It is hopeless. It was thought that if someone who defended unlimited, uncontrolled gun rights had a loved one or been involved himself in gun violence, he would surely wake up to the need for some reasonable gun safety measures. Not so with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise who was seriously wounded by a shooter at a congressional baseball game in 2017.
Blessedly he survived. As soon as he returned to the House after much medical attention and time, the first thing he declared was his gun rights support that was “as ardent as ever.”
A record-setting number of mass murders have occurred so far in 2023 − the Michigan State University tragedy added to that horror. Not to be forgotten are the daily individual gun deaths at 110 per day with an additional 220 injuries.
That the U.S. Congress cannot even address the best interests of innocent firearm victims and, too often, children and young people, has less to do with the Second Amendment than the gun manufacturers who own the National Rifle Association who in turn own the Republican Party through their campaign donations. In return, GOP lawmakers are silent on any solutions to bring down the horrific number of gun deaths, murder, suicide, accident and the unimaginable irresponsibility of adults with guns in the hands of children.
Follow the money, more gun sales.
The high number of gun deaths are a statistic. It is the personal loss of one victim that resonates and moves a person to tears. A man, woman, child who was cherished, leaves behind grieving loved ones unable to ever totally console themselves. The ripple effect on survivors and circumstances is incalculable.
Those who should and do know better like Rep. Scalise lead their Republican colleagues with immoral, money-driven drivel supporting unrestricted gun ownership “as ardent as ever.” One is Rep. Thomas Massie of Northern Kentucky. Scalise had that negative impact on Massie who used his own wife and young children as props and pawns on his Christmas card, each bearing a lethal weapon in a misguided notion of what it means to serve his constituency.
It is hopeless.
Nancy Rowles lives in Covington.