This was originally a comment to reply to AdeleAdele 's blog but then I got really worked up and wrote an essay so if you're pissed off about all the shootings and dont get why congress doesnt tighten gun laws, here's why from a Poli Sci major who studies this everyday
TLDR VERSION AT THE BOTTOM SINCE THIS SHIT IS LONG AF
We want to change our gun laws but the NRA has so much influence over politicians. If you've ever seen house of cards on Netflix theres a few scenes about it where the NRA basically holds people by the balls by threatening to throw money at their competitor in the primaries.
Basically here's how American Politics works atm when it comes to gun laws
Candidate runs for office but needs money -> NRA offers candidate donations to help them win -> NRA strong arms candidate after they win -> Candidate feels moral remorse about school shootings and tries to change gun laws -> NRA threatens to give money to opponent during re-election -> Politician folds and lets shooting blow over to keep their job
This is what happens every time and its fucking pathetic that people would prefer to be able to shoot their M16s at shooting ranges and support instead of tightening gun laws and surrendering some of their freedoms so make shootings like this happen less often.
There was a group that was basically fundraising with the help of progressive billionaires that wanted to have the money to break the hold the NRA has but it hasnt gained much steam yet, though I would like to see it make a comeback.
The other thing is the psychological effects. The people who are in support of keeping gun laws GENERALLY are lower middle class/working class americans who don't have much power in their everyday lives. These people are looking for the "get rich quick scheme" of getting power, a "get power quick scheme". What's an easier way to get power than to go down to your local gunshop and buy a gun? If you have a gun in your house you immediately feel more secure and confident in yourself no matter what other people do to you in your everyday life. Douche dates your daughter? Show him your m16. Somebody breaks into your house? Pull out the M16 from under your bed and scare him off.
And then theres the media. There is literally little to no unslanted media anymore. We confuse the terms "fake news" and "Slanted media" very often. "Fake news" is an outright lie in media, and "Slanted media" is when media has a bias. For example let's take a Fox News headline and a CNN headline. CNN would make the headline seem dramatic and sensational or "Click bait" to try and grab your attention, and then lean toward liberal views. Fox News would have a more straightforward title but the content has underlying right leaning biases. Washington Post, New York Times, and CNN to name a few are the "liberal media" who typically try to play up every single detail of Donald Trump's presidency even if it has nothing to do with policy or corruption scandals. Example, attacking Trump over his diet. Fox on the other hand down plays this with opinion pieces saying "It's irrelevant". The result? A divided America. Right leaning people adopt the opinions of Fox News since thats one of their only options (Beside Brietbart or Infowars which are FAR more radically far right views) and liberal Americans get worked up and angry over everything because of the sensationalized rhetoric.
This happens at the local level too. I had a friend drown right before graduation and all of the local news outlets, NBC CBSNews etc all came to my school and harassed students trying to get sob stories out of us, and we made ribbons for her to wear on our graduation gowns, and since there was a post by a teacher on Twitter saying where students who wanted to help out could go, all the news outlets put that into their GPS and showed up the day of, to ask if they could "Get a shot of us all working together in harmony" or some shit (side note since I was a class officer I went outside to handle the news people and I treated them the same way I would to people in an ORG who fuck me over so you can imagine how that went)
Tl;dr: The NRA is so rich that they buy votes in congress to keep gun laws from changing. Psychologically americans will not give up their guns because its a feeling of power, and slanted media is dividing us more and more on the issue.
Here's a source for the losers who care about that https://www.tremr.com/jacobthejournalist/the-difference-between-cnn-and-fox-news
Thanks for reading xoxo
Comments
Here is the thing we dont need stronger gun laws. Guns do not kill people. People kill people. if i sit my gun on my table it does not get up and shoot someone. It takes a person to pull the trigger. I refuse to give up my right to protect my home. If someone comes into my home and threatens my family and i have no gun I have no way to protect them.
heatherlum but is it a handgun or an automatic rifle? Personally, I think its fine to have a gun in your house if its locked, and the ammo and the gun arent stored directly next to each other bc if I kid finds it they'll play with it, so even if its like putting your gun under the bed and an ammo box in the closet or something thats good.
But if you have an automatic rifle like military grade, isnt that overkill? And automatic rifles are the dangerous ones in these shootings like in Las Vegas a few months ago.
Ok but assault rifles and hand guns are designed with the intent to kill people. Sometime this is in self defense and sometimes it’s not but to act liked “guns don’t kill people” when that’s literally what they are for... idk lol heatherlum
I am applying for my pistol permit asap. Its my right to carry. I have never been in trouble. My record is clean. A pistol is also used for self protection. Come into my home and i will self protect.
