We all deserve a vote!
By louisehartmann
Next month, the Senate will vote on gun control legislation, but provisions that the majority of voters support won't be in the bill. Yesterday, California Senator Diane Feinstein's assault weapons ban was pulled from the legislation, despite a Pew Research poll showed 55% of Americans support the ban.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he will allow the weapons ban to be offered as an amendment, but he will only introduce one measure, which increases the charges and penalties for gun trafficking. As Republicans would mount fierce opposition to the ban on military-style weapons, Mr. Reid said he felt sympathy for Diane Feinstein, but that her bill did not have the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster.
The final bill may also include provisions to strengthen background checks, but it could be weighed down with pro-gun amendments from the other side of the isle. According to the New York Times, if that happens, the bill meant to strengthen gun regulations could turn into one that actually enhances guns rights. In an interview with reporters, Feinstein said, “How many assault weapons do you need circulating? To have these mass killings is such a blight on everything that America stands for.”
So, the gun lobby wins again, and modest legislation, which would help keep military-style weapons out of criminals' hands, can't even be put up for a vote. The American people deserve to know which side their representatives stand on. Either Senators are with the majority of Americans that want these weapons off the street, or their with the gun lobby. As President Obama said in his State of the Union, “they deserve a vote,” and now is the time for that vote to happen.
Comments
#2
Harry Reid is a craven traitor! He routinely takes the road of less resistance, which in the case of not ending the fillibuster and this latest watering down of efforts to put forth meaningful gun control measures is the same as just switching parties. How does one become majority "leader"? How do We The People facilitate a change to that leadership?
#3
Reid is disgusting. I thought I heard one time from Thom that the Senate was the people's house. If that is true, we should take it back.
#4
I heard on NPR this morning that over 200,000 guns a year get shipped to the Mexican drug cartels. Could it be the gun manufacturers who are sending these weapons to Mexico. I wouldn't put it past them.
During the election campaign the neotards were complaining that President Obama got one Border Patrol agent killed because he was sending weapons to Mexico. They made a big fuss about it. I think that it later came out that the gun shipments were initiated under the cheney administration. Go figure.
hannity is still bitching about "Obama got an ambassador killed in Benghazi we need an investigation".
I was so pissed that I emailed him last week because he was whining about Benghazi again. I told him the following:
"What you said on your show today about President Obama and Benghazi is an apparent lie!!!
You apparently also lied in that there had been no embassy attacks in over thirty years before
Benghazi. Do your fact checking before spewing your apparent lies.
Check this out.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/18/1187897/-Dear-Senator-McCain-STFU
This URL lists 15 attacks on U.S. Embassies between 2002 and 2008, all under the Bush administration. In these attacks, 72 people were wounded and 49 were killed including eight Americans and one ambassador.
A security brief issued in August 2001 warned Bush that Bin Laden was planning a big attack in the US. Bush ignored it and over 3,000 innocent people were murdered.
On top of all this, Reagan got over 200 marines killed in Lebanon.
Furthermore, the Republican Congress cut President Obama’s embassy budget $128 million in 2011 and another $231 million in 2012.
Quit blaming President Obama for Benghazi, damnit."
#5
Yet another demonstration (as if we needed another one) of the amount of control Big Corporate exerts over our government. The one and ONLY way this will be changed is through campaign finance reform and to negate the "corporations are people" abominations enacted by various Supreme Court decisions. Only when government is free of corporate corruption will we, the REAL people, regain control of our country's democracy.
#6
As a Canadian it just blows me away that I guy like Harry Reid has a net worth of about 5 million. He has worked for the government his whole life. Knowing this, is it a suprise that he goes along with some of these bills. Where the hell do you think he made his money. I am proud to say Canadian politicians leave office just as wealthy as they came. I don't know why you put up with it down there. Harry isn't the only one goolge the rest of them.
PS: don't get me started on the salaries the CEO's make down there. It makes the politicions look honest.
#7
Anklejive: It would be more correct to label the gun advocate senators and reps as "Pro-mass murder".
#8
This is deplorable. The government is broken! We need our conressmen/women and senators to do what is right for the 99% & do not refer to social security, medicare etc. as entitlements as they are insurance programs for which we have all paid into, and, is taken fom my monthly SS check. Campaign Finance Reform is a must as a starting point to correct the situation. This is not a democracy, and I am thankful that I am a Canadian Citizen.
