No Senate Filibuster on Gun Legislation

I'm seeing red, Republican Red.  And I'm blue because some Democrats in the U. S. Senate are hard to identify as Dems these days.  

 

Today the gun bill was on the Senate's agenda, and members voted 68-31 to avoid a Republican filibuster against stronger gun safety legislation.  Since it's the most ambitious gun safety legislation in more than two decades and since the filibuster threat was thwarted, I should be celebrating instead of fuming.  I am happy about the vote count and that the legislation will be on the floor next week, once amendments are in place.  The bill isn't nearly strong enough, but it's a start.  That will have to do for now—as long as this bill is not also the finish line!

 

But here's what got me riled today.  I was watching "Hardball" where Chris Matthews (whose shows I usually watch) and Chuck Todd (whose show I often watch) were talking about the gun bill—and what a tough spot senators find themselves in if they voted with the majority to proceed with debate.  Seems the NRA is "rating" senators who voted for proceeding with debate as being "for gun control."  Talking about getting primary opposition and maybe losing the next election.  Matthews, with furrowed brow, said it was a "hard climb" for some senators to cast their affirmative votes.  They talked about the "scare tactics"used by NRA leadership (threatening primary opposition for lawmakers with "bad ratings").   The "hard climb" is not the issue.  The Courage deficit is the issue.  And I'm not feeling sympathetic.

 

People with the courage to act honorably, regardless of the situation or pressure placed upon them to do otherwise, are not intimidated by scare tactics.   Even if they are "scared" they will walk through the fear and  do the right thing— even if it means losing their next bid for the Senate.   All members of Congress were sent to Washington by the voters to carry out the will of the people.  The will of 90% of the American people is for stronger gun safety laws. The President has been speaking out, and citizens have been calling and e-mailing their representatives.  We've been heard.  The prognostications just days ago were that the bill would NOT be debated openly on the floor.  It's a good day for democracy when issues are debated and votes are taken and recorded.  How else can we know whether we are being adequately represented?

 

On the heels of the Newtown tragedy—and the murders of children and adults on the streets of Chicago, and the many other gun massacres still in our rear-view mirror—it's amazing that the NRA still can cower grown-up human beings.  Adults.  Elected public servants in positions of leadership.  The senators who cower before the NRA are not leaders.  Like kids at a Halloween party, they only masquerade as "leaders" on Capitol Hill.  They come to the party and begin to think they own their seats—and some of them probably did pay a high price.  Thus, they must do whatever it takes to get re-elected.  And they do whatever it takes.   They DON'T do what it takes to make our country safer.  Our children safer.  

 

Not long ago I referred to my father in a post about courage.   Papa had political courage when it came to doing the right thing.  At least he did the right thing in some tough situations I'm aware of.  In fact he lost an election over doing the right thing, knowing when he took the action he did that it would probably cost him the senate seat along with the seniority he had acquired after years of service. 

 

Today, April 11, would be my Papa's birthday.  I'll bet he's looking down from politics-sports heaven tonight, chewing his angel cigar.  He'd be cheering Mayor Mike Bloomberg of NYC for his efforts, especially his decision to rate lawmakers who don't vote for gun safety measures.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/michael-bloomberg-groups-gun-control-scorecard-will-give-lawmakers-letter-grades/2013/04/08/a1ab3c0c-a09f-11e2-82bc-511538ae90a4_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics  Ohhhh yeah.  Good move. We'll get there.  We just need to be sure not to stop working at it.  Not for a minute.  We need to get through the Senate, then get back to calling House members.