Aurora Aftermath – Are Politicians Saying Too Much or Not Enough [POLL]

Governor Christie may have it right on this one.

In the wake of the Aurora shooting that left 12 dead at the hands of alleged gunman James Holmes, he says that perhaps politicians should refrain from grandstanding and allow the families; including two from New Jersey, who’ve lost loved ones in the shooting, to grieve.

Great advice, given the fact that much heat and very little light will come out of the debate that is currently raging.

Debate that is centering on whether or not a renewed ban on assault weapons is needed.

Already the call has gone out.
NYC Mayor Bloomberg has already added his voice to the chorus of those who want a federal assault weapons ban.

So to our beloved junior Senator. According to this: Senator, Frank Lautenberg is calling for more gun control in the wake of the latest disaster.

"We need to start today on efforts to prevent the next attack. "We should begin by passing my legislation to ban the sale of high-capacity gun magazines. No sportsman needs 100 rounds to shoot a duck, but allowing high-capacity magazines in the hands of killers like James Holmes and Jared Loughner puts law enforcement at a disadvantage and innocent lives at risk."

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who is defending a challenge this November by state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), said he supports restoring the magazine ban, and called Friday’s shooting "a wake-up call."

Kyrillos — like President Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney — has expressed shock and sadness over the shooting, but has resisted placing it in the context of gun control policy. The Kyrillos campaign reiterated a statement issued Friday, saying that the candidate and his wife, Susan, were "truly saddened" by the shooting.

The campaign added today that Kyrillos had been in favor of a federal ban on assault weapons, which expired along with the previous high-capacity magazine ban in 2004. But the campaign said Kyrillos had not read Lautenberg’s current magazine proposal. Beyond that, the statement said, Kyrillos wished to "respect the families and their mourning and not politicize this tragedy."


I don’t disagree with the Governor. Politicians who jump on an issue like this in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy look like a bunch of "chiachiaones" (trans: big mouths) with nothing to add other than to score political points.

However, there's also the opposite view.

Those who say little to nothing are cowering to the powerful gun lobby.

I'd agree with the Governor.

Some time needs to pass so as to allow the families to grieve, but also for those who either dismiss additional gun control laws as unnecessary; or for the advocates of stricter gun control laws, to truly reflect on the proper course of action in the wake of this; and the many other tragedies that have occurred at the hands of those using assault weapons.

Right now all the talk seem hollow.