Until the 1980s, almost all of the gun legislation in the US was backed by the NRA. At some point during that decade, tied in with the rise of idiot republicanism, the NRA and large parts of the Republican party just disappeared into a rhetoric shouting idiot farce and never recovered.

Its all about money and winning to that section. Guns, God and Wealth. They've really only had one really 'qualified' president in that period, which was George Bush Snr. The others have been puppets of the Neo-Conservative Agenda (Regan and Bush jnr).

Increasing this Neo-Conservative Agenda has come to totally dominate republican thinking, to the point of rejecting anything that doesn't fit, regardless of how logical, reasonable or sensible it might be.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

It isn't, but it was Republicans who dominate the Gun Control lobby, and were instrumental in ensuring that legislation that would prevent anyone on terrorist watch list's from being unable to purchase or hold firearms.

The absurdity has become the rejection of reasoned debate among the right of the US political spectrum that has been utilised in issues like abortion, health care, gun control etc where in ideology is placed above reasoned debate.

There are still a lot of old school republicans out there, they're just increasingly marginalised by 'more vocal absurdists'

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

Well I think that the left are equally, if not more, guilty of placing ideology above reasoned debate but on gun control specifically, there is a lot of votes to lose by enforcing stricter gun control.

That's what it boils down to in the end isn't it?

It's fairly obvious that more guns equal more deaths but many Americans see their right to carry arms as a non negotiable right of their constitution. Those people carry weight come election time.

Democracy is not always useful when it comes to making sensible choices.

Edited by Hrolf The Ganger (15 Jun 2016 1.11pm)

The fact is that Jones was trying to make it out to be a homophobic attack rather than deal with the tricky subject of Islam, as all the adolescent left wish to do. This attack could have been on gays, women or Jews. The fact is that it was inspired by the perpetrators interpretation of his religion.

"That was fun and to round off the day, I am off to steal a charity collection box and then desecrate a place of worship.” - Smokey, The Selhurst Arms, 26/02/02

Equally it could have been carried out by a fundamentalist Christian nut job. It was a homophobic attack and came from a personal hatred by a closet homosexual! The religious aspect of this particular attack is fairly arbitrary and only served as a vehicle for his hatred.

I'm not some apologist denying that a problem with radical Islam exists only saying that in this particular instance I think the religious aspect is pretty irrelevant!

He frequented gay bars and drank and wasn't particularly religious except when he wanted to express violence or hatred.

Think of all the strane people you see everyday. Imagine them with guns. That's the problem.

We'll never die