So what do you suggest be done about that problem (ergo, that Republicans have shoved their head so far up the NRA's asshole as to not be able to see the issue at hand)
1. Get back the government
2. Make changes to the the law to enfranchise voters, make election day a national holiday, have Washington DC votes distributed to Virgina and Maryland or grant Washington DC as a state, also finally approve of puerto rico statehood, end the electoral college or at least get the a majority of state on the popular vote compact, fight gerrymandering for once, etc, etc, increase democrat voting access.
3. Push progressive economic reform, taxing the rich, infrastructure bills, minimum wage to $15, anything and everything to bring up the income of the middle class and reduce their finance burden. This will insure their vote.
4. Now with our power solidly locked in we can start dealing NRA.
Social programs alone won't solve the issue - even now, as it stands, there are facilities and programs out there to help people try and get out of poverty. No, they aren't perfect, and they are severely underfunded and overworked, but they exist... yet there are plenty of folks who dismiss them in favor of "alternatives".
No shit they won't solve the issue alone, but what we presently have for social programs is pathetic.
Some are legitimately so desperate that they take the first "out" they find. Others... I don't know what prompts a person to think violent crime leads to any sort of decent future, but I can only believe something is wrong there. The culture you speak of... what do you mean? Perhaps I'm reading too far into it, but the way you put it...
Imagine your a young black boy in say Chicago slums, the only people you see around you (physically aka in real life) that have money and power are pimps and gangster, at best on TV you see prospects of becoming a raper, or a basketball player, rich successful blacks of more attainable realistic careers are scares and not mentoring you, what you do have mentoring you is your older brother (not your father he is in jail) who is in a gang and has no job, is a high school drop out, and yet makes money selling drugs and has beautiful lustful women attracted to him because he popped a cap in Tyrons ass and got away from the g. Growing up in all that you will see violent crime as leading to a decent future.
Now before you scream racist or "not all!" first off I never said this was genetic. If say you take a young black boy, show him the world, get him out of downtown Chicago, raise him to see hard work and education as a not only a viable but only means to success, then he could go far, who knows perhaps become president of the untied state... oh wait that already happened, but it could happen again if we provide greater education funding, more social program funding, more policing, legalize drugs (thus striping gangs of their money, or better yet turning gangsters into legitimate business men who can now solve their problems via law suites and police instead of via thuggery and racketeering), a basic income, child care for single mothers, free contraceptives and abortions, etc. all that can only come at the utter defeat of republicans.
It seems, EF, that we agree on possible solutions, and both recognize that the issue at hand is that our Republican government refuses to even acknowledge the problem, much less attempt a solution. Is that a fair assessment thus far?
Just because I blame Tiassa and other Hillary primary voters for setting us up for failure does not mean we can't agree sometimes.
