The shooting tragedy at the Nevada middle school this Monday has brought gun violence back to the nation's attention. A twelve year old, a seventh grader, wounded two students, killed a teacher and then killed himself. It's not a mass shooting (there have been 16 mass shootings since Newton) so it won't stay in the news cycle for long. But it's the kind of tragic event that should give us all pause to think what the American attitude towards guns is costing the nation. Scott Sonner (AP/Huffington Post) reported Tuesday that the student got the gun from his home: "Washoe County School District police said they are still working to determine how the boy obtained the 9mm semi-automatic Ruger handgun used in the Monday morning spree at Sparks Middle School. The boy's parents are cooperating with authorities and could face charges in the case, police said." The teacher who was killed, 45-year-old math teacher and former Marine Michael Landsberry, was approaching the boy asking him to hand over the gun when he was shot fatally in the chest. Michael Landsberry's heroic actions allowed students to run to safety and saved lives. So we have two more deaths that may have been prevented with stricter laws to prevent gun violence.
Slate reports that from an analysis of the "most recent CDC estimates for yearly deaths by guns in the United States, it is likely that as of today, 10/23/2013, roughly 28,177 people have died from guns in the U.S. since the Newtown shootings." There is so much that can be done to reduce the deaths but it is stymied by the guns lobby, led by its well-funded mouthpiece, the NRA. They had a recent success in Colorado in the recall of two State legislators involved in the passage of Colorado's tough new gun law. People can still get wound up by the NRA's fear-mongering. The NRA and other right-wing funding sparked the voter turnout of gun rights advocates and destroyed any chance that the Colorado legislators would be able to keep their seats.
The gross misinterpretation of the Second Amendment given by SCOTUS (what part of "well-regulated militia" did they not understand?) is part of the problem. Maybe that out of date amendment, written at a time when you had to re-powder and reload your musket with each shot, really should be repealed or, at the very least, modified. Stricter licensing - at least as stringent as we do for driving licenses - may be one way to modify it so that it serves the common good. The Second Amendment, as currently interpreted is part of the problem but the gun lobby and its deep pockets are the main issues here.
We know the elements of reducing deaths caused by gun violence - better mental health monitoring, universal background checks, strict licensing procedures, strong enforcement of gun laws, prohibition against high capacity weapons and magazines, gun safety education. But these will never happen as long as the gun lobby's fear-mongering goes on. Mike Bloomberg's organization, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is making a valiant effort to counteract the right-wing noise but I'm afraid that they are no match for the NRA. It is always easier to stir up irrational fears and people hear what they want to hear. Case in point - FOX News gives right-wingers what they want to hear so they tune in to hear the latest right-wing bias. So, here's a message for the NRA - shut the f**k up for the foreseeable future. Stop your fear-mongering, erroneous Second Amendment waving, and blatant lies. Maybe we can stop the gun madness that's afflicting the nation.
Some Updates on Previous Posts
Voter Suppression - [Think Progress] The Texas Voter ID law, a common voter suppression law that disproportionately targets students, low-income voters and people of color, went into effect Monday as early voting begins for next month's election. Because of its requirement that valid ID must include your current name, married women will also be affected if their ID has not been updated. It's estimated that 2 to 3 percent of voters are disenfranchised by voter suppression laws in the various states.
Medicaid Expansion - The expansion of state Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act is an important part of the program since it extends help to those unable to afford it. Thanks to the SCOTUS ruling, though, this expansion is voluntary and many Republican-controlled states are not offering this important piece of the social safety net to its residents. Republican Governor John Kasich of Ohio wanted to buck the trend. He backed the Medicaid expansion and turned to the Ohio Controlling Board for approval after the GOP-controlled state legislature balked on the issue. But, as the Huffington Post and the Columbus Dispatch reported, "A group of [six] Republican lawmakers has filed a lawsuit over the Ohio Controlling Board's decision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act." This lawsuit is being filed in spite of the $400 million the state would save as a result of the expansion because of Federal assistance. The savings were to be used as a four percent state income tax cut.
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