Congagal
#9
Diane Feinstein: "To have these mass killings is such a blight on everything that America stands for." Oh really? We have wars of choice, and I cite Iraq, where the number of innocent civilians killed number in the hundresd of thousands. We rain down death by drone with little concern for collateral damage to civilians, including children like those killed at Newtown. At last count the number of deaths caused by our drone program numbered nearly 5,000, the majority of them "collateral". Talk about hypocrisy!
I know it's popular to rail against objects like assault weapons, but let's get real, passing laws banning AR-15's or AK-47's will do absolutely nothing to keep these weapons out of criminal hands. All it will do is to create a large black market for them. Criminals flat don't give a shit about "laws". Only responsible gun owners will be affected, which strikes me as ironic at least. And the fact is that a Remington 870 pump shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot is a far more fearsome weapon than a so called "assault rifle". Why isn't Feinstein clambering to outlaw shotguns?
They, our pompous, posturing elected officials, parade Newtown under our noses at every available opportunity, but will do nothing to question our lethal foreign policy which is orders of magnitude more horrific. They, including the media and our own Thom Hartmann, make a symbol of the "assault rifle", as though banning a piece of hardware will remedy the fundamental problem, which is the fact that we are a violent culture, always have been, and are doing nothing to remedy that basic fact. As George Carlin said "symbols for the 'symbol minded'".
This outrage against assault rifles is just smoke and mirrors to distract us from much larger issues. I simply don't understand how so many seemingly intelligent people can be taken in so easily.
#10
#3 SueForward wrote ~ "How do We The People facilitate a change to that leadership?"
#7 Kend wrote ~"As a Canadian it just blows me away that I guy like Harry Reid has a net worth of about 5 million. He has worked for the government his whole life. Knowing this, is it a surprise that he goes along with some of these bills. Where the hell do you think he made his money."
#6 ScottFromOz wrote an appropriate answer ~ "The one and ONLY way this will be changed is through campaign finance reform and to negate the "corporations are people" abominations enacted by various Supreme Court decisions."
#9 Congagal concurred writing ~ "Campaign Finance Reform is a must as a starting point to correct the situation."
Please allow me to put in my two cents and repeat myself that Scott and Congagal are spot on. Campaign Finance Reform NOW!!!
And while your at it, put gun control on the back burner, revive debate on Single-Payer--Medicare for ALL--and make a major part of the reform reinstating publicly funded Mental Hospitals.
Thank You! DAM
#11
With friends like these we don't need enemies. So Reid won't introduce a measure with an "assault-weapon" gun-ban, because the big-bad Republicans would fillabuster it. Poor-baby. WTF???
I see Democrats crumbling now on issue after issue, one way or another. They better damn-well start holding Republicans to account, and quit rolling-over like a pack of young puppy-dog pups -- or we gotta find new gladiators to fight for us.
So, let the Repugs fillibuster; let the American public see them in action, and hold them accountable next election. Dems gotta quit running interferance for the Rabid-Right !!! Nothing good's being done anyhow; so why compromise everything away; make them work and suffer consequences for every gain.
Even long-incumbent Democrats are now drinking the pro-War Kool-Aid -- -- First Congress and today The President kissing-up to the Israelis and AIPAC. They're playing with fire, and when it happens, it's gonna be major-ugly, deja-vu all over again.
Turmoil across the Middle-East: Syria, Iran, and Pakistan after that. It's just what they want -- destroy all local order in the Middle-east, tribes fighting tribes, while tapping US-Reserves for war-profits without end.
Enough, before it happens. __
#12
Of course, DAM, ScottFromOz and Congagal ARE spot-on !!! That's the bottom-line for getting out of this mess -- if folks can be convinced (or forced) to just do it -- but it's gonna take additional power from somewhere to make it happen.
#13
Again, I hear the rantings about Harry Reid and the filibuster, and again I have to say, that there is no way that Harry Reid did not consult with and get the blessing of the White House regarding the rules adopted in regards to the filibuster. Did you hear any voicing of outrage from the White House regarding Harry Reid's handling of this matter? Nary a peep!
Again, I don't think that it was any coincidence that the settling of the filibuster rules was pushed back until after the Inauguration even though they had to, on a technicality, hold the first day of the Senate open until after the Inauguration. How would President Obama's State of the Union speech been received, if it had been known that there would be virtually no change in the filibuster rules?
