It's hard to tell whose side our representatives are on

There are all kinds of captives in this world. Some live in places like Syria, where a ruthless dictator slaughters innocent people to hold on to power. Others live in places like Cuba, where nothing ever happens to improve the lives of its citizens. The U.S. has a different type of captive, and many of them sit in the U.S. Congress.

These captives have pledged their votes to two groups that control their decisions. I refer to the National Rifle Association and Americans for Tax Reform. No matter what laws are proposed in Washington, even if they’re for the good of the vast majority of our citizens, if the NRA or ATR says no, then that’s the law for some 300 members of Congress.

Every two years, the entire House of Representatives takes an oath of office. There is no mention in the oath about taxes or assault weapons, but those members who have allegiances to the NRA and ATR are committed to the agenda of those two all-powerful groups.

This country can experience tragedy after tragedy in places like Aurora or Columbine or Virginia Tech, and the vast majority of the members of Congress will refuse to vote for any proposal banning the sale of assault weapons to the general public. Hunters have every right to chase after deer or rabbits with the appropriate weapon, but no hunter needs an AK-47 to do the trick.

Dozens of innocent people die every year at the hands of one crackpot or another, but that has no impact on certain members of the House. Loyalty to the NRA takes precedence over saving the next group of citizens from tragic deaths. Even members of Congress whose constituents have suffered at the hands of some psychopath will decline to vote for a proposal that could prevent another tragedy.

It has been over 30 years since James Brady, the White House press secretary to President Reagan, was crippled by an assassin’s bullet that was meant for his boss. Since then Brady has lived in a wheelchair, advocating for gun control and fighting the members of his own party to get their support. Sadly, his efforts have failed as, year after year, no meaningful law is passed to stop the gun carnage.