by William Skink
If you are in Missoula, and you are a proponent of passing a city ordinance requiring background checks for all gun transfers, then you may attend, or at least will pay attention to, the debate that will happen tonight at Missoula’s City Council meeting.
As more time and resources are spent trying to increase regulation of guns, spreading more political polarization as the two factions square off (will we get more of the Ellie and Gary Show?), Ochenski’s column reiterates the reality of America’s war in Afghanistan: Obama lied now more will die.
Because we are getting into another political season, domestic gun violence is an acceptable partisan issue to tackle. Stopping America’s insane wars, which impoverishes us to an extent rarely put in context by our corporate media, is not really an acceptable issue, especially if it threatens the Bernie worship so many have naively invested in the Sanders campaign.
Trying to reduce statistically rare mass-casualty gun shootings is commendable, I just wish it was accompanied by an equally vigorous campaign to, you know, stop our government from doing unbelievably cruel things, like literally starving poor Yeminis to death:
According to a joint report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2,682 civilian deaths and injuries resulted from air bombardment in Yemen from late March to the end of July 2015 – more than anywhere else in the world during the first seven months of the year.
The Saudis have also imposed a tight blockade on Yemen by air, land and water, to prevent not only weapons, but also food, fuel and medicine from reaching millions of Yemenis, creating a humanitarian disaster. Doctors Without Borders declared in July that the Saudi blockade was killing as many people in Yemen as the bombing. US Navy ships have been patrolling alongside Saudi ships to prevent arms from entering Yemen, while disclaiming any involvement in the Saudi-led blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies.
That’s my emphasis there and that’s OUR government, keeping food from starving people being indiscriminately bombed by the barbaric Saudis.
Enjoy your City Council theatrics, conscientious Missoulians.