“Today is not the day . . .”

by David Safier

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, when asked about gun control legislation,

"Today is not the day, I believe as a father, a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates."

When someone says to me, "Not now," to put off doing something, my usual response is, "OK, when?" The words "Not now" don't mean putting something off indefinitely, though they're too often used that way. They mean postponing something until later.

OK, when? Tomorrow? Next week? When our emotions about this tragedy are dulled enough we can be lulled into forgetting about the problem until the next time it happens?

If today's answer is "Not now," then make it happen soon, God damn it. A sane society has to act strongly and responsibly when shootings like this occur on a regular basis.