The Mindless Menace of Violence

President Obama ended his first term promising action on something that he barely mentioned throughout the first three years and 51 weeks of that term - gun control.  The President called for Congress to pass legislation requiring background checks for all gun sales and a ban on assault weapons and ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than ten rounds.  

I'm already expecting to see his initiative fail.  Republicans, who control the House and the flow of legislation that passes through it, have long ago made it clear that they are not interested in discussing quality-of-life issues such as health care reform and a fairer tax system, confronting such issues only when given no choice, and then only expressing hostile opposition to it.  Now Republicans - and, to be fair, a few pro-NRA Democrats - are railing against the President's common-sense proposals as if he has taken over the Presidency in a coup and is imposing his will on the country.

Obama hasn't even gotten as far as having Dianne Feinstein introduce such legislation in the Senate yet.  In any case, polls show that Obama's proposals are the will of the people - they're supported by large majorities.  So are some of of the 23 executive orders he signed this afternoon, such making more federal data available for background checks, allowing government research on gun violence, ordering harsher penalties for anyone who lies in a background check, or having guns that are recovered in criminal investigations traced by federal law enforcement officers. President Obama, a constitutional law professor, admitted that these constitutionally permitted executive orders - suggested as grounds for impeachment by the far right - will only make a small dent in the problem, but he's willing to try anything to reduce gun violence in America.  But Congress isn't, with both House Speaker John Boehner and even Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid offering tepid responses to legislation the American people (including many NRA rank-and-file members) want.  

Why are there still people afraid of the National Rifle Association and willing to do their bidding even after Newtown? Why are hysterical gun rights activists more outraged by Obama's proposals than they are about the shootings at Newtown?

I'm really disgusted now.  America is now full of angry, irrational extremists who answer the problem of violence by espousing policies that promote . . . more violence.  They ignore the growing exhortation by the people to do something about it, andfthey try to stop anyone from doing anything about it.  The speech from Robert Kennedy in the video below, called "The Mindless Menace of Violence," tells us more about the culture of violence in this country than I can ever hope to. :-(