The Orlando Massacre Teaches Us (Again) That We Must Ban Semi-Automatic Human Killing Machines
I just came from a meeting today in the Situation Room in which I have people who know we have been on ISIL websites, living here in the United States, US citizens, and we’re allowed to put them on the no fly list when it comes to airlines, but because of the National Rifle Association I cannot prohibit these people from buying a gun. This is somebody who is a known ISIL sympathizer and if he wants to walk into a gun store or a gun show and buy as much, as many weapons and ammo as he can, nothing is prohibiting him from doing that even though the FBI knows who that person is. So sir, I just have to say respectfully that there is a way to have common sense gun laws, there is a way to make sure that lawful, responsible gun owners, like yourself, are able to use it for sporting, hunting, protecting yourself. But the only way we’re going to be able to do that is if we don’t have a situation where anything that is proposed is viewed as some tyrannical destruction of the second amendment. And that is how the issue too often gets framed — President Obama, June 2, 2016We’ve had yet another horrific mass shooting. In fact, it’s the worst mass shooting in American history. More than fifty people were killed and many more wounded in a nightclub that catered to gay people in Orlando Florida. At the moment I’m writing this, what we know is that these murders were carried out by an American Muslim by the name of Omar Mateen, the son of Afghan immigrants who was born in New York 29 years ago. We know that he called 911 during the killing and reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and mentioned the Tsarnaev brothers (who were not ISIS, for what it’s worth). We know the FBI had been aware of some radical connections and jihadist “leanings” and had interviewed him in the past. His father reported that he was an angry homophobe. His ex-wife said he was a violent domestic abuser who was mentally unstable. He was a hate-filled, violent piece of work.