, author of the original AWB, in 1994

Her assault weapon draft legislation language was eventually rolled into the "Crime Bill" (Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994).

When it was due to sunset after 2003, she tried again -



And again 10 years after that -



And almost another 10 years later in 2021 -

Link to tweet

Senator Dianne Feinstein
@SenFeinstein
Military-style assault weapons have led to the deaths of far too many Americans. Las Vegas. Dayton. Orlando. San Bernardino. Parkland. Sandy Hook. And now, Boulder. It’s time to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban and get these weapons of war out of our communities.
12:01 PM · Mar 23, 2021

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Wonderful chronicle, thank you!

And she's right. It should never have been allowed t expire. I know that was one of the provisions they had to agree to in order to get it passed in the first place, but why would anyone in their right mind support ownership of weapons of war by ordinary citizens in the first place??

This Marine vet (running for Senate in Missouri) explains the training required for new recruits to handle them:

Marine Vet On The Danger Of Selling Assault Rifles To 18-Year-Olds - The Last Word - MSNBC
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017738915

And it was former presidents Carter - Ford and Reagan! - that helped President Clinton get the Assault Weapons Ban passed in the first place:

What Happened To The Assault Weapons Ban?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017738597

Thanks so much for the history!

[BumRushDaShow]

8. You're welcome!

I had to really dig through the legislation but found her original bill language and also found the transcript of the Congressional record where she had made remarks and then the actual content of her bill was included (under "Feinstein (and others) Amendment No. 1152" ) into that record transcript - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=16725309

The qualifying weapons were literally listed!

[Cheezoholic]

5. Its gonna bite them in the ass n/t

[SWBTATTReg]

9. Everytime that there is a gun shooting, blame republicans. Keep blaming them until they yell

and scream at us to stop it, to stop blaming them. It won't stop (the blame) until they agree to go at least 1/2 way of the many things that can be done to address gun violence, I would think even a tiny little bit will go far in saving lives.