About erika@churchstreeteditorial.com

Posts by erika@churchstreeteditorial.com:

That Which Will Not Be Named Post-Tucson: Gun Control

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Sam Stein of the Huffington Post posted an article asking a key question: “Is there a good reason to have 33 bullets loaded into a gun?” 

Stein reports that when Congress reconvenes, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) will introduce a bill to ban high-capacity gun clips such as the one allegedly used in the Jan. 8 shooting spree in Tucson that left six people dead and 14 wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who remains in critical condition.

But even though some of these types of clips were outlawed as recently as 2004 under the Clinton-era Assault Weapons Ban — in place from 1994 to 2004 — McCarthy’s legislation is not expected to go anywhere. In fact, it probably won’t even be brought up by lawmakers in either the House or the Senate.

Why? Because it’s no longer politically feasible in this country — at least right now — for national leaders to advocate for gun control. Every branch of government — the Supreme Court, the Congress, the White House — has clearly signaled that the right to bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment and there is to be no more debate about it.

With the federal debate on guns increasingly single sided — nearly universally opposed to gun control — states are stepping in to broaden access to guns. In fact, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, most states have “weak or non-existent gun laws.”

Arizona leads the way in this regard. “Fresh Air” today interviewed The Washington Post’s James Grimaldi, whose piece in the Sunday paper covers Arizona’s lenient gun laws. In Arizona, writes Grimaldi, “guns are permitted almost everywhere in the state except a business or doctor’s office.”

It’s not clear what, if anything, will change in the wake of the shooting — beyond moments of silence, sincere expressions of grief and calls to tone down violent political rhetoric. But what is almost certain is that gun control, in any form, will not be a serious part of the discussion.

Before Obamacare is Killed …

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The new leadership in the House is pledging to vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act as one of its first official acts in the 112th Congress (an effort that could unfold in many different ways). The timing is not exactly ideal, though—a number of sure-to-be-popular provisions are just now kicking in. Joan McCarter points to a handy timeline posted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation of key provisions of the new law and when they take effect. Bookmark it! It’s a great tool for understanding “Obamacare”—before it vanishes into thin air. Well, IF it vanishes, that is.

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