On Monday evening, the United States Senate failed to pass legislation that would have stopped suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms and required background checks on all private gun sales. These two common-sense reforms are non-controversial and supported by 92 percent and 85 percent of Americans, respectively. The fact that 60 votes could not be found to support either reform is shameful and a matter that will need to be rectified by Americans at the ballot box in November.
There’s little doubt but that the idea of common sense gun control enjoys wide support…except among the all-important Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foes © demographic and the Congressmen they’ve purchased. Good and decent Americans are hoping there will come a time when public opinion shifts into public outrage and emboldens those unwilling to kneel before the National Rifle Association (NRA) and do its bidding. The question, of course, is how many innocent Americans must die at the hands of deranged madmen wielding AR-15s before we demand change. There has to be a tipping point, a place where we realize the status quo is no longer sustainable and that things must change.
Given the current makeup of Congress, staffed as it with Republicans with their lips figuratively but firmly attached to Wayne LaPierre’s ass, there’s little chance that real change will happen. It’s going to take voters refusing to elect politicians who have no problem with being in the pocket of the NRA. The majority of Americans who support common sense gun control will need to vote their conscience and elect representatives who will do the PEOPLE’S work, not carry water for the NRA and the gun lobby.
In the meantime, there’s a movement afoot that is showing some real promise for providing a legal means of getting guns out of the hands of those in crisis:
In the wake of our nation’s worst mass shooting ever, state lawmakers have a golden opportunity to enact a policy that cannot only prevent tragedies like the one we witnessed in Orlando, but also prevent firearm suicides: the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO).
The GVRO process is similar to the domestic violence restraining order process and provides the opportunity to defuse a potentially dangerous situation before permanent harm is done. Under a GVRO policy, family members and/or law enforcement officials can petition a judge to have firearms temporarily removed from an individual in crisis for a period of one year. This would allow those who are a threat to themselves and/or others the time they need to get help and heal. Equally important, the GVRO allows for due process, as individuals are able to petition to get their firearms back following a brief period of time.
Research shows that the best predictor of future violent behavior is a history of violent behavior. That being the case, it’s possible that a GVRO might have prevented Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter for purchasing or owning firearms. With a demonstrated record of domestic violence and of making statements about committing murder, Mateen should have been on someone’s radar. Would a GVRO have stopped him from being able to obtain the weaponry necessary to carry out his own personal act of genocide?
There are a lot of ideas that might potentially be discussed as common sense gun control. Not all of the ideas will be acceptable, nor will all prove effective…but that’s no excuse for maintaining the status quo and doing nothing at all. The perfect shouldn’t the enemy of the good. If the current Congress monstrously continues to ignore the crying need for action, then Americans must take things into their own hands and elect politicians willing to act.
How many more must die?
