Warning: contains generalizations and hyperbole. When people say America is an oligarchy, this is what they mean. Your congressperson almost always does not re

Warning: contains generalizations and hyperbole. When people say America is an oligarchy, this is what they mean. Your congressperson almost always does not represent you, they represent groups like the NRA. Sensible debate is not "quelled," Congress just does not want to have the debate at all. It is totally sensible for Congresspeople to not have what you would consider a real debate on gun control, because doing so would directly affect their chances of reelection. Instead they avoid the topic or engage in a sort of theater debate while the proverbial smoke-filled room dealmaking happens. On top of this, many people do not grep the 2nd Amendment and truly believe that it protects all gun rights. In a sense it does, because that's how most people today interpret the Constitution: loosely. So public opinion is often with the NRA more than you might think, especially if you live in a blue state. See also: the exclusion of a public option from Senate healthcare debates as a topic. It's a perfect example of this phenomenon.