‘We the people’ must stop gun violence

By Peter Pall, Henderson

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Every year more than 10,000 Americans die in our country because of gun violence. It used to be that this occurred only among gangs and criminals. Not anymore.

Gun violence and gun deaths have come to our doorsteps. Because of the easy availability of guns and assault weapons, we are no longer safe anywhere — not even in our churches, restaurants, schools and/or theaters. Clearly, this is the unspoken “war” occurring within our own borders.

What is the cause of this unspoken war? The National Rifle Association and its perverted position that every American should have the right to own an assault weapon and there should be no background checks. This position has resulted in criminals and the mentally ill buying guns and assault weapons.

The Senate defeated an amendment that would have prohibited the sale of guns to people on America’s terrorism watch list. Why? Because too many politicians were scared of the NRA. Sen. Harry Reid was correct when he criticized lawmakers for not acting to curtail “the epidemic of gun violence” and described the NRA as the Republican Party’s “quasi-militant wing.”

What do these coward politicians do every time there is another mass shooting (which has become a daily occurrence in our nation)? What do they say every time more innocent Americans lose their lives to gun violence? They make boilerplate speeches that contain insincere condolence language, then shamelessly continue taking campaign donations from the NRA.

Our nation’s Constitution gives the power to “we the people.” It’s time for we the people (including many members of the NRA who support reasonable gun control) to vote out of office all these phony politicians who are too cowardly to pass any sensible gun-control legislation. It is only through this citizen action that we stop America’s unspoken war and the senseless slaughter of innocent Americans.