A Brief Comment by NAL Publisher Doug Draper
I’m not going to dwell on this much longer because I already posted a commentary this March 16 on the death grip Americans have on their guns despite repeated mass shootings, including the one last December that snuffed out the lives of 20 young children at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
Report in the American media that I referred to in that commentary, that efforts by everyone from U.S. President Barack Obama to victims of gun violence to get some reasonable gun control legislation passed are dying under relentless lobbying pressure from the Niagara Rifle Association, were confirmed this March 19 when Harry Reid, leader of the Democratic Party controlled U.S. Senate, said there are not enough votes in the senate to pass a ban on the sale of military style assault weapons.
The image I am posting here, of the front page of the New York Daily News, featuring a headline that reads; “Shame on U.S.,” along with the faces of the children slaughtered in Newtown by a deranged young man with an assault weapon and high-capacity magazine, pretty well sums this appalling state of affairs up.
Apparently a majority of U.S. senators worry more about their standing with the NRA and the possibility of losing their seat next election than they do about polls showing that a majority of Americans would now support a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, along with mandatory background checks aimed at reducing the number of weapons that end up in the hands of people with a record of crime or mental illness.
It is a wonder how these so-called representatives of the people could ever face the parents of the children gunned down or the principal and other five educators who gave their lives in that school trying to protect the children. Shame on them1
Lest you wonder why a Canadian –based news and commentary site posts pieces on this issue, let me remind Canadian readers, along with those who regularly visit this site from their homes in Buffalo and other American communities, that police reports show that a large number of guns involved in crimes in Ontario and other Canadian provinces are smuggled in from the U.S.
Furthermore, there are many of us who have friends and relatives in the U.S. and who visit that country regularly. One never knows where the next mass shooting will take place and who may end up in morgue for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, whether it is the campus of a school, a movie theatre, a shopping mall or some other place open to large numbers of people.
This is a matter that touches all of us and hopefully Americans will remember those in public office who have caved to the interests of the gun industry and deal with them next time their names are on a ballot.
My March 16 commentary on this issue can be accessed at Niagara At Large by clicking on https://voiceofniagara.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=9604&action=edit .
(Niagara At Large invites all of you who care to share your first and last name with your views to join the conversation by sharing a comment below.)
Niagara At Large 
Doug, I hope you don’t mind but I posted a link to this story on Twitter.
To Keith and all other Niagara At Large readers – Any links to NAL posts or to NAL site are welcome as it helps keep our readership growing. Let every friend and associate you know about Niagara At Large. We enjoy all of the support we get from visitors to the site and from those who choose to share comments or news or commentary of their own with us. …… Our email address for possible contributions of news and commentary to the site address is drapers@vaxxine.com . NAL publisher, Doug Draper
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In my discussions with many Americans, the right to bear arms trumps the rights of children to live and go to school in safety. At least Piers Morgan, who previously was not a hero of mine, is still flogging the NRA and keeping attention focused on this idiocy. The NRA even suggested a petition to deport him!
The 2nd amendment needs to be amended. It was included for a purpose specific to its time and is now terribly outdated. Such weapons didn’t exist then and the threat of invasion is next to nil. Americans claim the constitution is sacred but why then did the cherished and idolized founding fathers include procedures for amendment unless they realized it needed to change with the times? A hundred years ago someone with a flag had to walk in front of one of them thar’ horseless carriages to warn of their approach. Want to try that now? Get with the modern era people. Assault weapons and 60 round clips are only for killing, nothing else, and didn’t exist when the 2nd amendment was created. They are weapons of war and destruction. I’m surprised the NRA doesn’t advocate ownership of tanks and surface to air missiles. Anything for a buck. The politicians who get elected on NRA dollars are cowards.
Many Americans are also fed propaganda by the gun lobby that the government, especially under Marxist, Socialist, Muslim, Atheist, Kenyan-born Obama is going to take over the entire country and enslave them. What a bunch of ignorant, paranoid idiots!
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The largest single monetary contributor to the NRA is the GUN MANUFACTURERS and 80% of the NRA’s political contribution monies goes to REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES so is there any wonder why President Obama has had an uphill right since day one of his presidency..
I have read articles put forth by brainwashed idiots that literally reeks of bitterness and outright Hatred directed at the mild manner gentleman President, Jimmy Carter.
The GUN BAN actions of the REPUBLICANS and CERTAIN DEMOCRATS politicians puts truth to the fact that America is a gun crazy state whose only bible is the gun and they are not inclined to be shy when it comes to professing the ideological crap associated with the NRA…..
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What I heard on that show where Piers Morgan interviewed Michael Moore I was astounded to find out that since John Lennon was murdered by a nut case, over 1 million American citizens have died by gun fire, that is more than died during the American Civil War,were 800,000 died.that is twice the population of Buffalo NY. I am flabbergasted that this carnage is allowed to happen.!!! in this day and age.
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