The Height Of Hypocrisy ...

... Now has a new definition.
The New York Post, home of one of the most right-wing editorial pages in the nation, has been ranting to the masses about the horror of too much gun violence on the streets. The primary blame, it seems, must be laid at the feet of Democrats like state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who has declined to pass legislation for tougher sentencing of criminals convicted of gun violence.
This from the paper that has endorsed the nation's most conservative, pro-gun candidates for president and every other office down the line, and still can't find the sense in passing anti-gun legislation.
There is certainly no harm in passing tougher sentencing laws -- the more time violent thugs spend in jail, the better off we are -- except that it's a placebo. When violent gun crime, like the incidents that killed two NYPD officers this month -- happens it unfolds on the blink of an eye, usually while the perpetrators are involved in another crime and evading capture, or high on drugs. In neither case are the criminals likely to reason that it's better to give up than open fie out of concern for a longer jail sentence. Criminals simply aren't reasonable folks.
It's disingenuos and morally wrong to pretend there is some way to make a dent in gun violence other than taking the damn guns off the street. If you want to play with sentences, then increase the jail time for gun traffickers, who do have the time and reason to think about consequences. And the longer the dealers are in jail, the less guns they'll spread.
It only takes a fraction of a second for an adrenaline-charged finger to pull a trigger, while the consequences are forever. With fewer guns on the street, violent criminals will still be violent. But their ability to cause permanent harm will be drastically reduced.