Gun Talk

If anything of lasting substance on gun regulation comes out of the Florida school tragedy it will be as a result of those brave students standing up and demanding accountability from politicians. They are the future and many of them will be voting this year. I'm a slightly cynical seasoned sage with just enough sunlight, buried deep, to still believe good things can happen. Here's to hope.

In the aftermath of the shooting President Trump started talking about arming teachers. Let's be fair and balanced, Trump didn't come up with this, it's a mere regurgitation maintaining his commitment to no original thinking. This suggestion has been made numerous times by a myriad of people, it goes hand in hand with the notion that if every citizen were armed at all times, none of these bad things would happen. Both ideas are stupid. Teachers, as their title indicates, are in school to teach, they are not there to act as tactical police officers. Trump told the Association of Governors that not all teachers would be armed, only those with an apptitude for it, like good golfers. A silly comparison and a trivial reduction that no President should make. Any teacher charged with doing this duty would have to go through complete law enforcement training and there effectiveness as a teacher would be significantly reduced because they would spend their days making risk assessments. It would also pose a serious problem for the tactical teams that will inevitably enter the building seeking the shooter, who is friend or foe? As one of the Florida teachers said, when the officers came through the doors to clear each room their weapons were aimed at everyone, which is necessary. If that teacher had been holding a gun she might very well have been killed because they thought she was the shooter. That's a sobering and true statement. How are the police, at that intense moment, supposed to know that an armed teacher they know nothing about, is one of the good guys?

Our schools cannot and must not be turned into armed day prisons. Common sense must prevail and we know exactly what that is.

Today Donald Trump, playing President, held a meeting at the Whitehouse with Congressional Republicans and Democrats and he said a lot of the right things about standing up to the N.R.A. and even chastising some Republicans for being afraid of that organization. He wants a major piece of legislation, no tiny measures. He even informed the Republicans that the current cross State carry permit reciprocation legislation currently under consideration needs to be abandoned. He also said something completely ridiculous and reminiscent of a totalitarian despot. Perk up all you alleged Conservatives who voted for Trump and who participated in the constant promulgation of the lie that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are coming for your guns. Turns out, Trump wants to come for your guns without due process. If you're suspected of whatever, he said take the firearms first, then go to court. That's your guy and if you own a lot of guns and for any reason come under the spotlight, including an innocent mistake, say bye bye to your arsenal. His reasoning is that due process takes too long. He's right get rid of due process and we can quickly do lot's of things.

We've seen this Trump before during the DACA meetings and then he completely went the opposite direction. He is unreliable and untrustworthy, it's his track record as President.

The private sector is taking action with Dick's Sporting Goods and their subsidiary Field and Stream ceasing to sell assault weapons and other accessories. Wal-Mart is eliminating airguns and toy guns that resemble assault weapons and both are raising the age to buy any gun to 21.
A number of companies are cutting ties with the N.R.A. Delta Airlines will no longer give discounts to N.R.A. members and that action which was taken to remove themselves from the debate has brought heavy attacks by many conservatives including the Lt. Governor of Georgia and other Georgian politicians who are threatening to take away Delta's tax abatement on fuel. Delta is Georgia's largest private sector employer with 33,000 people. Other States including New York have told Delta to move there, where they will be most welcome. Whatever happened to that old fashioned conservative value that the marketplace solves everything and should be left alone? Corporations take actions which they believe are in their best financial interest in that marketplace. Georgia's leaders best pull their heads out their posteriors before they taste the major exhaust fumes of Delta's departure.

More to follow...