Thought I’d share this rather poignant and unfunny cartoon from a couple of years ago.  To say I regret having the second amendment in our Bill of Rights would be a massive understatement.

Funny how government is always too intrusive, too big,  and completely inept in the mind of far too many conservatives, yet when they disagree with something (let’s say marriage equality) they have no issue legislating how you should live or in this case after a horrible tragedy like what happened last week in Texas, Federal aid can’t seem to arrive fast enough.

Sadly, the hypocrisy on display by Governor Rick Perry (TX) and that state’s US Senators goes far beyond Texas. This just happens to be the latest example.

One week ago today the US Senate failed to muster the 60 votes needed for the Manchin-Toomey amendment; falling four votes shy. The amendment called for background checks on all commercial sales of guns; polling suggests nearly 90% of the American public support this issue.  Outraged, I posted the names of all those US Senators who voted “No” in my blog post, here. 

Since that time my outrage has grown. There is not a single aspect of any American’s life that doesn’t require some degree of “background checks” but it seems with the sole exception of buying a gun. So I’ve started to compile a list of things that we all do which either require a background check, signing in to a registry or have some form of “reporting” to ensure we are who we say we are.

• Applying for work
• Applying for a loan, credit card / bank account
• Buying a home or renting an apartment
• Cashing a check
• Flying on a commercial airline
• Purchasing alcohol 
• Visiting a sick friend or loved one at a hospital
• Walking into almost any office building in the US 

Where else are we required to show identification, write our name on to a registry or subject ourselves to a background check?  Pulling together this list only highlights the hypocrisy of those opposed to this common sense approach.

I know that I have a fair number of readers who reside in New Hampshire so I wanted to take a moment to express my dismay at the lack of Sen. Ayotte’s leadership by siding with the NRA and helping to kill the Manchin-Toomey legislation that would have asked for basic background checks for individuals looking to purchase a firearm. It is clear that she supports the NRA rather than the will of NH voters who overwhelmingly support this legislation.

I urge you to contact Sen. Ayotte to express your frustration on Twitter @KellyAyotte or you may go to her Facebook page Kelly Ayotte.

You can see what other cowards voted against this legislation here.

On Wednesday, April 17th the following US Senators voted against the will of nearly 90% of Americans who want their fellow citizens to undergo a background check before purchasing a firearm.

Go to Twitter and Facebook to share your outrage at the cowardice exemplified by these poor excuses  for leaders. Let them know your disappointment in their voting down the Manchin-Toomey Background Check.  Thanks to HuffingtonPost for sharing both these Twitter accounts and the photo above.

• Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) – @SenAlexander
• Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) – @KellyAyotte
• Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) – @SenJohnBarrasso
• Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) – @MaxBaucus
• Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) – @SenatorBegich
• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) – @RoyBlunt
• Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) – @JohnBoozeman
• Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) – @SenatorBurr
• Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) – @SaxbyChambliss
• Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) – @SenDanCoats
• Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) – @TomCoburn
• Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) – @SenThadCochran
• Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) – @SenBobCorker
• Sen. Jon Cornyn (R-Texas) – @JohnCornyn
• Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) – @MikeCrapo
• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) – @SenTedCruz
• Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) – @SenatorEnzi
• Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) – @SenatorFischer
• Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) – @JeffFlake
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) – @GrahamBlog
• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) – @ChuckGrassley
• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) – @SenOrrinHatch
• Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) – @SenatorHeitkamp
• Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) – @SenDeanHeller
• Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) – @SenJohnHoeven
• Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) – @jiminhofe
• Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) – @SenatorIsakson
• Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) – @Mike_Johanns
• Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) – @SenRonJohnson
• Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) – @SenMikeLee
• Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – @McConnellPress
• Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – @JerryMoran
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) – @lisamurkowski
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) – @SenRandPaul
• Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) – @robportman
• Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) – @SenMarkPryor
• Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) – @SenatorRisch
• Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) – @SenPatRoberts
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) – @marcorubio
• Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) – @SenatorTimScott
• Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) – @SenatorSessions
• Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) – @SenShelbyPress
• Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) – @SenJohnThune
• Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) – @DavidVitter
• Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) – @SenatorWicker