An editorial cartoon on the Oct. 4 News Tribune Opinion page featured Uncle Sam on one knee, asking, "Why does this keep happening?" Mass shootings keep happening because our society allows gun manufacturers to keep developing and selling more and more automatic weapons that can kill and wound more than 600 people in about eight minutes.
A common response from our leaders is, "We have to study mental illness." No, you don't. You have to give up your addiction to money from the National Rifle Association.
My suggestion to help Congress give up its addiction to gun money is for our multi-millionaires to form a group that can match all NRA buy-outs of politicians. If the NRA offers politicians money to legalize drones that can spray automatic gunfire over cities and towns, the millionaire group could automatically step in offering the politicians the same amount of money, plus a little incentive, to block the drones from becoming legal.
Asking God to step in and take automatic weapons out of crazy people's hands won't work.
Studying the signs of mental illness does not work.
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Crying over dead people does not work.
Offering money to congressional members so they can say no to what the NRA wants will work.
Cynical? Yes. But since when in this country have we not allowed cynical lawmakers to vote to kill us all?
In case you want to paint me as a person who hates guns, I will tell you that I support all hunters and their rights to buy, own, and use their rifles and handguns.
Barbara C. Miro
Virginia, Minn.
