Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Friedman has a point

I haven't read a column by Thomas Friedman in quite a while. I read yesterday's column because of the title, "If Only Stephen Paddock Were a Muslim". Friedman contrasts the response of our government leaders to mass murders by ISIS and others with the murders of Paddock. Our leaders would have gone ape if Paddock was a Muslim. But, they have done or said nothing constructive because they are under the control of the NRA. I agree with him. 

Here is an excerpt from the column:

So let’s review: We will turn the world upside down to track down the last Islamic State fighter in Syria — deploying B-52s, cruise missiles, F-15s, F-22s, F-35s and U-2s. We will ask our best young men and women to make the ultimate sacrifice to kill or capture every last terrorist. And how many Americans has the Islamic State killed in the Middle East? I forget. Is it 15 or 20? And our president never stops telling us that when it comes to ISIS, defeat is not an option, mercy is not on the menu, and he is so tough he even has a defense secretary nicknamed “Mad Dog.” 

But when fighting the N.R.A. — the National Rifle Association, which more than any other group has prevented the imposition of common-sense gun-control laws — victory is not an option, moderation is not on the menu and the president and the G.O.P. have no mad dogs, only pussycats.

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