Debate on gun control laws -- the idiotic and the wise

Congressional hearings on gun control and violence brought forth the idiotic arguments today.

Senator Lindsey Graham -- one of the more reasonable Republicans -- was not so reasonable on this subject.  He said that, because state budgets have been cut and there are thus fewer police officers to answer calls, people ought to be allowed to have semi-automatic guns to defend themselves.

He used the example of a mother defending her children against an intruder:  "Six bullets might not be enough," and she might not be able to protect her children in a shoot-out "because of something we do here" . . . i.e. banning semi-automatic weapons.

What a familiar pattern!  Republicans cut budgets for police officers and then their solution is to encourage people to arm themselves with weapons of war.   Why don't we just eliminate the police force altogether and return to the Wild West?

As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief."

Laurence O'Donnell made a wise observation on MSNBC.   The NRA argument -- to put no restrictions on assault weapons for "law-abiding citizens" but concentrate on keeping criminals and mentally ill people from having them -- falls apart when you look at cases.

In the Newtown massacre, the guns were purchased by a law-abiding citizen.   But she was unable, or at least she didn't, safeguard those guns;  and her mentally unbalanced son took them, killed her and then went on a shooting rampage at the school.

Plus the NRA opposes requiring background checks at gun shows.

It's true.  Our current background check laws stop a lot of people from buying guns at gun shops or from legitimate dealers.   But they aren't required at gun shows or individual sales from person to person.   So those who can't pass the background check just buy their guns from them.

So their call for "enforcement of the laws we do have" should be done, of course;  but it is not a sufficient solution.  As long as these guns are out there, people who want them will get their hands on them, either buying them through these loopholes or stealing them.

Ralph