In the coming days, Donald Trump will propose two actions involving guns.
• A. A ban of bump stocks.
• B. A stronger background check system.
He will then stand back and watch as the NRA applauds his moves; as Fox News’ army of drooling white lemmings applaud his moves; as millions of Russian bots applaud his moves; as Jim and Irene in Ada, Oklahoma and Bob and Louise in Toledo applaud his moves. In all likelihood, enough people will applaud his moves that the latest wave of post-gun tragedy anger will fade just enough, and we will return to normal until the next school shooting occurs; until more children are slaughtered because our leaders are owned by the gun industry.
Don’t fall for it.
Ever since last week’s Florida massacre, the NRA and (by his standards) Trump have remained silent. This is not accidental (I promise), but a tried-and-true strategy. Let the flames burn themselves out; just hang back and wait … wait … wait … wait. That’s exactly what’s happening. The students who showed up at the Sunshine State Capitol will return to school. Life will go on. They’ll be distracted, as they should. College proposals. Dating. Math tests.
Now, the next step—Trump offers a pair of toothless proposals that are pure sales job; proposals the NRA has never actually opposed; proposals that will do almost nothing.
Sadly, this will likely work, because our president is not only in cahoots with the NRA, but he is one of the greatest conmen this world has ever hosted.
He will stand at the podium, give a solemn speech about this type of violence never happening again. His brainwashed Republican followers will stand and clap, then call out those Democrats who fail to stand and clap (“We’re giving them what they wanted, right? They’re so unpatriotic”). The money will arrive in bulk, the conservatives will win elections, more people will be needlessly murdered.
And we’ll blame video games.
