Guns: Special interests are true force of power

A few minutes ago, I checked the media, as I do when I get home from work each day, and the headline reads, “4 Gun Measures Fail in the Senate.” Despite all of the carnage over the last 20 years with assault weapons, it shows that Congress apparently no longer makes the laws. It is no longer the People’s House. Special interests are so powerful, they decide what laws get passed.

This signals a decline in our society and a change in our democracy. Citizens are losing faith in politicians, and candidates like Donald Trump come to the forefront as we cling to anything that shows progress. Frankly, if a group has enough money and power they can drive public policies for the entire nation. People feel frustrated and disenfranchised more than ever because they know that in the end very little if anything with substance will change.

I spent 22 years as a soldier supporting and fighting for this country, but watching this decline is heartbreaking. So I guess the real question: When is something like the shooting in Orlando going to happen again?

This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Guns: Special interests are true force of power."