Boston Bombing

April 2013

The media provided round the clock minute by minute detail by small detail of two events which occurred in April 2013.  

On April 15, 2013 some 500,000 spectators and 20,000 runners gathered to enjoy the festivities of the world’s oldest and best known road racing event known as the Boston Marathon.  Two hours after the winner had crossed the finish line two bombs exploded near the finish line, where the largest crowd had gathered, creating carnage and turning the joy of victory into the horror of 3 killings and injuring over 200.

     

Thousands of government law enforcement workers and First Responders quickly arrived in the blood splattered bomb areas littered with the dead and injured to begin their work.

Under the leadership of the FBI thousands of city, county, state and federal employees  working together  secured the crime scene, gathered evidence and assured the racing crowd and the residents of the Boston area there were no other bombs. 

With a few metal fragments from two pressure cookers, fragments from two back packs and a few pictures government law enforcement agents began the task of identifying and apprehending the bombers. In the incredibly short span of five days America went from a nation under terrorist attack to a nation made proud.  Proud because city, county, state and federal officials and law enforcement employees worked together, identified the bombers, killed one and captured the other. 

Since President Kennedy was killed, more than 50 years ago gun violence has become a daily event claiming the lives of 4 million people from 1973 to 2012 according to a report from The University of Chicago’s Crime Lab.  In 2010 18,270 young people under age 25 were killed or injured by guns according to a report of the Children’s Defense Fund and there have been more than 2,200 gun deaths after the Sandy Hooks School slaughter in December 2012.

After the slaughter of 20 six and seven year old school children at Sandy Hook School with an AR-15 President Obama, led the effort to pass common sense laws regulating guns in an effort to reduce the number of killings caused by GUN VIOLENCE. 

On April 17, 2013 the U.S. Senate defeated a bill to require a background check on gun purchased at gun shows and be an amendment to the current law requiring a background check on guns purchased from dealers.  

Numerous polls show 90% of the American people supported the bill.

The votes were essentially along party lines.  90% of the Democrats voted for the bill and 90% of the Republicans voted against the bill.

46 Senators voted against the bill and defeated the bill.  56 Senators, a majority, voted for the bill and along with 90% of Americans lost.

Senator Mark Pryor and the other Democrats who voted with the Republicans against the bill live in States that voted for Romney for President in November 2012, and are up for re-election in 2014.

This vote is an example of the power struggle between Democrats and Republicans.

In the 6 years Reid has been leader of the Senate Democrats Republicans have filibustered 385 times compared to 1 filibuster in the 6 years Johnson was the Senate Democrats leader.

In 1999 NRA officials supported background checks for gun buyers.

In 2013 NRA officials opposed background checks for gun buyers.

74% of the 5 million NRA members in 2013 support background checks for gun buyers.

Senator Jeff Flake in a handwritten letter to Caren Teves mother of Alex Teves, killed in the Aurora theater mass gun killings, stated:  “Truly sorry for son’s death. Strengthening background checks is something we agree on.”  Senator Flake voted against the background gun check bill.

Working together numerous city, state, and federal Democrats and Republicans   concluded the Boston bomber tragedy in less than 5 days. 

The bitter division and power struggle between Democrats and Republicans have made it impossible to pass common sense regulations to reduce 50 years of gun violence killings.

President Obama said the day 46 Senators defeated the will of 90% of the American people and defeated the will of a majority of the Senators who voted on the bill was a “shameful day for Washington.”

Should you be surprised that numerous polls show the current U.S. Senate has the worst approval rating in Senate history?

HOPE: Some day Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate will be willing to work together like the Democrats and Republicans after the Boston bombing and after 50 years of delay will do those things necessary to reduce the number of killings caused by gun violence and make our country proud and SAFE