Guns and the Senate

Thought for the day

I hope I'm wrong.  No, I pray I am, but I don't think a bipartisan group of senators, led by Chris Murphy of Conn. and John Cornyn of Texas, will be able to deliver much in the way of new gun safety legislation.  

Sure, they may find common ground on a "red flag" law, but that probably will be the extent of their efforts.  Why?  Because they are going about solving the bigger problem the wrong way.

The only way a revised, national ban on assault-style weapons is going to pass the Senate is for 10 or more Republican lawmakers to join 50 of their Democratic colleagues.  

Because the NRA and 2nd Amendment proponents have contributed tens of millions of dollars (collectively) to virtually every GOP senator, no Republican is going to turn his or her back on one of their biggest campaign donors.  Unless.

Unless, President Biden steps in and invites the NRA, 2nd Amendment advocates, parents of children gunned down in schools and the ACLU to Camp David for a gun summit.  A waste of time you say?  I don't think so.

It took 12 days of non-stop negotiations, but the Camp David peace agreement President Carter forged with old warriors Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel has lasted more than 40 years.  

Moses had an easier time after being called to the mountain top, but I believe a 2022 Camp David gun summit could be successful.  

When I was learning to drive back in the 1960s, my dad used to tell me, "Remember, a car can kill someone as quickly as a gun."  

Today, the kind of assault weapons that were used to kill 10 shoppers in Buffalo, New York and 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas did more damage than a 15-car pile up.  

Which begs the question:  Before they are allowed to purchase a gun, should 18-year-olds (or anyone for that matter) be required to pass a series of tests?  You know, just like we all do in order to get a drivers license.

If the NRA and 2nd Amendment proponents would agree to that idea at Camp David, I'm confident Sens. Murphy and Cornyn could make something meaningful happen quickly.

-DF