When the president of the USA National Rifle Association appeared on television – claiming that guns do not kill, only people do – I wanted to draw my full automatic rifle to fire at his hypocritical image. Alas, I do not own one – I do not own any weapon.
His sentimental voice and face gave me the shivers. American politicians are patentees in this respect; many of them seem to be full time clergymen. Interestingly enough, the same pseudo religious sentiments support widely different proposals.
Within a week after the last school massacre the public debate seems to have passed from gun control to the mental state of the killer(s). Members of the Rifle Association, who kept their mouth shut for a full six days, are already claiming that more weapons in the school is the solution. The school can better ‘defend’ itself against the crazy killers.
This combines sentiment with silliness. It is like the position taken by those who plead the death penalty – also an immense group in the USA. All kinds of research over a long period make it clear that the death penalty does not reduce the amount of killings in a state, but rather makes for more murders.
And as with those who plead the free purchase of weapons as ‘means of self defense’, in those who plead the death penalty sentiment fuses with a refusal to take research results seriously. It is a fact that the presence of guns in homes makes murder by guns more possible.22.12/2012
ps 1.16.13
Today, complete fools argued against gun laws with the statement that a president’s children are also protected with guns. How bastard can you get…
Sierksma's Sores 