Reset the “Now is not the time…” clock
by Tom Sullivan
Opioids aren’t the only addiction epidemic killing people in America.
- At least 26 people are dead after a gunman opened fire during a Sunday service at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said via Twitter: “Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act.”
- President Trump wrote on Twitter while visiting Japan: “May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas.”
We just reset out clocks Sunday morning, so why the hell not reset the “Now is not the time…” clock?
Cue Sarah Sanders.
Cue Mitch McConnell.
Cue the NRA.
“Now is not the time…” has been the NRA’s response for so many years, it’s as much a punchline as “thoughts and prayers” (the people at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs were praying).
Dave Weigel pointed out the “now is not the time” reflex in 2012:
After the Feb. 14, 2008, shootings at Northern Illinois University that killed six: “We think it is poor form for a politician or a special interest group to try to push a legislative agenda on the back of any tragedy. Now is the time for the Northern Illinois University community to grieve and to heal. We believe there is adequate time down the road to debate policy and politics.”
After the April 3, 2009, massacre at a Binghamton, N.Y., immigration center that killed 13: “Now is not the time to debate politics or discuss policy. It’s time for the families and communities to grieve.”
After the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting spree that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six: “At this time, anything other than prayers for the victims and their families would be inappropriate.”
After the July 20, 2012, massacre at an Aurora, Colo., theater that left 12 dead and 58 wounded: “We believe that now is the time for families to grieve and for the community to heal. There will be an appropriate time down the road to engage in political and policy discussions.”
Will someone please call into INFOWARS to speculate that regular mass shootings are an NRA plot to reset the clock every few weeks to ensure it is never “the time”? Otherwise, it is feeling as if we are all trapped in an episode of The Twilight Zone.
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