How ALEC Thwarts Honest Debate About Gun Violence

thenation.com — The first response of any country to violence of the sort seen in Connecticut must be one of horror. And sorrow. But there is nothing more absurd than the suggestion that it is wrong to raise political concerns at a moment such as this. It is in a moment such as this that responsible nations examine themselves, their cultures, their laws. So why don’t we have that discussion? It is easy to blame the National Rifle Association. But the NRA never walks alone. In this regard, the NRA has a powerful ally at the level of government, where the most meaningful interventions against violence can and frequently must be made. The American Legislative Exchange Council, the Koch Brothers–guided group that aligns corporations with conservative legislators who will introduce the “model legislation” crafted by those corporations, has been in the forefront not just of averting sensible gun control but of trying to shut down public debate about gun control.

more »