In the wake of the latest mass-shooting outrage (I refuse to call this a ‘tragedy.’  A tragedy is when someone loses their home in a flood.  This was a crime, a brutal, heinous, premeditated crime) there has been a lot of shrieking for the various levels of government to “do something.”  Well, as our blogger pals over at Proof Positive point out, the various levels of government have already done quite a bit as far as passing laws; the problem is, the “something” usually stops right there.  Excerpt:

Consider straw purchases, that is to say, buying a gun for someone else, who could not pass a background check.  That is currently against the law. “Well then, that’s settled!” You would think so, wouldn’t you? But, “U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones told a Congressional panel in 2013 that out of 48,321 cases involving straw buyers, the Justice Department prosecuted only 44“.
If you’re wondering how that works out to a percentage it’s: 0.0009105 ( 0.01 = 1 percent).

And just how harsh is the punishment for those prosecuted? To quote Jim Geraghty,

“Last year, Simone Mousheh purchased four weapons for $600 each and sold two to a man with Chicago gang ties. She was sentenced to 12 months probation, 15 days in the Cook County sheriff’s work alternative program and ordered to pay $679 in fines.”

In other words, a “slap on the wrist”. California’s “common sense” gun laws did not stop the San Bernadino shooters, (14 killed, 22 seriously  wounded), from getting their long guns via a straw purchase, nor did they prevent them from illegal modifications under the state’s assault weapons ban.

And:

California has, in addition to their common sense gun laws, some of the most restrictive laws in the nation. Likewise, Chicago, where just last year, 3,561 people were shot, 650 killed. Which, granted, was fewer than 2016, where they had 771 murders. Just checking my memory, but have you heard anyone screeching that Mayor Rahm Emanuel had “blood on his hands”? Any screams of “We have to do something?” Funny how only white suburban shootings seem to rouse the anti-gunners from their slumber! According to CBS News, 27 people were shot in Chicago the very first day of the year.

Shrieks of outrage? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller??

No, because Chicago already has the strictest gun control laws in the nation. Making a fuss there would be counterproductive to passing new laws, which would be, for the most part, those very same laws for the rest of the country. Show me the law working in Chicago and I’ll consider implementing it somewhere else. Anywhere else. You say, “Thoughts and prayers are not enough!” Likewise, emotional grandstanding and demagoguery is not enough, either.

I agree that thoughts and prayers are not enough, actually; if pols want to do something productive, they might look into the massive failure of both local law enforcement and the FBI, who were notified repeatedly of the nutballery of the Florida shooter (whose name I will not mention) and did… well, nothing.

Meanwhile, anti-gun activists will continue their calls for law-abiding shooters like me to give up our property.  Until the existing laws (see above) are enforced, my answer will be “No.  Anything else?”