Vote the NRA out of Congress

| 1:04 am EST February 22, 2018
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Last week, one of our American educational institutions and its teachers and students had to endure the tragedy of yet another senseless school shooting. Seventeen lives were lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, adding to the inconceivable mounting loss of lives in our educational system over the past twenty years. Think about that a moment, loss of lives in our schools, our educational system, a place where young kids, preteens and young men and women go to learn, to grow, to become our future and responsible adults from dedicated teachers and mentors.

How did we get to this point where school massacres became so commonplace in our society, where schools at any moment can become a battlefield because someone’s mind went off the rails and was able to buy an AR 15 because they are so easily accessible in our country? Where is the breakdown? Who is responsible?

According to Paul Ryan, this is not the time for a knee jerk reaction which he has said before and who has taken some large NRA donations in his time in office. Marco Rubio when asked by Cameron Kasky, one of the survivors of the Florida massacre, if he would not take NRA money again in light of last week’s shooting, Rubio’s response was evasive, saying that he supports the second amendment and people buy into his agenda. REALLY? This seems to be the ignorant mindset of most GREEDY politicians, rationalizing taking in money from major corporations and rich billionaires, so they can live the high life while neglecting their oath and their responsibility to protecting American people. This is what our Congress has become.

If Congress wanted to, they could ban the AR 15 tomorrow, which was the weapon used in the Florida massacre as well as several other shootings. The AR 15 has no business being sold to any United States citizen or being on our streets. It is a military assault weapon that belongs on the battlefield, in a war. When the second amendment was written in 1791, the AR 15 was not part of the equation then, so banning that weapon will not be denying any U.S. citizen the right to own one. Our founding fathers had no way of knowing how far deadlier hand weapons would become and it is up to our current lawmakers to MAKE LAWS that are current with the times, so to insure all citizens’ safety.

Since congressional leaders will not act, then it is up to us. Starting in November 2018, we need to vote out of office every member of Congress who has taken NRA money. All voters need to do their due diligence and find out who in their district, their state has taken NRA money because we know they will continue to do so. It’s imperative that we vote the NRA out of Congress. We need congressional leaders who will listen to us and make laws that will make us safe. Our lives and our children’s lives depend on it. Frank V. D’Ambra is the author of the books Annihilation and The Pledge