Last Wednesday, Robert Hawkins (19) wrote to his mother that he had just snapped. He then walked into the Westroads Mall and unloaded an AK-47 into the crowd killing 8 people before finally turning the weapon on himself. I'm sure you're familiar with the story. What we don't know is how Robert, a disturbed young man, went about acquiring an AK-47 assault rifle. Did he find one on the street? You know, one with the serial numbers scratched off that already has "bodies" on it. Probably not. He doesn't live in Detroit. Where he lives it's easier to just walk into a gun-show and bye an assault rifle, granted that he has a drivers license.
Two days later; Matthew Murray (24) walked into a Denver area christian youth center and killed 2 youth workers and wounded 2 others. Later on that day, he struck again. He entered the New Life Church after killing 2 teen sisters in the parking lot and opened fire wounding 2 others before an alert security guard, who says she was guided by god, fearlessly put the gunman down. These random shooting incidents, tragically, are becoming all to familiar to Colorado residents. Murray's recent web posts show that he was inspired by the Columbine High shooters. He also used an assault rifle.
As history repeats itself, it becomes all the more evident that something needs to be done about our country's gun laws. I'm not smart enough to come up with the answer but i can identify part of the problem. In 1994 President Clinton signed the Assault Weapons Ban. On September 13th, 2004, President Bush and a Republican controlled congress allowed the ban to expire.
No one is calling for abolishment of the 2nd Amendment but how about logical steps like tougher background checks at gun shows? Why not? Because the NRA says that they would eliminate gun shows all together and the NRA wields a ton of influence in Washington. Why? Well since 1989, Gun rights groups have given $17 million in contributions. 85 percent of those funds have gone to Republican candidates or the National Republican Committee.
1 comment:
i wholeheartedly AGREE WITH YOU!!!!!!!
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