It should be real simple.
You'd think that the incomprehensible murder of 20 first graders in the Newton, Conn. shooting shortly before Christmas would do it.
You'd figure that we adults -- gun lovers, gun haters and everyone in between -- would get serious about protecting the lives of our children.
But, apparently the National Rifle Association loves its guns too much. Why the NRA, as a minimal first step, is opposed to President Barack Obama's no brainer background checks for all gun buyers is mystifying and troubling.
It can only be explained by greed. It places gun sales ahead of child safety.
Of course, such cold indifference, such greed, is borne out of fear. Fear of not having enough. Fear of missing out.
The Second Amendment argument, touting the "right to bear arms," amounts to a red herring on the background checks issue. We need to do all we can to keep guns out of the hands of murderers and terrorists. NRA members favor the checks; not the NRA itself though. Anything to make a buck.
So greed and fear rule. The truth takes a backseat. And justice suffers. That's the name of the game anymore in Washington. A similiar thing was happening just over two years ago when Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot.
Angry fear-based vitriol was the rule of the day. Forget about civility and the truth. Here's something I wrote then. We still need to shut up -- and listen.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/23/cilivility-listen-rhetoric/
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