Dean Jepson: Save your prayers, politicians, until you’re ready to act

Those prayers GOP leaders have for survivors and family members of mass shootings, which happen daily on average in the U.S., couldn’t be more meaningless. Their false idol is the lobbyist for the gun and ammo makers, the National Rifle Association.

A bill to keep mentally ill people and individuals on the “no fly” list from being able to purchase guns and explosives was shot down by these prayer givers. The vast majority of NRA members, as well as GOP voters, want responsible gun laws; but gunmakers don’t really care where their profits are derived, and the NRA’s leadership does their bidding. The 2nd Amendment was never meant to put innocent lives in danger.

Paul Ryan’s comment about not wanting to “step on peoples’ civil rights” is especially disingenuous, as his party makes endless attempts to take away women’s choices; an individual’s ability to vote, and safety nets for the poor, disabled, and disenfranchised.

Millions of dollars, thousands of hours, and volumes of print went into the four deaths at Benghazi. Thirty-three thousand gun deaths a year occur in our country, and we can’t keep a bomb out of the hands of somebody too dangerous to use our airlines. C’mon!

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Dean Jepson: Save your prayers, politicians, until you’re ready to act."