One of the clearest signs imaginable that a society is becoming less, not more civilized, is the proliferation of gun buying, and therefore guns in the hands of any and all sorts of people. There are in America, already nine guns for every ten people. Someone is killed with a gun in America every sixteen minutes, and you cannot tell me that the watching of violent films and violent video games doesn’t contribute to a mentality which supports fear-based decision-making when it comes to guns. Last year 186,000 gun sales slipped through without a background check, or about 512 guns per day. Why— You may ask? Because the NICS (not to be confused with NCIS) the National Instant Criminal Background Check System can’t operate fast enough to meet the demand for one check every two seconds—– and gun sellers will not deny a gun sale unless they are certain there is a good criminal reason to do so. The some 500 people who take on the task of background checks at the Criminal Justice System are swamped. They can’t keep up, hence the many sales without proper checks, especially on Black Friday.
You can read about it and weep, here http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/black-friday-gun-buys-test-background-check-system-27189123.
There are over 48,000 gun retailers in America, including giants like WalMart. One of the ways to get around background checks is by buying guns at gun shows, and the NRA has consistently opposed closing the loophole that allows this. And in case you were wondering how powerful the NRA is, take a look at the bill Representative Lamar Alexander introduced (through the inducement of the NRA) to Congress recently, which would block the prohibition of the sale of ivory tusks in America, even though the sale of ivory in Africa and India supports terrorist groups in Africa and elsewhere. Why, you may ask is the NRA against stricter control of the sale of ivory in America???— Well because they don’t want to lose out on their ‘heritage’ i.e. guns with ivory handles etc. !! This is sad and pathetic reasoning, and very self-serving.
The evidence thus far available from sales on Black Friday 2014 shows that we had record sales of guns last Friday, and that indeed follows the trend since 1998, with Black Friday being the biggest gun sale day of the year. So, you thought you were shopping last Friday to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace? Not so much. You were more likely shopping to buy a gun euphemistically called a ‘peace-keeper’.
The sad truth is that America, ever since 9/11 has been binging on all kinds of fear, and promoting fear-based practices like buying more guns. Guns however are just instruments of violence. Look for instance at all the stupidity and violence and vandalism that resulted from the shooting of one person, Michael Brown, in Ferguson Mo. Violence just begets more violence. When will we ever learn that lesson? At this point expecting to have a civil discourse on guns is rather like expecting the Pope to convert to Methodism! It’s not likely to happen.
Think on these things.
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