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Except for the first 15 or so minutes, I saw the entire hearing today on addressing gun violence.
I listened to Wayne LaPierre continually assert that we can never ensure background checks on every gun purchase, thus we should not bother ending that loophole in gun shows.
I listened to Lindsey Graham arguing that 6 bullets in a gun may not be enough for a woman to use in self defense. Why? Because the one story he told about a woman defending herself from a home invader involved all 6 bullets. One missed the criminal, and though the other five bullets hit him, he did not die, and he ran away. What if there were more than one invader? OK. So what about 10 bullets? Nope. Lindsey Graham thinks 15 might be too few bullets for a woman to protect against violent home invaders.
What about 100 bullets? Can we at least agree that a weapon that can fire 100 bullets is way more than what is necessary for a woman with screaming babies to fight back against violent home invaders? Nope. According to Gayle Trotter, we cannot even make that argument, for it is a matter of being pro-women's choice. According to her, women should be free to choose however much firepower they see fit for future home invasions.
And I listened to Lindsey Graham also argue that tight budgets will absolutely cut police forces across the nation. Thus we will all need to become our own individual law enforcement and protection in time of trouble, so we better not limit the firepower available to the average Jane or Joe.
I listened to Wayne LaPierre argue that the 2nd Amendment exists for two reasons, One, to protect against too much government that he abstractly defines as tyranny, and two, to protect against too little government that allows a lack of law and order.
So no matter what government does or does not do, we must increase personal firepower to be armed against its actions or its inactions. (Amazing how gun manufacturers make out so well in this loop of logic.)
I listened to all this for over 3 hours today.
I admit that maybe that wasn't the brightest idea given the flu-driven headache I was already nursing, but I will say there were some moments that I would portray as pretty bright.
Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson stated that "The common sense measures we call for will not infringe on the 2nd Amendment rights, but will keep guns out of the dangerous hands of people who are out there to commit danger in our society."
First, and foremost, he argues we must end the background check loophole for gun shows and person to person sales. Second, he supports a 10 round maximum capacity. Thirdly, he supports Dianne Feinstein's bill.
Now that my headache is finally subsiding, I am able to type out these "highlights" for you of today's hearing. But having nothing to do with the flu, I now feel like I need to vomit as I realize these "arguments" really did happen today.
