Obama drama. Did you catch that tear he famously wiped from his eye?
Because he cares deeply. About children. He gets so angry when children die needlessly from reasons other than surviving a failed abortion. If there is anything he can do to save even one life, (previous exception noted) he will make a point of saying on camera that he’s committed to doing so. Because he cares.
His gun control crusade rests on this claim. It’s all about saving innocent lives.
And so he will implement the measures advocated by the NRA to reduce gun crime. He’s going to seriously crack down, for example, on felons possessing firearms, and on the serious information gaps in the background check system, (millions of names missing, more details here).
Scratch that. Those are the things he might do if he were serious about solving the problem. Rather than making sure felons are on the list of those who cannot purchase guns, he is making it harder for law abiding citizens to qualify.
Serious time for weapons offenses are another viable option. Focusing attention on felons with weapons might make a difference, too. Especially in places like Chicago where innocent civillians have real reason to ask whether black lives really do matter. Having some of the local gangbangers cooling their heels awhile instead of shooting up poor neighborhoods might do something for quality of life there, dontcha think? Sure sounds better than putting guns in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. #FastAndFuriousScandal.
So, armed with gun control options that respect the Second Amendment and which even the NRA can support, what does this administration do? Precisely the opposite.
Look at the DoJ prison releases, for example. Six thousand were scheduled to be released last Fall. Even Eric Holder “supported the change but he proposed more restrictive criteria that would exclude people who had used weapons or had significant criminal histories” (emphasis mine).
Catch that? Even Eric Holder thinks this will not release “just” petty criminals. Weapons offenses. Significant criminal histories. Whatever happened to if it saves even one life?
There was skepticism about these releases by some sheriffs, as well. For example, about 1/3 will be turned over to ICE for deportation. We all know the government’s track record there. Strange to imagine how deportation laws could even be relevant among prison populations, since we were clearly told it is racist to suggest crimes can ever be committed by foreign-born people.
(This doesn’t even acknowledge the “even one life” that might be saved by letting the surges of violence evident across Europe prompt a re-think on our own Refugee policy.)
And a fun fact to wrap up this brief survey of how ideology can drive you consistently to the wrong decisions? While most states are receiving about 80 of those released from this total, Texas was expected to receive 597.
