If you live long enough in this country, the idea of someone walking into some place and opening fire with a legal weapon is no longer shocking. Which in itself is kind of sad. Really, if you step back from the most recent mass murder, the Arizona loony with too many bullets and a disjointed brain, you have to ask yourself, how often does this need to happen where we either become completely numb to it, or we actually do something about it?
Congressman Peter King came up with a brilliant idea, but like all brilliant ideas lately, it did not go far enough. More on King in a moment, but I can not be the only person to see congress as this almost royal body, where the perks they get are theirs alone, which us serfs are left with nothing and arguing about who got more of the nothing pie.
Case in point, health care. First, let's keep in mind how strange the health care debate became as politicians returned home only to find teabaggers angry over the concept that everyone would have healthcare. I never understood the anger. Where were these people when millions took to the streets to protest the war built on lies? I marched in those marches and I can tell you, the variety of shapes and colors were not the same people who screamed and yelled and disrupted all the healthcare debates.
Again, here is how congress is regal. They all have great healthcare plans. Paid for by the citizens. Anything goes wrong, it is covered. They never argued whether people deserved to have what congress has, they debated whether people deserved any healthcare at all, and if they did, how they could offer the least amount of alternatives for the most amount of money.
The craziness and insane crowds that ruined all serious debate on healthcare sure did seem like the same sort of crazy anger that was apparent in the Arizona shooting. My guess is, if you ask the nutcase why he shot all those people and you could get him to be honest, he would not have an answer.
But Peter King does. He is a republican congressman, and his idea is to make it illegal to have a gun any where near a congressman, at least 1000 feet near. This is a great idea, but again, congress is not going far enough. Here is my simple plan, make that law applicable to everyone.
Simple, right? I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that no one within 1000 feet of me has a gun. Why should congress be the only ones protected? The reason I always volunteer to travel is not just because I like to travel, but I like airports. Why? Because in airports, you can not have a gun.
Except a few months ago. I was in an international airport with my video equipment and a security guard let me go right past security, because I was not flying, I was there to interview someone. I ended up having complete access to the airport, with a large box of equipment that was never searched. I could have had hundreds of guns with me and handed them out to passengers on any flight. Cameras sometimes allow people to do some very stupid things. This past week I was at the state supreme court, and I needed to bring my equipment into the jury chambers. Again, seeing all my bags of equipment and my honest face, a guard helped me through the metal detector, not bothering to check the bags even after the metal detector detected metal. I was in a protected zone with large bags of metal objects and no one checked.
Oh well. Now, if we had a law of the land that no one could be within 1000 feet of anyone else with a gun, then the security that is not really in place at airports and courthouses might not be necessary.
Finally, I have many issues with president Obama. This week, I was reminded why some of the issues I have against him are kind of petty. When he was speaking to the crowd in Tucson for the memorial of those slain last week, I was so happy he was my president. He speaks well and with passion. He is obviously intelligent and empathetic. These might be the most important parts of being a president. Bill Clinton used to quiver and almost cry and in some ways, President Obama had me thinking those same thoughts, how nice it is to have a mature smart guy in charge.
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