I don't know why that the Obama administration would tie their own hands? But, it's not the first time.
#14
HalFonts ~ Quite frankly I'm surprised you never mentioned Campaign Finance Reform.
1. Do you really believe that the Repubs are yelping and wimpering like your puppy-dogs because of an honest reaction and not as a result of bribery?
2. How do you propose we vote that can hold any of these puppets accountable in the next election? Who can we afford to nominate that can match the donations of the 1%?
3. When you talk "drinking pro-War Kool-Aid", and, "when it happens again", are you talking about attacking a specific country or WWIII?
Sorry for so many questions but I'm a bit confused. Please be patient. Thanks!
#15
HalFonts ~ Thanks for clarifying that!
#16
I've run out of patience, waiting for this country to become a decent nation again. I don't believe it ever will. Uninformed voters keep putting terrible people in office, gridlock is still rampant in the government, the GOP blocks every kind of progressive idea, lobbyists and corporations still control everything. I'm sick of this country and I want to leave it. And that is what I'm planning to do. Americans would have better lives in Canada and Europe than here. America died a long time ago and it is never coming back. I'm 61 - I don't have any more time to waste on the U.S. I'm fed up!
#17
Earlymusicus, with 10 years on you, it's too late for me to relocate; but I seriously recommend that younger folks "Always have alternate options and plans." There's a whole world out there, with many viable options on this planet. While the Global Corporatists are extending their tentacles everywhere, some cultures are dealing with it a bit more rationally than others.
Meanwhile, I'm not ready to give up here. Even in some of the most regressive areas, ordinary folks are finally "getting-it." Thanks to the gross abuses of the Neocons and Corporatists, ordinary people across the spectrum are seeing what's going on and we do have a few critical tools of power left.
It's just that (as noted above) with the almost complete feit-accompli financial takeover of the economy, mainstream-media and government -- return to any semblance of "Government of, by and for the people" will be an extremely long difficult task -- that has to be done by someone.
For a few generations, life was good; but we became complacent and lazy, we wern't paying attention, and we let it happen.
Despite a few good folks, I don't give the bought-off established-Left much cred; but I am thankful that the abuses by Neocons, Corporatists and the Rabid-Right are so gross, real grass-roots Opposition feeds on that. And of course, for committed Gladiators, the best place to be is "in the belly of the beast."
#18
DAnneMarc, Don't worry, I've been on the "Financial Corruption of Everything" ever since Citizens United 3 or 4-years ago. "It is the ONLY issue; because it corrupts ALL other issues."
#3 -- My interests are the Middle-East, and I hear the Drums of War again beating louder every day. Iran is the next Iraq -- it's deja-vu all over again; the formula works. Even my solidly incumbent Democratic Congressional Reps and President are now drinking and serving the Kool-Aid. Next it'll be Iran, expanding into Pakistan, thus completing the conquest of the Northern Mid-East Oil Reserves. From a base there, securely financed by oil, they continue moving out globally. See: "Project for the New American Century." A disaster? Sure, but vultures feed on carrion; nothing new there.
#19
Hal. I have said this a hundred times but we need to be North American Energy self sufficient and get the hell out of the Middle East.
#20
Kend,
But "WE" have nothing to do with it. There are 3rd and 4th generation global forces in play, for which "WE" are simply resources to be exploited as consumers or sources of wealth. Mid-East Oil is one huge global resource, that for well over a hundred years has been a valuable commodity to be exploited by either local tribes, or international (colonial) cartels. Nothing new here, other than the cast of characters. They will exploit North American energy, people, finance and military; just as they will use these same resources to exploit valuable resources anywhere else on the planet. The Middle-East IS in play -- as I fear we will soon see expanded rather than reduced involvement. And No, they don't work for us; we work for them and pay their bills.
#21
Again, I don't think that it was any coincidence that the settling of the filibuster rules was pushed back until after the Inauguration even though they had to, on a technicality, hold the first day of the Senate open until after the Inauguration. How would President Obama's State of the Union speech been received, if it had been known that there would be virtually no change in the filibuster rules?
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A chef involved in the anti-hunger movement in the United States recently suggested that Congress members who vote against meal assistance and food stamps for the poor, be labeled "Pro-hunger Senator" or "Pro-hunger Representative." Perhaps we should start labeling those opposed to common sense measures to control gun violence, "Pro-death."