Aurora Should Now Start The Gun Conversation

As a nation finds itself a few days removed from the tragic events that took place at an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre, emotions are still raw, hearts are still broken and heads are still unclear and unable to make sense of how a horrifying event such as this could happen.

How could lightning basically strike twice in the same place, after all Aurora is only a few miles removed from another town famous for tragedy and heartache. Even though the Columbine school shootings happened 13 years ago, the scars, both mental and physical are still as fresh for the people who lived through it, and the images of Friday morning bring back terrible memories for those of us who are as far removed from the Rocky Mountain state as possible.

How could doing something as normal as taking in a movie essentially make you a sitting duck for a madman who's life is so troubled and who's mental state is so warped that he sees himself as a movie villain charged with bringing as much pain and destruction as humanly possible.

These are just a couple of questions that will be asked by us, the American People in the coming days, weeks, and months. The problem is those are questions that only a higher power can answer assuming you believe in one. When I personally come across things in life that are unexplainable I'm reminded of a line I heard in a movie once. “God made the world the way it is, We just have to live in it.”

There are questions that we, the American People can ask that should get us direct answers. We should be asking our politicians why do we live in a country where anyone, no matter his or her mental well being can gain access to a gun, and then use that gun to dramatically alter the lives of so many innocent people.

I never thought I would agree with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on anything, the man is perfectly fine with treating any black and brown man in the city like a criminal, with his “Stop and Frisk” policy. Bloomberg struck a chord on Friday though with his initial comments about the Aurora tragedy, basically saying that politicians and in particular the two men vying for the Presidency should give us solutions on America's gun problem.

While Bloomberg's inquisitive nature on the subject is greatly appreciated, he is delusional at best if he thinks we are going to get a straightforward answer out of President Obama and Governor Romney before November 7^th. The fact that both candidates have their respective bases sown up makes it even more important to not alienate the 10 to 15 percent of the electorate that could push them over the finish line by taking on the scolding hot topic of gun control.

That my fellow Americans is to the detriment of us all. President Obama represents a Democratic party that gave up the fight on gun control a long time ago. The President signed legislation into place that makes it legal to carry guns in National Parks, great idea sir. In 2004 the Dems didn't fight to keep in place the assault weapons ban the President Clinton signed into law in 1993. Since then we have seen a shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech Campus, A Congresswoman and several other innocent bystanders including a couple of her aides shot in Arizona, A school shooting in Ohio earlier this year that left 4 students dead and now Aurora.

The fact that Mitt Romney is the classic Howdy Doody candidate being pulled by strings, you can count on him to continue the non negotiable Republican Party stance that any new gun control legislation is bad legislation and is therefore off the table. Romney who already has a problem convincing Republicans that he is a true conservative is not going to take back statements and fiery speeches that he give in front of the National Rifle Association to prove his conservative merit.

By the way that same National Rifle Association has Republicans in Congress scared breathless. It was the NRA who let it be known last month that they were scoring the voting on the House of Representatives contempt vote on Attorney General Eric Holder over “Fast and Furious”. The NRA is not ashamed to let Republicans and Democrats in gun loving states know that if they don't go their way when it comes to gun legislation they will let their constituents know about it.

I am thoroughly convinced that the eradication of gun violence in this country has to be a grass roots undertaking. There are plenty of us, no matter our political leanings who feel as though everyday civilians should not be able to get their hands on military styled weaponry. The fact that this guy was armed like he had access to the Pentagon is absolutely mind boggling. Through in the gas canisters, bulletproof vest and gas mask he got online, and it makes you want to scream.

For those of us who think public safety is as much a God given right as the 2^nd Amendment we need to pressure Presidential candidates, but importantly our local officials to do something about the senseless gunplay that plagues communities as large as Chicago and as small as Aurora.

There is no literal war going on inside the United States like there has been in Syria, Egypt, and Libya.

It is up to us to make sure the NRA and other assault weapon enthusiasts don't continue take us in a direction were that becomes a reality.