If any of you still believe we live in a democracy, I have bad news for you. All of us were taught since grade school that in a democracy our elected government is supposed to uphold the will of the people.  In simple terms we learned, majority rules.  This no longer applies to the United States.  Although every poll shows that 90 per cent of the American people want extensive background checks on all firearm sales and the vast majority want bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, a group of Senators representing the Senate minority party managed to defeat legislation that would have exactly accomplished the will of the people. Why?  Because those Senators are far more concerned with getting re-elected than governing our country and they are scared to death of the National Rifle Association. In short, they are a bunch of feckless cowards.  How can the N.R.A. command such power?  The association claims 4,500,000 members but the Washington Post Fact Check puts it more like 3,100,000.  The U.S. population is 316,000,000.  That means, my fellow Americans, that a mere 0.98 percent* of our citizens have managed to imposed their will on all the rest of us.  If we are to save our democracy, in every election we must fight to defeat every candidate the N.R.A. supports. 

* (Note: that is point nine eight, or less than one percent.)