Thread by @Stonekettle

Guns save lives, says the hashtag.

State Senator Amanda Chase, 11th District of Virginia. Republican.

Guns save lives. They do, sometimes. But far more often, in America, they take lives, dozens of lives, hundreds of lives, thirty thousands lives per year on average.

1/

The number of lives saved by guns, compared to the number of lives taken by gun violence is a ratio so wide as to be utterly insignificant. Particularly when you consider that in the rare cases where a gun does saves lives...

2/

... it is almost always used against somebody WIELDING A GUN and thus would have been unnecessary in the first place if we had sane gun laws in this country.

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"extreme Democrats" Says Chase. Extreme.

Imagine a political ideology so insanely obsessed with guns, violence, and retribution, that the desire to prevent others from being shot is considered EXTREMISM.

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"Socialists" says Chase. Socialists.

Ironic, eh? She hates "socialists" but admits that ideology WOULD take action, WOULD at least consider legislation to save the lives of its citizens, WOULD actually do something.

Something SHE is adamantly unwilling to do. Ironic.

5/

"The Liberals, extreme Democrats and Socialists once again are using the lives of the fallen in Virginia Beach to push their agenda..."

Yes.

Goddamned right.

Because if not now, then WHEN?

6/

For Conservatives like Chase, BEFORE a gun death isn't the right time, DURING another mass murder isn't the right time, AFTER another slaughter isn't the right time.

It's NEVER the right time to talk about gun violence, never time to take action. Never.

7/

Every time, Conservatives wag their tongues and demand, "Have you no respect for the dead."

Why should I?

Why the hell should I have any respect for the dead?

Why?

8/

If we truly respected those dead citizens then we would have DONE SOMETHING BEFORE THEY WERE MADE DEAD BY OUR INACTION. I mean, we didn't respect them enough when they were ALIVE to do anything, why the hell do they suddenly gain our respect just because they're now dead?

9/

Look here, in America, mass murder IS a political statement.

Gun violence is a political statement.

EVERY single citizen who falls to gun violence is a political statement and it is that way SPECIFICALLY because gun fanatics have MADE IT SO.

10/

So don't you dare try to admonish me about standing on the bodies of the dead to make a political statement. They wouldn't BE dead if not for YOUR fucking politics.

These are YOUR chickens that have come home to roost.

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Imagine a political ideology so insane, so twisted, so in the grip of greed and violence, that even the mere suggestion of exploring legislation to prevent gun violence must be weighed against PROFIT and is considered "sad and un-American."

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"Responsible gun owners shouldn’t be penalized for the few that are intent on harming Americans."

No, they shouldn't.

And no one, least of all me suggested they should.

Just as responsible car owners shouldn't be penalized for a few drunk drivers. And are not.

13/

That's YOUR job, Senator.

That, that right there, is YOUR job, to write laws which address the problems of society WITHOUT penalizing responsible, law-abiding citizens -- including those who lose their very lives because YOU failed to take action.

14/

If there is no law, then YOU have failed, Senator.

If that law is unfair, inequitable, or unworkable, then YOU have failed.

YOU, Senator, YOU HAVE FAILED. And if you can't do the job you were elected to do, then you should either resign or be removed from office.

15/

Show me the "mental health initiative" that would have prevented any of these shooters from getting a gun.

Show me the existing law that would have done the same.

That healthcare system doesn't exist. Those laws don't exist. Because YOU failed, Senator. YOU.

16/

But, please, go on, show me.

I'd say, "I'll wait," but I won't.

Because I'm out of patience with this empty bullshit and it is long past time to take action.

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