It just doesn't matter- terrorists and guns

Kudos to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Today he testified at a Senate committee and got nowhere. Whenever the issue of trying to prevent bad people from getting guns, elected leaders cry that nothing can be done because of the second amendment. That is exactly what Senator Lindsey Graham ( R. South Carolina) did today at the hearing. Mayor Bloomberg was pointing out the dangers of allowing known terrorists to purchase guns, especially with recent failed attempted terrorist attacks and the recent successful attack by Major Nidal Hassan at Fort Hood. I guess our leaders don't want to hear how over 1000 known terrorists have purchased guns from licensed dealers, that we know of. We know they have purchased the guns but we can't prohibit them from purchasing because their names do not go into the National Instant Check System as prohibited purchasers. Can you imagine anything so stupid?

The now detained would-be terrorist who attempted to blow up a car in Times Square on Saturday, had a gun in his car which was found parked at JFK airport. No matter. When will it matter? Will it matter when a known terrorist, on the watch list, uses an assault weapon to shoot up people in a public place? Will it matter when a known terrorist, with a gun he or she has purchased legally from a licensed gun dealer, shoots an important politician? Will it matter when a known terrorist who has purchased a gun legally holds Americans hostage somewhere around the country? Apparently, second amendment rights trump the safety of Americans from terrorists. Whatever.

And, as Mayor Bloomberg testified, even if we do prohibit those on the terror watch list from purchasing guns from licensed firearm dealers, they can still walk into any gun show in America and purchase from an unlicensed dealer with no background check. But, no matter. As long as the "guys with guns make the rules" as Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association said recently, it just doesn't matter.

My cynicism about our do- nothing Congress concerning guns is growing stronger every day. It doesn't matter that 2 convicted young men got off without serving their full time or the time they should have served and walked on the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota intending to kidnap someone and steal his car. When that didn't work, a police officer just doing his job, was shot execution style by one of the young men with a gun that rumor has it, was stolen. We can't get laws passed to start the process of stemming the tide of illegal guns. They are stolen from gun dealers, from homes where they are not locked up and not reported stolen. They are purchased for next to nothing on the streets from someone who either stole them or purchased from a private seller. But no matter. As long as we are protecting the second amendment, our police officers will continue to be out gunned on our streets.

What is the matter with us? This should matter so much that there is a national outburst of rage demanding that our leaders step up to the plate and do the right thing? This should matter so much that our leaders become brave enough to buck the NRA and do the right thing. I guess it just doesn't matter.