Thom's blog
Lessons From the Shooting?
Republican Congressman Steve Scalise was among the wounded yesterday when a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. With one of their own now a victim of a mass shooting, will Republicans finally start thinking sensibly about gun control and finally rethink their penchant for violent political rhetoric?
Yesterday's attack in Alexandria, Virginia was unfortunately not the only shooting of the day.
In San Francisco, a gunman opened fire at a UPS facility - killing 4 people and wounding 2 others.
This is the country we live in.
Gun violence - for a whole host of reasons - is a fact of life here.
So what can we do to solve this peculiarly American problem once and for all?
The man identified as the shooter in yesterday's attack on a congressional baseball practice in Virginia was a Bernie Sanders supporter who hated Republicans and Donald Trump.
Bernie has condemned the shooter - and the attack:
"Our prayers go out for a full recovery of Rep. Scalise, the congressional aides and police who were injured. We've got to stop the violence."
The irony, of course, is that it's historically been Republicans who've openly endorsed violence against politicians and the government.
For example, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul - who witnessed yesterday's shooting - said this in a tweet last year: "Why do we have a Second Amendment? It's not to shoot deer. It's to shoot at the government when it becomes tyrannical!"
When it comes to mainstream politicians, only Republicans talk this way about political violence. Maybe it's time for them to rethink that kind of talk?
Should we repeal the second Amendment?
-Thom
(What do you think? Tell us here.)
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