And So It Goes. . .
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is backing down, too. In the face of the assault weapon ban dying in Congress, "Cuomo Favors Easing Part of Newly Passed Gun Law," according to Thomas Kaplan and Danny Hakim of The New York Times.
What's he's easing, they report, is the restriction on the legal capacity of magazine rounds, down from seven, as in the newly-passed law, to nothing.
The gun-control law, approved in January, banned the sale of magazines that hold more than seven rounds of ammunition. But, guess what? Seven-round magazines are not routinely manufactured. And, oh, those poor legal gun owners. "Although the new gun law provided an exemption for the use of 10-round magazines at firing ranges and competitions, it did not provide a legal way for gun owners to purchase such magazines," Kaplan and Hakim write.
So here's the "compromise" -- you can still buy magazines that hold 10 rounds. But you can only use seven. Now who's going to be following these people around to make sure? And, um, excuse me, are we going to rely on their honesty? We probably could with the majority of gun users, but what about the Adam Lanzas and Jared Loughners? Believe me, they are still out there.
I had a lot of admiration for Cuomo when he clamped down right after Newtown. But now, like most of the others, he's backing down, under presssure (he admits) from the NRA.
And let's talk about that for a minute. I used to think the NRA was all these burly, bearded hunting types but come to find out, it's really gun manufacturers, supporting and paying for the lobbies that keep these killing machines on the streets.
We're being told that we should praise Congress because they will get the background check thing put into law. Some call the NY state law "robust," even without the weapons and bullets bans, according to Kaplan and Hakim. But aren't we watering it all down?
It's almost impossible to believe that Sandy Hook will, like Aurora and Columbine and Virginia Tech, just go down as an unfortunate incident. But that's where it's headed. When I heard about those children being gunned down in their classroom, my first thought, after weeping, was that now, finally now, we will get our guns under control.
And in the beginning, it seemed possible. But the more things change, the more they remain the same. It's incredible to think of the power the NRA has. (And the fear, also, of politicians.) I used to think it was a given -- this country would finally step in and do something about gun violence and the availability of these murdering weapons.
But I see now it was all a charade. And for me, those 20 beautiful children have died, all over again.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/nyregion/cuomo-seeks-to-ease-a-newly-passed-gun-restriction.html?_r=0
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/study-states-with-tougher-gun-laws-report-fewer-gun-deaths/14642?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660&ttag=e660
What's he's easing, they report, is the restriction on the legal capacity of magazine rounds, down from seven, as in the newly-passed law, to nothing.
The gun-control law, approved in January, banned the sale of magazines that hold more than seven rounds of ammunition. But, guess what? Seven-round magazines are not routinely manufactured. And, oh, those poor legal gun owners. "Although the new gun law provided an exemption for the use of 10-round magazines at firing ranges and competitions, it did not provide a legal way for gun owners to purchase such magazines," Kaplan and Hakim write.
So here's the "compromise" -- you can still buy magazines that hold 10 rounds. But you can only use seven. Now who's going to be following these people around to make sure? And, um, excuse me, are we going to rely on their honesty? We probably could with the majority of gun users, but what about the Adam Lanzas and Jared Loughners? Believe me, they are still out there.
I had a lot of admiration for Cuomo when he clamped down right after Newtown. But now, like most of the others, he's backing down, under presssure (he admits) from the NRA.
And let's talk about that for a minute. I used to think the NRA was all these burly, bearded hunting types but come to find out, it's really gun manufacturers, supporting and paying for the lobbies that keep these killing machines on the streets.
We're being told that we should praise Congress because they will get the background check thing put into law. Some call the NY state law "robust," even without the weapons and bullets bans, according to Kaplan and Hakim. But aren't we watering it all down?
It's almost impossible to believe that Sandy Hook will, like Aurora and Columbine and Virginia Tech, just go down as an unfortunate incident. But that's where it's headed. When I heard about those children being gunned down in their classroom, my first thought, after weeping, was that now, finally now, we will get our guns under control.
And in the beginning, it seemed possible. But the more things change, the more they remain the same. It's incredible to think of the power the NRA has. (And the fear, also, of politicians.) I used to think it was a given -- this country would finally step in and do something about gun violence and the availability of these murdering weapons.
But I see now it was all a charade. And for me, those 20 beautiful children have died, all over again.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/nyregion/cuomo-seeks-to-ease-a-newly-passed-gun-restriction.html?_r=0
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/study-states-with-tougher-gun-laws-report-fewer-gun-deaths/14642?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660&ttag=e660
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