Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Working
Thoughts and prayers aren’t working.
As this is being written the death toll from the latest horrific gun tragedy has reached 14 children and one teacher in Texas. Gov. Gregg Abbott called the shooting “incomprehensible.” A year ago, the very same Gov. Abbott promoted and signed legislation that allows Texans to carry handguns without a license or training. Maybe not so incomprehensible after all.
All the ridiculous slogans from the apologists are just that - absurd. Yes, guns kill people. No, good guys with guns don’t stop bad guys with guns. Yes, gun control IS about guns, not control.
The simplistic slogans often are coupled with simplistic solutions. Once again, for example, come the claims that violent video games are at fault. The fact is, there is little substantive evidence that violent video games make children violent. That’s not to say there aren’t good reasons for parents to monitor video games, especially those rooted in violence and sexism, but reducing real-life shootings isn’t high on the list.
The right to purchase and own firearms is not unlimited. That was the opinion of Justice Antonin Scalia who wrote the majority opinion in the 2008 landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller. While the 5-4 ruling imposed limits on government regulations, Scalia wrote, “We are aware of the problem of handgun violence in this country, and we take seriously the concerns raised by the many amici who believe that prohibition of handgun ownership is a solution. The Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem, including some measures regulating handguns.”
Justice John Paul Stevens in his dissent to Heller wrote with clarity, “The fact that the right to keep and bear arms appears in the Constitution should not obscure the novelty of the Court’s decision to enforce that right against the States. By its terms, the Second Amendment does not apply to the States; read properly, it does not even apply to individuals outside of the militia context.”
Are there solutions? Absolutely. Perhaps we find compromise that goes beyond Justice Scalia’s allowance for “some measures regulating handguns” but stops short of Justice Stevens’ opinion that the Second Amendment “does not even apply to individuals outside of the militia context.”
Some constitutional first steps:
Require thorough and complete background checks on all gun sales, including private sales.
Require that all gun purchasers be licensed and trained in the safe and responsible use of the specific firearm being purchased.
Strengthen “red flag” laws that allow family members or police to petition a court to temporarily remove a firearm from a person deemed to pose a threat to him or herself or others.
Require safety measures on firearms, including trigger locks, and prohibit the mail-order “ghost guns,” unregistered weapons easily assembled from kits.
Enact stricter minimum age requirements for the purchase and use of non-hunting weapons.
There are other steps - limiting military-style guns and high capacity magazines, for example - but first steps first.
Regulating gun ownership is only part of the solution. Without question, more mental health services are needed, from school counselors to more beds for adolescents and adults. In fact, a public health approach is part of the solution - more research into the connection between depression, poverty and isolation and gun violence, for example.
Enforcement of existing laws also is part of the solution, including punishment for those using guns in the commission of crimes. But punishment alone won’t improve public safety. Better policing, including prevention strategies, should be supported by meaningful and evidence-based solutions to the violence that comes with poverty and the breakdown of families and communities.
At the end of the day, though, it comes down to we the people. All the proposals in the world will have no effect unless those who recognize that thoughts and prayers aren’t stopping the slaughter of our kids invest their time, resources and votes for policymakers committed to making reasonable gun safety laws the top priority - even if it comes at a political cost to an elected official.
This isn’t an issue for one party or the other. Frankly, both parties have some blame, certainly one more than the other. Republicans block sensible proposals while passing laws that put Americans in even greater danger of being victims of guns. Democrats, too often aren’t willing to spend the political capital gun safety will require.
Start this November. This is up to you and me. Make your vote matter. Put party and self-interest aside. Vote for gun-safety candidates, then hold them accountable.
Attending elementary school must not be a high-risk proposition in America.
I like incentives. The stick: compensatory damages to victims by gun manufacturers, sellers, and brokers. Make ‘em buy insurance (a new industry!) and pass the “true cost” of all this to the consumer. The carrot: if we can afford billions for Ukraine, we can buy back weapons at four times their value (limited time offer!). If you trade in more than one gun, the government will throw in as a bonus a fifth of Kentucky bourbon( what say you, Mitch?). Then, let’s all go for Constitutional Originalism! You must by law Keep your assault weapon in your own private footlocker at the local armory in order to maintain our “well-regulated militia.”( thank you for your service!!). You can go over there any time and stroke it, and fire it on a taxpayer supported firing range under the supervision of the local National Guard.
Or, we can do candles/flowers/letters piled on the fence, thoughts and prayers, active shooter drills, beefed up crisis counseling, and more political calculation.
What is a country with such enormous power, stupendous abundance, yet disregards its children s’ health and safety because it won’t even exercise common sense? Answer: a failed society. Watch: nothing will change.
Amen. As the mom of a 7-year-old, I shouldn’t be terrified that one day she might not come home from school. Enough is enough.