Justin:
Just a thought, or question that I find myself curious about.
You wrote "I agree with Ian. However, I think that things have gotten so out of whack, legally speaking, that I'm willing to take any port in a storm."
Think for a moment on how things got so out of whack, how they might be restored to being "in whack", assuming that repair is possible, and what might be done to prevent the repair from being subverted, once made.
I have my own ideas, one of which revolves arond the absolute necessity of the citizenry tearing itself away from Monday Night Football, or whatever other "opiate" might at the moment, be in fashion. Also, that the people really must get away from voting the "straight ticket" be it Democratic or Republican.
Additiopnally, the answer that one gets to the following rhetorical question, silence, must change. The question is as follows. You and some of your neighbors, friends, co-workers, co-religionists or whatever have gotten together, and all and sundry are complaining as to various causes of angst. When they pause for breath, you ask the following. Re the cause of your complaint, whichever side of the issue you might be on, when did you last contact any relevant elected offical re whatever the particular issue might be? All to often, about the only answer you get will be blank stares, or the verbal equivalent thereof, which strikes me as particularly sad.
By the way, it seems as if S. 659, the Firarms Industry Immunity legislation, that is not it's formal title, you can erasily look that up, might face a fillibuster in The Senate. It currently has 52 co-sponsors, 60 votes necessary for cloture, shutting off debate. the 60 votes needed might not be there, which could kill the legislation, leaving only The House passed proposal, H.R. 1036. If The Democrats kill this legislation via a fillibuster, one wonders as to how the next elections will go, or do you think that the political types figure on the memory of voters being that short? Will; their guess prove correct?