Residents, (and yes, politicians), of Texas are less likely to agitate for gun control than those in Florida. At least that’s my interpretation of the underlying premise found in an article I read in today’s New York Times (paywall).

Citizens in Florida mobilized after a high school shooting three months ago, triggering a nationwide wave of protests against gun violence and calls for stricter legislation, but the sentiment in southeast Texas this weekend strikes me as rather fatalistic, with residents, (and yes, politicians), desperate to place blame on anything except guns!

Oliver North blamed mass shootings on violent movies and overuse of psychiatric drugs like Ritalin.

Yup, Mr. North wants you to believe Rambo© and Ritalin® have more to do with these tragedies than bullets do… What a f*cking idiot!

Surprisingly, a survey conducted last fall in the Lone Star State tells a slightly different story:

Polling shows the state’s voters are more split on guns than popular culture might indicate. According to an October [2017] poll by the University of Texas and The Texas Tribune, more than half of the registered voters surveyed said gun control laws should be stricter.

Intriguing. If the majority, (“more than half”, right?), are in favor of gun control, why hasn’t anything of consequence been done? Could it be the [somewhat] strident tone set in articles like this one proving to be a tad bit off-putting to the average gun-toting zealot? Sure, I can see it now… “Hey, here’s what we journalists need to do. Go grab the first redneck you can find and get ’em to say something stupid – and I mean truly stupid – then print it!” Bingo.

Robert Ross, 69, who has lived in Santa Fe [Texas] all his life blamed the shooting on what he called ‘cultural decay’…

Oh, but wait – we’re not done with Mr. Ross yet, oh no, no, no, not even close… He proceeded to tick off a list of the real culprits for last Friday’s massacre when speaking to the reporter:

…abortion, gay marriage and the separation of church and state.

Yeah, Mr. Ross even said it’s likely Satan had something to do with it. OK, so let’s unpack this, shall we? According to Robert, a woman’s right to choose, sexual orientation and a liberal interpretation of the First Amendment are all contributing factors to the deaths of 8 children and 2 adults on Friday. …and let’s not forget about “…the devil made me do it!” defense – that one got thrown in right at the end of the article!

Meanwhile, the Washington Post (paywall) ran a story with the phrase ‘You can do this with anything’, only to disappoint by claiming details of this past Friday’s tragedy “complicate” the debate surrounding gun control. Bullsh*t. Let’s not split hairs, shall we? …but let’s not succumb to demonstrating false equivalence either. Referring to the Times article once more, guns are most assuredly not the same as knives!

Beware the overly-simplistic, (and simple-minded), claims firearms used for hunting, sport and self-defense are entirely acceptable, whilst semi-automatic weapons, armor-piercing ammunition, so-called “bump-stocks”, high-capacity magazines, etc., etc., etc. are not. Every single one of these devices are incredibly dangerous, period. The rationale for someone owning any firearms is specious – at best – and downright laughable most of the time. Hunting? Target shooting? Self-defense? A necessary safeguard for zealous patriots who nervously await invasion?

There are more registered weapons in Texas than in any other state, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives…

Sure, two hundred and forty years ago one had to be concerned about wolves, bears and mountain lions, not to mention the bands of marauding French, British and Spanish threatening our shores, but let’s face it folks, who among us goes out to bag Bambi for dinner these days? Nobody. Hunting is a choice, not a necessity. Kroger’s solved that particular problem for the nation, oh, I dunno, about a century ago! Sport? What on earth do you need target practice for, exactly? The bogey man, I guess… Again, a choice, not a necessity. Worried about invasion? You’re just the type of person who shouldn’t own firearms! Self-defense? Explain to me exactly how a bunch of unloaded firearms locked up in a tamper-proof vault down in the basement, or out in the garage are of any use when the bogey man comes calling? Nope, not gonna swallow that one either. …and yet that’s precisely what the gun rights lobby would have you believe. It’s all complete and utter bullsh*t!

Dana Loesch, [NRA spokesperson] said Friday that “there is not a single firearm law that would have prevented any of this.”

Sadly, I view her statement as more of a triumphant declaration than a somber lament. You’re right Dana, there aren’t any laws that could’ve prevented last Friday’s tragedy in Texas, or March’s tragedy in Florida, or any of the 14 other school shootings this year.

Your despicable organization made sure of that.