Joe Henderson: Gun control? Politicians make sure we don’t have a prayer

Gun control? That’s a laugh, given the culture of political complicity created by the National Rifle Association.

In the alternate universe in which NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre and his army of lawmakers throughout live, more guns  “make America safe and free.”

That’s what he said before the NRA’s 2013 meeting in Houston.

Safe?

I wonder how safe those who attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County will ever feel again. Tell the family, friends and neighbors of the 17 people who died there in Wednesday’s mass shooting that it’s all about freedom and gun control would only make a bad situation worse.

While he’s at it, ask those affected by the deaths of 229 people in 14 mass shootings in the United States since LaPierre declared us safe how they feel about things. Check out the Las Vegas hotel where a shooter murdered 58 people. Drop by the site where 49 people were butchered in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub. Let us know how they’re feeling.

Offer your prayers, President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, for the 74 victims who have died in Florida in five mass killings since the NRA boss declared us safe. Because that’s what you say when you don’t really want to have a conversation about what needs to be done. Thoughts and prayers.

Since Rubio likes to quote the Bible so often, I suggest his verse of the day should come from the book of James: 2:15-17. I’ll save him the trouble of looking it up.

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?’ ”

The way I interpret that, Jesus is teaching that words are empty unless accompanied by action.

So, Rick Scott, please let us know what the appropriate “time to continue to have these conversations” would be, as you stated following the massacre.

I’m guessing it’s on the current governor and would-be U.S. senator’s calendar for the 12^th of Never, but I could be wrong.

Um, no I’m not.

Rubio was in his full NRA damage-control mode by Wednesday evening, telling Fox News that we need to slow down, take our time, before we “jump to conclusions that there’s some law we could have passed that would have prevented it.”

Ah, Marco! Just like LaPierre would have you rehearse it. Don’t “politicize” a tragedy, especially when politics helped create it.

While we’re at it, thanks for the moment of silence on the state House floor over which Speaker Richard Corcoran presided as news of the slaughter spread.

Appropriate, eh? A moment of silence. The Legislature has been nothing but silent for years when it comes to even addressing the concept of tougher gun control laws to regulate the weaponry.

But go ahead.

Lower flags to half-staff.

Declare a day of mourning.

Or two. Or seventeen.

But just understand, we get it. We know who owns you. We know you all are, as gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam so artfully declared himself, proud NRA sellouts. At least he had the nerve to admit it.

We know that down inside, none of you will do anything to meaningfully address this madness.

 You’ll fall back on NRA talking points about freedom and safety, and you’ll keep putting out boogeyman ads like Corcoran’s reprehensible TV spot that basically says all undocumented immigrants are out to kill you.

Many of you will keep pushing the expansion of places where guns can be taken, displayed, and theoretically used because – as LaPierre said after children died at Newtown, Conn. Elementary school, only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun.

Keep telling yourself that.

Keep on sending your thoughts.

But if that’s all you’ve got, we don’t have a prayer.