Speaking Truth to Power

I want to make double sure you're certain you want to do that. 

The question surprised me.  I hadn't considered the consequences.  That felt like progress, and I let myself smile.  Then I shrugged my shoulders and typed back my only regret: that I wasn't angry enough.

Remember all those rules the House of Representatives overturned last week?  Among them was the Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA) (Formerly Disclosure of “Mentally Defective” Individuals (NICS submissions)).

Behind all that verbiage my Congresswoman agreed with her Republican leadership that individuals already adjudicated incapable of managing their own financial affairs by the Social Security Administration ought to be protected from the FBI's don't sell to these people because they are too dangerous to own and operate a weapon list.

I know.  Unbelievable, right?   She apparently thinks that enabling his ability to shoot me is a higher good than is enabling my ability to enjoy my unalienable right to life.  Unalienable - cannot be taken away or denied - and yet here's a plan to prevent exactly what happened to us and she's against it.

The rule allowed the affected individual to petition a court for reinstatement of that right.  Apparently, that is government over-reach; she seems to believe in gun first/court later, and damn the human cost.

I choose to believe that if you can't manage your finances somebody ought to investigate whether others are safe if you are armed.  I choose to believe that along with making treaties and raising an army my government has a responsibility for my well-being, and the sharing of information between federal agencies is a natural outgrowth of that duty.

Getting shot was not conducive to my well-being.

I've spent the last six years wondering if there were something I could have done.  It never occurred to me that my elected Representative would refuse that opportunity.

I wrote a letter expressing my displeasure, and copied it onto her web form.  I printed it out and I'll hand deliver a copy to her tomorrow.  And, I sent an abbreviated version to the local paper

That's what the editor way up there at the beginning of this post wanted to be certain I wanted to do - publish my screed as an op-ed, with a brand new head shot and all.  And no, I'm not afraid.  I'm furious and I'm right and I have standing on this issue.

I cannot choose to sit silent about this.  If I do not speak, then they have won.  If they think we are not paying attention, they will continue the carnage.  Words matter.  Facts matter.  I matter and I cannot sit still.

(Here's the link)