ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.

“Ain’t no pink fag legislator gonna say I can’t have guns.” — The Fugs, 1968, “Johnny Pissoff Meets the Red Angel.”

While it seems just about everybody rightly these days is discussing and debating the issue of guns in the United States in the wake of the Florida high school shootings, I have a proposal that probably will throw gasoline on the fires.

I hereby propose that all gun laws be treated in the same way as abortion laws.

I understand a lot of people will respond with the question — What’s abortion got to do with guns? In both arenas, the illogical conclusion is the taking of lives. Deliberately.

Conservatives and right-wingers for quite some time have maintained that since the Roe vs. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court 45 years ago, abortions have become too accessible for women, and they have flatly asserted that abortion is murder of innocent victims.

Though abortion is protected by law in the U.S. since it became legal by court decision, it has become heavily regulated, to the point there are some areas in which it is very difficult for a woman to be able to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Though some still want abortion to be regarded as illegal once again, their Pro-Life politicians have failed to deliver the goods and have settled for restrictions.

Over the past 45 years, there have been laws passed that require abortion seekers to go through waiting periods, to talk with people who try to talk them out of it and a variety of other roadblocks. But it is still legal.

Current United States laws still could honor the Second Amendment to the Constitution by insisting gun ownership remain legal, but regulate and restrict it much in the same manner as abortion. Background checks, waiting periods and prohibitions under certain circumstances are commonplace for abortions, but they remain legal.

I have no quarrel with law-abiding people owning guns, but perhaps the time has come to insist on regulations. England and Australia, after horrible incidents of mass shooting, adopted more strict gun laws and since then haven’t had to endure what we Americans once again have done in the last week.

The United States seems to stand alone on the planet in horrific mass shooting incidents, and I stand with Lynn Mandaville in being angry about the business as usual response by our lawmakers, ever since Columbine in 1999. One British writer suggested that America lost the moral high ground forever when it did nothing in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre of young children and teachers in 2012. It’s been five years.

I believe the money poured into Congress and state legislatures by the National Rifle Association has an effect. As Bob Dylan said long ago, “Money doesn’t talk, it swears.”

So besides proposing guns be regulated just like abortions, I propose that this amazing and angry movement started by young people also target the Citizens United Supreme Court decision of 2010. It’s been eight years.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there is work to be done.

 

8 Comments

Jon Gambee
February 18, 2018
I totally agree with this editorial and I am one who carries a gun on a regular basis as a bail bondsman. I usually carry it out in the open (as permitted by law) but when I get in a car and close the door it is considered concealed so I have a permit to carry concealed also.
Basura
February 18, 2018
If we keeping doing things the same way, we should expect the same outcomes.
February 18, 2018
Tough to comment on this essay. Abortions are a females choice, in which I agree. Killing by some person with a problem, is not a choice. Sorry!
Harry Smit
February 18, 2018
I would say this article says ....no matter what laws and regulations you have it will no deter what is happening. We Americans are so afraid to talk about all the mental issues effecting our people today. It is easier to blame an object than except the fact we have failed all who need help with their mental issues. Blame the firearm not agencies which should be protecting us...but instead are spending manpower and money trying to see if Russia had effect on the last election... In all these incidents there were warning signs that were ignored people refuse to get involved the majority of time.... I am sure the future will see an unarmed citizenship in the United States....the rotting of American from within is truly gaining speed
Basura
February 19, 2018
Am I understanding this comment, Harry? A future with an unarmed citizenry exemplifies "the rotting of America from within"? Is that what is troubling, the call for gun regulation?
Harry Smit
February 19, 2018
The must troubling part is everyone blames an object....yes disarming the citizens ( where all these rules and laws will end up doing ) is part of the " rotting " process. I the citizenship of a country happens the country is seriously in trouble....History has many examples I will use Cambodia as an example....I believe it was in the mid 50's their citizens were disarmed..... a little later ( believe in the late 60's ) all the educated citizens were rounded up and put to death, Many fail to see what is happening our citizenship is losing many of their freedoms ....certain areas people are afraid to venture out after sundown, our children are exposed to the drug culture at younger and younger ages, parents no longer hold their children responsible for their actions be it in public or school ( it is always someone else who is to blame ) we can no longer have prayer in out schools , religion is frowned upon as evil, we no longer respect our flag or anthem , there is no respect for live from the unborn to the senior citizens , there is no real help being given to the mental health issues people have, in fact the word mental health is on the same level of speaking of God. ( we must never say these words for fear of offending someone ) So yes more regulation of objects and not attacking the problem of people in this country getting the necessary mental help is a rotting of America .. This rotting started way back in the 60's and is getting worse every year. Yes America is slowing rotting away each and every year ....I may not and hope never to see History repeat itself....but we are being attacked by those ideals many have fought and died trying to prevent to even coming to the shores of America ... Basura I am guessing you are 30+ years younger than I so you may see how all this comes out....and than decide if gun regulation was part of the rotting of America ,,,, which I firmly believe it will be.
David Dologowski
February 18, 2018
Apple's to apples....i don't think so.
Ian MacGillis
February 19, 2018
What things do the following have in common? Banks Airports Court Houses Hospitals They all have armed guards and many of them have metal detectors. All of them are there to protect stuff far less precious than America's children. With 320 million people in this country and an estimated 350 million firearms, the left is deluded that further laws or restrictions on law abiding gun owners will have a realistic impact on these kind of tragedies. 1. Appropriately restricting the ability of dangerously mentally ill persons from acquiring firearms through legal processes...Not unconstitutional blanket proposals that place all people categorized with all forms of mental illness in the same bucket (That law that Trump repealed because the ACLU and a slate of disability rights groups had declared intent to litigate). 2. Stopping evil people from carrying out evil acts by having schools appropriately secured and access to them managed by armed security. Teachers and staff who are trained should also be allowed to possess firearms for self/student defense. 3. Law enforcement agencies need to do their damn job and investigate when they receive tips about people who others are reporting as a potential threat. Society remains largely in denial that some people are simply evil and determined to harm innocents. The US has a long history of these kind of atrocities carried out by warped and broken minds, the worst of them all took place in Michigan in 1927. More restrictions on normal healthy people is like a prescription for a few band-aids for someone who has been struck by a train.

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