I have put my opinions on gun reform in this blog before. In short, I feel save living in a country where gun possession is scarce and people in public are rarely armed. I am also saddened when I hear report after report of mass shootings in the US.
When Obama promised to push real gun reform, I was as pessimistic as most. The conservative media of the day tried to shift the focus into mental health and more guns being the solution. When solid legislation was presented to close loopholes on obtaining firearms without mental health checks, conservative media took another step to the right to stop any gun reform from getting through. There was slight hope when the senate came up with a very weak compromise, but seeing that not even that watered down bill could pass a Democratically controlled senate does little for me to instill confidence in US politics.
I would really love to see an anti-gun lobby garner enough support to counteract the affects of the NRA and get congressmen to vote with their heads rather than defend their report cards. I also with Murdock would take up Turnbull's challenge and proactively support gun control across his media.
Whatever anyone thinks of John Howard, getting rid of semi automatic guns and reducing overall gun ownership was his crowning achievement in my eyes, and whilst it had its risks and opposition in the day, is without doubt the best thing he did in his political career.
No comments:
Post a Comment