In a despicable show of gall and callous viciousness, the NRA attacked the men and women of the medical profession who literally plug the gushing dikes of blood, sometimes with their fingers, in too often vain attempts to save the victims of gunshot wounds. The National Rifle Association rained down the vilest criticism against people dedicated to saving lives I have heard in a long, long time, “Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves," read the NRA issued statement. It seems to me those doctors are taking exactly the position conservatives confess love for and want to protect, “pro-life. I am still waiting for the loud, vocal support for Mr. Castile and Mr. Roberson
It seems there are exceptions to life that are unique to conservative organizations.
The first, babies born into poverty and who breathe free, sans their mother’s wombs, now become tax burdens and are beggars for free food and healthcare. Secondly, those babies who grow up to be black men and women. Two prominent shootings, by the police, of good guys with guns, were Philando Castile and just recently 26 year old Jemel Roberson. The former a legal gun owner on his way home with his family, the latter doing what the NRA says will protect us, holding a suspected shooter at bay with his legal gun while awaiting the arrival of the police. It seems there mistake was doing it in black skin.
Mr. Roberson held what is called a ‘state firearms identification card’ the equivalent to a legal carry permit in other states. He was a musician and spent his time playing the organ at local churches in and around Chicago. Mr. Castile was also a legal gun owner with a permit to carry his weapon on his person. Mr. Castile died within 40 seconds of an unprovoked shooting by a police officer and Mr. Roberson died when police arrived on the scene of the club he worked as security. With the screaming voices of club patrons alerting the police he was security, Mr. Roberson was shot dead hours before his scheduled next performance at the New Spiritual Light Baptist Church.
As much as I find fault with both police officers in each case, this story is not about them. It is about the folly of the NRA’s good guy with a gun argument. Each officer, in the separate shootings, was a firearm trained professional who either got scared, panicked or both and mixed with racism shot two innocent men.
In each of the major mass killings in the United States over the past few weeks, Thousand Oaks, California, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one in a darkened club the other a Synagogue, each was full of horrified and emotionally paralyzed victims. Imagine armed, drunken college kids in the dark and elderly attendees of a Jewish religious service blazing away at silhouettes and ducking and dodging figures. Who is the good guy; who is behind that muzzle flash; is that my friend; the killer, the police, the guard…? Shoot first and ask questions later. The only idiots who believe that is a viable answer, are the same idiots who believe physicians, who patch up bullet holes and speak in hush tones to the surviving relatives of men, women, and kids every day, know nothing about public safety. I will be nice, “NRA try navigating the blood-soaked lanes of an emergency room operating floor and get back to me.”
Vote in 2020 for Change.