With our culture of guns why are people surprised by gun violence?

 By Steve Otto

One more whack job shoots up a school in Texas and finally some people are beginning to rebel against the Republican Party's expansion of gun rights. Some people are calling for background checks.

People are starting to call for some kind of gun control. As a Democratic Socialist I have always opposed banning guns. I have opposed a lot of the ideas that a lot of liberals propose and support. But the Republican Party has taken gun right to an absurd level. Over the last 15 years, we have seen nearly all states making it legal to carry and conceal guns. We have "stand your ground" laws that make it easy for someone to shoot can kill a person for frivolous reasons. Some states have lowered the age for the right to carry a pistol from the age of 20 to 18. This latest shooter was 18. Some of the other shooters were 18. Has anyone noticed that maybe letting 18 year olds to buy and own assault weapons and pistol just might not be a good idea?

Some states have tried to make it legal to carry a gun in a bar. Does anyone else this is a move of major stupidity?

Every time there is a shooting the NRA[1] keeps saying that we need more guns in more people's hands—for example- they want to arm teachers with handguns.

The majority of people want some restrictions on guns. But they keep voting in Republicans who not only resist any restrictions on guns, they keep expanding gun rights, making it easier to get and carry guns. Few seem to notice that the NRA and Republicans (usually the same people) are making it easier and easier for people of all kinds to get and buy guns. No one wants to point out that along with more guns in society, we also have more gun violence. It seems as if we have been having mindless and random shootings of people in grade, middle and high schools and public places in general. We have such a shooting almost every week. It's getting ridiculous. It should not be so easy for an 18 year old to buy an assault weapon or pistols. With all these shootings it is time to put the breaks on this stupidity. More guns have brought us more gun violence. That should not surprise anyone.

Guns should be legal, but there needs to be some common sense restrictions.

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[1]National Rifle Association (It might as well be National Republican Association).