Connecticut

Hiram College professor Jason Johnson was quoted in the Philadelphia Tribune about the prospects for gun control following the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.

The current 112th Congress is anxious to wrap up testy fiscal cliff negotiations that could be pushed off into next year. Members presently stuck in D.C. for the “lame duck” session are eager to return home for the holidays, budget deal or no budget deal. Gun control is the last thing politicians want to stomach at the moment.

“[I]f you believe the current national mood will be the same in the coming weeks, you’ve got another thing coming,” griped a cynical Dana Milbank in The Washington Post.

Hiram College political scientist Dr. Jason Johnson is also doubtful. “There’s no legislation that can be offered that would have actually worked [to prevent the Newtown shooting],” argues Johnson. “If you think about it, current gun laws, in a very technical sense, actually worked despite the tragedy – since the shooter didn’t legally acquire those guns.”