Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Consequences of Doing Nothing
Townhall.com ^ | January 8, 2015 | Erick Erickson

Posted on 01/08/2016 5:06:13 AM PST by Kaslin

"If you see 10 troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you," said the ever wise Calvin Coolidge, who was both the best American President and most conservative. Washington politicians of both parties, in an ever-greater quest to play to the crowd and earn free media, are desperate to just do something.

Thus the other day President Obama announced he would take executive action to curtail gun purchases in the United States. His action comes at a time more and more Americans are buying guns to keep themselves safe, convinced the government cannot keep us safe. Gun company stocks soared on the news of the President's actions.

What of the regulations? Doctors can now feel free to report patients to the government if they determine the patient is mentally ill. Such a patient will be unable to buy a gun. Trust between a doctor and patient is less important than Barack Obama's desire to just do something.

Likewise, the President will supposedly close the "gun show loophole," requiring background checks at gun shows. There are hundreds of gun shows in the United States and, to my knowledge, every single one already sees purchasers undergoing background checks before buying guns.

The Associated Press, within 24 hours of the president's executive action, declared that not one of the President's steps would have kept a gun out of the hands of a mass shooter. But the President shed a tear on live television, so that is okay. He compared Internet gun purchases to shopping on Amazon, which is absolutely not true, but is also something people who have never bought a gun believe.

President Obama's actions were designed to just do something. He saw troubles on the road and decided to race toward them instead of waiting for them to bounce off the road. As several studies have noted, gun deaths in the United States are in decline. The one thing not in decline includes armed jihadists shooting up the place. Since Barack Obama became President, those gun incidents are on the rise and his actions will do nothing to stop those.

According to the political left, it does not matter. What matters is that the President shed a tear and did something. The very same people overcome with joy by the power of the President's tear were just a few weeks ago ridiculing and attacking Republican politicians for offering "thoughts and prayers" over the terrorist attack in California. Their thoughts and prayers were nothing compared to President Obama's tears and executive order that, again, would not have stopped a single mass shooting.

We have reached peak political theater with this President and his tenure in office. He seems obliged to take actions to "just do something," even when those actions will amount to nothing. The press corps and political left -- I repeat myself -- hail him as a bold leader who is unafraid to act. Meanwhile, the status quo does not change.

It is a consequence of children running our government. They have decided to forego reality for a fantasy world. Associated Press reporter Matt Lee confronted State Department spokesman John Kirby about this fantasy world. After news of a North Korean hydrogen bomb test, Lee told Kirby, "Every time this happens, we hear from people in this administration and other governments as well that we will not accept North Korea as a nuclear armed state. And yet it is." He also pointed out the United States government said the same thing about Crimea as part of Russia.

Kirby denied the Administration is living in a fantasy world, then refused to acknowledge reality. "At this level of foreign policy, you have to make choices and you don't have to accept everything," Kirby said refusing to both acknowledge Russia now controls Crimea and North Korea has a nuclear bomb program.

Kirby should not have stopped there. The administration also refuses to accept reality on guns, immigration, education, healthcare, and so much more. But at least the President shed a tear instead of offering "thoughts and prayers." He just did something, though it will amount to nothing.


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 01/08/2016 5:06:13 AM PST by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Setting down draconian rules and somehow believing they would change ANYTHING without adequate enforcement is an exercise in futility.

It is already against the law for certain persons, felons among them, to possess firearms. What if, in the spirit of actually getting something done, the authorities make raids on known felons who have actively been involved in gunfire exchanges, seize the ILLEGALLY possessed guns, and sentence the recidivists to meaningful incarceration?

But NO, the police get handcuffed themselves, with punishment being meted out to the officers, for enforcing the laws already on the books. So which is it, do we want the LETTER of the law, or its implementation?

Simply writing a lot of laws, and enforcing none of them, or only selectively and capriciously, is a recipe for chaos. And chaos is one of the great time-wasters in the Universe.


2 posted on 01/08/2016 5:17:22 AM PST by alloysteel (If I considered the consequences of my actions, I would rarely do anything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

I remember seeing this Indian guru, swami or some such character on a news report about ten years ago where he says to reporters and the people that had gathered to hear what pearls of wisdom he had to offer, and one of the things he said (with a big smile) was, “Do nothing, accomplish everything!”, followed by some silly-assed giggling. I thought, “WTF was that all about?”.


3 posted on 01/08/2016 5:21:01 AM PST by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Several of the rampages that Baraq Hussein Ubama claims he will protect us from were by Islamic jihadists (the sort he was covertly arming in the Middle East).

How would tougher background checks prevent another San Bernadino attack (which included bombs)?

How would tougher background checks prevent another Oregon campus shooting?

He ignores the antiChristian nature of the attacks and highlights one type of weapon used.

FUBO


4 posted on 01/08/2016 5:59:08 AM PST by a fool in paradise (The goal of Socialism is Communism. Marx and Lenin were in agreement on this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: equaviator

In 2004, candidate John Kerry said that we would all have to learn to accept a certain nuisance level of terrorism in the world today, that we couldn’t let it distract us from doing other things.

A certain level of gun suicide (as opposed to other methods) is unacceptable but radical Islamonazis blowing up spectators at concerts, schools, and marathon races IS acceptable???


5 posted on 01/08/2016 6:01:42 AM PST by a fool in paradise (The goal of Socialism is Communism. Marx and Lenin were in agreement on this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
Bottom line, “O” like all Liberals has no sense of personal responsibility.

He does NOT want his fingerprints on ANYTHING. He has no courage and is deathly afraid of saying/doing anything that will draw censure down the road.

It's why he made OTHERS write and force feed the ACA to America... it's why he has trashed the US system of alliances with his lack of understanding, resolution, etc., it's why he mouths long-standing and established policies trying to pass them off as his own... (example: recent plans for ‘gun control’).

This list is endless but you get the picture.

“O” has been permitted to occupy the WH with absolutely NO credentials, experience, personal recommendation, fitness for the work, etc.

Instead of meeting or displaying any of the usual requirements for the job, he just ‘apes’ what he thinks ‘Presidential;’ IS.

For some of America, it WORKS.... for the rest of us, it's Kabuki

6 posted on 01/08/2016 6:21:26 AM PST by SMARTY ("What is freedom? To have the will to be responsible for one's self. "M. Stirner)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise

Assh*le anti-American Vietnam Veterans like John F’ing Kerry as Secretary of State is unacceptable and so is his being associated with all honorable Vietnam Veterans.


7 posted on 01/08/2016 7:26:07 AM PST by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson