Gunmakers – Bought Virtually an Entire Political Party, Most Willing to be Sold

  

“The existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law-abiding citizens.

The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens.”

Donald Trump on May 27th at the NRA convention in Houston.

At the same convention, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre lamented the “21 beautiful [Uvalde schoolchildren whose lives were] ruthlessly and indiscriminately extinguished by a criminal monster… [but] restricting the fundamental human rights of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves is not the answer. It never has been.”

“There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using of firearms, laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people in peaceful communities,”

according to a recorded message from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott played at the NRA convention.

With a little over 4% of the population of the earth, “There are 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey (SAS). No other nation has more civilian guns than people… While the exact number of civilian-owned firearms is difficult to calculate due to a variety of factors -- including unregistered weapons, the illegal trade and global conflict -- SAS researchers estimate that Americans own 393 million of the 857 million civilian guns available, which is around 46% of the world's civilian gun cache.” CNN, May 26th. This number includes approximately 15 million semi-automatic assault weapons like the AR-15.

After the Buffalo and Uvalde mass shootings, both merely days before the above-noted NRA convention, the Republican Party continued to chant two worn, blame-driven solutions to the problem: arm the schools and/or treat mentally ill persons likely to kill. Speaking at several public presentations following the Uvalde shooting, for example, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his gathered officials hammered home that since no one inflicting a mass shooting could be sane, therefore, the solution would be to spend more money, focus more efforts, on treating the mentally ill. Not gun control. But if mental illness were the cause of the roughly 40,000 gun homicides in this country, does that mean that the United States has a vast multiple of crazy people when compared to the rest of the world? That would seem to be what Governor Abbott is implying. And exactly how do we identify all of those crazies before they kill?

“The U.S. gun homicide rate is 30 times that of France or Australia, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, and 12 times higher than the average for other developed countries…There is clear evidence that tightening laws — even in highly individualistic countries with long traditions of gun ownership — can reduce gun violence. In Australia, after a 1996 ban on all automatic and semiautomatic weapons — a real ban, not like the one we enacted in 1994 with 600-plus exceptions — gun-related homicides dropped 59 percent over the next decade. The rate of suicide by firearm plummeted 65 percent. (Almost 20,000 Americans die each year using guns to commit suicide — a method that is much more successful than other forms of suicide.)…

“There will always be evil or disturbed people. And they might be influenced by popular culture. But how is government going to identify the darkest thoughts in people’s minds before they have taken any action?” Fareed Zakaria’s OpEd in the December 19, 2012, Washington Post, a sentiment he repeated on his CNN telecast on May 30, 2022. There is no state, no nation, that has implemented policies that take gun ownership away from civilian hands that has not experienced a significant reduction in gun homicides. Not one!

And then there is the NRA/Trump solution to mass shootings: more guns. Not reasonable gun control. “Instead, the NRA pledged ‘to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure’ in a statement released after the shooting, according to AP. That lines up with the position the group took after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. — advocating for more armed staff members inside schools.” MSN.com, covering the above-noted NRA convention. Arming teachers and posting armed law enforcement officers (perhaps retired cops or military) were the solutions, somehow forgetting that notwithstanding the gathering of police officers outside the Uvalde, Texas elementary school where 21 people (2 teachers and 19 children) were killed, the rampage continued as cops did nothing. It took a federal Border Patrol officer to kill the shooter.

“More guns” is so frequently the answer of those who have fallen prey to the false NRA mantra that ubiquitous gun ownership is both a fundamental American right and good for a nation fighting crime. The NRA’s massive lobbying power is seriously complimented by its parallel campaign funding, the most effective use of which is negative attack messaging focused on politicians who even hint at gun control. Their massive campaign contributions in support of candidates – see my May 26th Only in America blog for a list of the biggest Senate recipients – is only secondary.

While a few Republicans are beginning to mumble about implementing universal background checks for people buying guns, the bulk of the Republican Party oppose any real gun control and most certainly will not take the extra steps, fostered by the Democratic Party, of restricting/ removing large magazines and military-grade semi-automatic assault weapons entirely. In the United States, the 1994 federal assault weapons ban expired without renewal in 2004, during the George W Bush administration.

Governors are the best indicators of state policies, so here are some of the responses to the gun control voiced by several prominent GOP governors (per David Lieb writing for the May 31st Associated Press): “Among Republican governors who responded to the AP, only Vermont’s Phil Scott expressed support for such gun control efforts. Scott in 2018 signed a law limiting the capacity of magazines and raising the general age to buy guns to 21, with exceptions for 18- to 20-year-olds who undergo a firearms safety course.

“Other Republican governors either sidestepped questions about specific gun control measures or said they opposed them. Alaska’s Mike Dunleavy was a firm ‘no’ on setting bullet limits or age restrictions that could infringe on constitutional rights… ‘Stricter gun laws are not a solution to this problem — we must focus our attention on the status of mental health in our communities,’ his office said in an email.

“Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he would not endorse such gun control proposals, because he believes they have no chance of passing in the state’s GOP-led Legislature. DeWine, a Republican, instead proposed spending “a significant amount of money” on efforts to ensure that schools are protected against potential attacks. He didn’t outline exactly what that would entail.

“Republican governors were more likely to support efforts to strengthen security at schools. The AP asked about proposals to arm teachers and staff with firearms, add security guards or secure schools with metal detectors and fencing.

“During a speech Friday [5/27] to the National Rifle Assn. convention in Houston, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota denounced calls for gun control as ‘garbage’ and pushed for enhanced school security measures… ‘Why do we protect our banks, our stores and celebrities with armed guards but not our children? Are they not truly our greatest treasure?’ Noem asked.

“Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa laid out a variety of potential safety steps for schools while talking to reporters Friday [5/27]… ‘It’s looking for ways to harden schools; it’s talking about having conversations about state resource officers,’ she said, later adding, ‘Maybe a single entrance into the school system and making sure educators are trained’.” Sure, we need more active shooter drills, Kevlar backpacks and children carrying trauma medical kits along with their books. And yes, these are all current recommendations in many school districts! Please accept our prayers and condolences?!

I’m Peter Dekom and the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to take away guns, particularly those with large magazines and assault capabilities.