(Article changed on April 17, 2013 at 18:22)
Gun safety legislation, for all practical purposes, appears to be dead in the U.S. Senate. First the ban on assault weapons was taken off the table, quickly followed by limitations on magazines, and just now the attempt to bring background checks to a vote was destroyed by a Republican filibuster; one that was supported by several cowardly Democrats.
There are two individuals who are directly responsible for this massive defeat of legislation that could have initiated the start of the process to bring rampant gun violence in this country under some semblance of control. Take a bow President Obama and Senator Reid. Your previous refusal to change the rules on the use of the filibuster by the GOP obstructionists, without a doubt, caused this to happen. In doing so you both have betrayed the American people and the families who lost their children to gun violence in Newtown, CT.
What these two politicians have allowed to happen is beyond comprehension. They let the despicable Republican sociopaths, the supposed minority party, once again take control of the Senate and dictate which legislation will be brought to a vote and which will not. I have no idea how individuals who call themselves leaders could so completely fail to take critical action when it was so very necessary. This colossal failure has guaranteed that one of this nation's most critical problems will continue to remain unaddressed.
Without a doubt, the responsibility for this political fiasco needs to be assigned to President Obama who should have absolutely demanded that Harry Reid and the Democratic members of the Senate change the Senate filibuster rules, that that is was critically important, so that the important business of the nation could be conducted in an effective manner. When strong leadership was urgently needed, these two pseudo-Democratic leaders were nowhere to be found.
Harry Reid and Barack Obama who had majority control of the U.S. Senate have now ceded control of that governmental body to the minority Republicans. Majority rule has been destroyed. This is a disgrace to this nation and to our democracy. Republicans in the Senate and across this country will be dancing in the streets as the filibuster worked like a charm once again. But there will be no celebrations by the majority of the American people who are totally fed up with this dysfunctional government.
And there will be nothing but great consternation and anguish in Newtown, CT and among those families who have so courageously put aside their sorrows and spent so much time trying to get this government to enact effective, rational legislation to stop the slaughter of innocent children and many other Americans who needlessly die at the hands of those who can get their hands on guns whenever they wish.
Want to hear something absolutely astounding? After the legislation for background checks was killed, I say a headline that said, "Obama rips gun lobby." And can you believe what he also said: " "There are no coherent arguments for why we didn't do this," What? What was that that you just said? I have a very coherent argument for it: it's a direct result of the abysmal actions and behavior on the part of yourself and Mr. Reid.
The degree to which these two failed politicians have damaged the process of government, this society, its people, and this democracy is almost immeasurable. Every time this country has a chance to solve some very critical problem with logical, rational, ethical thinking and behavior, someone in this government steps in to destroy the process.
The only thing that we out here in America can do in the face of this great betrayal is to count the days that Harry Reid and Barack Obama exit this government and Washington D.C. But, unfortunately, the damage they have done will linger on for a very long time.
Today should go down in history as one of shame and disgrace.
Michael Payne
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