Apparently, pain killers are running around shooting people, or at least you'd think so after the latest round of comments from New York Senator Chuck Schumer.
Following fatal shootings in two New York pharmacy robberies, a U.S. senator is warning that a new batch of "super painkillers" now under review could force repeats of recent violent robberies that left six people dead.
"It's tremendously concerning that at the same time policymakers and law enforcement professionals are waging a war on the growing prescription drug crisis, new super-drugs could well be on their way, flooding the market," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "The FDA needs to grab the reins and slow down the stampede to introduce these powerful narcotics."
A New Year's Eve robbery at a Long Island pharmacy netted prescription painkillers and cash and left the robber and a federal agent dead. In June, four died in another Long Island pharmacy robbery in which 11,000 hydrocodone pills were stolen.
You know what would solve this problem really quickly? If Senator Schumer would ease up on his gun control push and allow pharmacists to defend themselves behind the counter with a shotgun. To use his own words, Schumer should stop his war on the Second Amendment if he really wants a long term solution to preventing violent crime. New York City and its suburbs are dangerous because the government enables criminals by refusing to allow citizens to defend themselves with a firearm, leaving them as sitting ducks in their homes and at the work place. Sadly it seems New York politicians will never understand that in order to prevent crime citizens must be able to defend themselves. The focus should be on criminals, not silly side shows like prescription drugs. Is prescription drug abuse a problem? Yes. Are new "super drugs" at fault for violent armed robberies? No.