A Solution to Gun Violence

In the 23 years since the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO there have been dozens of others, including several in Texas like Sutherland Springs, El Paso, and now Uvalde. Nationally there have been mass shootings in schools, churches, retail stores, night clubs and other venues. Virtually no national or state legislation has been passed to address the causes or attempt to prevent such events or even the high of suicides involving firearms. Many on the left push for some form of gun control; such as making some types of guns illegal. On the right we hear noise about the second amendment and an unwillingness to give up their guns.

In the aftermath of the Uvalde murders Gov. Abbott blamed the shooting on mental health problems. In this instance he might be correct but that doesn’t make his responsibility any less considering he signed legislation that significantly reduced state funding for mental health services. Beto O’Rourke told Abbott, “This is on you until you choose to do something different. This will continue to happen. Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state or they will continue to be killed just as they were in Uvalde yesterday.”

In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw, like many of his Republican colleagues, absolutely dismissed any effort to increase limits on access to guns and instead proposed strengthening security at schools. Apparently Crenshaw and his fellow conservatives forget that the shooting in El Paso occurred in a Walmart and the one in Sutherland Springs was in a church. It might be a good idea if Crenshaw was made aware of the dozen injured in a mass shooting on the streets in downtown Lafayette, LA earlier this month or the 10 injured at a night club in Cedar Rapids, IA last month. In Dallas on April 3 at a trail ride and concert, there was a mass shooting in which 16 were injured and 1 died. There’s also the gang shootout in Sacramento April 3 that left 6 dead and 12 injured, all but 1 of them innocent bystanders.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection organization, there have 212 mass shootings that have occurred so far this year, as of last Tuesday. Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people were shot or killed, excluding the shooter. 27 have been at K-12 schools or on school buses. Crenshaw’s solution strengthen security at schools applies to less than 15% of mass shootings. What about the more than 85% of shootings that occurred at other venues?

Since something needs to be done, I propose a carrot and stick approach to getting legislation passed.  Republicans should write legislation, including providing funding for everything they think will address gun violence while protecting their “gun rights” and Democrats should support the bill but there would be a trigger that says that at the end of three years there must be a 30% reduction in gun violence and a further reduction of 10% per year for the next three years or strong gun control measures go into effect. Those gun control measures might include a background check for every gun purchase regardless of whether or not it is a private sale, no weapon with a magazine of more than 9 rounds may be possessed by any individual. Making, selling or possessing a kit or parts to modify a weapon to full automatic or possessing a weapon modified to full automatic would be a federal felony.

No more political posturing.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - June 1, 2022