Current Event #4 ~ Editorials

Article: "Stabbing D.C. in the Back"
Writer: Colbert I. King
Source: The Washington Post
Date: Monday, March 9, 2009

While most D.C. natives are overjoyed with the passing of the D.C. House Voting Rights Act, writer Colbert King doesn’t believe that it’s supporters in Congress deserve any over-the-top praise. King is disappointed by the passing of legislation for the National Rifle Association within the D.C. voting act. The act will remove under 21 age restriction safety laws and even keeping guns out of the hands of people with poor vision. King also brings up the fact that the only reason GOP Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah supported the bill is because his home state will also gain a House seat with the passing of the bill.

I don’t believe that the blame should be placed on the supporters in Congress but rather the interest groups that pushed NRA’s agenda into legislation to be tagged onto a completely unrelated bill. I truly think that if Senator John McCain had been elected, far fewer senseless tack-ons would be able to slip under the radar in either the House or Senate. The district needs to give their praise instead to Democratic senators Diane Feinstein (CA) and Charles Schumer (NY) who are devoted to make it obvious who is at fault for the gun rights amendments.