I’ve maintained silence on the whole issue of gun regulations in the US, but the uproar over people’s right to bear arms at the Republican Party’s July 18 to 21 convention in Cleveland, Ohio – an open-carry state – has pushed me over the top.
How 30,000 people, who have signed a petition saying their second amendment rights should not be infringed, could think it’s okay to pack a weapon to what was sure to be a heated political event defies belief.
“Absolute insanity,” was how Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association president Steve Loomis described the notion.
Considering what’s happened in Dallas and Baton Rouge, it’s no wonder. Eight police officers killed; 10 wounded since July 7.
Of course, with the National Rifle Association endorsing Donald Trump, there’s no telling how far the party might go to ensure people have the right to bear arms – for his part Trump has said he would do away with ‘gun-free zones.’
Just how zealous the NRA is on the issue became clear in an astounding June 22 news release about its “Share the Safety” program, which promises to “get guns into the hands of statistically under-armed Americans.”
In partnership with gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson they have launched a ‘buy one, give one’ program: “... for every gun sold at retail price through this revolutionary online portal, the NRA, with the generous support of Smith & Wesson, will donate a defensive firearm to someone who cannot afford one.”
It goes on to say, “Share the Safety’s first focus will be residents of impoverished inner city neighborhoods who cannot afford the tools necessary to defend themselves against violence committed by the authorities.”
The NRA is fond of saying the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. How many more good people will have to die before people in the US get over that perverse logic.
Craig Spence, Editor