You hear some talk about the opponents of health care reform forcing members of Congress to abide by it. Clearly, those who make the claim do not understand the basics of the reform — the health exchanges would be barred to those under large company insurance schemes, at least for a few years. Indeed, the worst outcomes of the reform would be no change for most people, especially those receiving insurance through employers, as not enough is being done to curb the power of the insurance companies in these schemes.
But what about the gun nuts in Congress? Just recently, these same gun nuts tried to force through a measure that would allow gun owners to carry weapons into other jurisdictions without heed for tighter regulations relating to carrying weapons in those jurisdictions. Thank God this piece of anti-life lunacy was defeated. But now EJ Dionne has a great proposal — let the gun nuts in Congress put their money where their mouth is. He asks:
“Isn’t it time to dismantle the metal detectors, send the guards at the doors away and allow Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights by being free to carry their firearms into the nation’s Capitol?
I’ve been studying the deep thoughts of senators who regularly express their undying loyalty to the National Rifle Association, and I have decided that they should practice what they preach. They tell us that the best defense against crime is an armed citizenry and that laws restricting guns do nothing to stop violence.
If they believe that, why don’t they live by it?
Why would freedom-loving lawmakers want to hide behind guards and metal detectors? Shouldn’t NRA members be outraged that Second Amendment rights mean nothing in the very seat of our democracy?
Congress seems to think that gun restrictions are for wimps. It voted this year to allow people to bring their weapons into national parks, and pro-gun legislators have pushed for the right to carry in taverns, colleges and workplaces. Shouldn’t Congress set an example in its own workplace?”
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