Except that I can.

WDBJ7 is my parents’ hometown station, as I think they call it.  They watch the evening news on that station (a Roanoke station).  As a result, today’s shooting hit’s a little closer to home for me than most.

We’ll soon find out the why, I imagine.  Was the shooter a racist?  Merely a disgruntled former employee with a bone to pick?  A misfit?  Mentally ill?  Does it really matter?  What matters is that he woke up in a bad mood and went and shot some people.  Innocent, young people.

At some point, will people say enough is enough?  I live in one of the more liberal parts of one of the more liberal states, but legislators here will not legislate on gun control for fear of the wrath of the IRA.  This would not surprise me in Texas, but here in Washington, even when the people overwhelmingly favor gun restrictions, lawmakers will not pass them.  We do have laws anyway, however, thanks to the citizen initiative process.  Write a law, connect enough signatures, and it goes on the ballot.  It’s how a recent background check law was passed that fixed the gun show loophole.

If you think that it’s not okay for random people to go around shooting men, women and children, put your money where your mouth is.  The anti-gun lobby is completely disorganized and weak compared to the NRA, but with money, that can change.  H and I donate to the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility.  Look up your own local organization and give them some ammunition against the NRA.  Our nation should not be held hostage by a wealthy fringe group.