Universal Background Check Defeat and its reflection on the US as a democratic nation.

In some past posts, I have commented on how the US differs from a perfect, real, or even effective democracy.  There have been many excellent articles in major newspapers on the need for universal background checks, and I don’t have to add to them.  But the aspect of how the US fails to be a democracy is dramatically demonstrated by the defeat of the universal background check in the US Senate.  The current polls show that the public backs by an incredible 92% extending the background checks to unlicensed sellers at gun shows and on the internet.  Even a majority of NRA members backs this.  Even the vote to bring this to a vote gained a majority of 54 backing.  However, it was not enough to overcome the filibuster restriction of 60.  The fact that a life and death subject that is backed by 92% of the American people cannot even be voted on in the Senate, much less not passing the Congress with a 92% or even 51% vote astoundingly illustrates the undemocratic situation to which our political system has fallen.  Shame should not be cast only on the Senators who voted against it, but the blame is on the American people for not taking politics seriously enough and voting enough in off year elections and state elections that lead to seriously biased redistricting.