So, after countless people have been slaughtered in various mass shootings, the Senate is ready to pat themselves on the back after reaching a ‘bipartisan’ agreement on a piece of gun control legislation. Before everyone starts jumping up and down and doing the ‘happy dance,’ recognize that the actual text of this legislation has not yet been written. There will be plenty of time for various factions to weigh in and torpedo this agreement or significantly water it down.
The framework for the bill has provisions for:
- Helping states create and implement ‘Red Flag’ laws which are meant to keep guns out of the hands of those who could potentially harm themselves or others.
- “Major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programs; and other support services available in the community, including crisis and trauma intervention and recovery.”1
- Closing the ‘boyfriend’ loophole. Currently, only married people can be restricted from keeping guns if convicted of domestic violence. [Note: The NRA is against this provision!]
- Enhanced review process for those under 21 buying firearms like AR-15s
- Clarifying the definition of ‘Federal Firearm Licensed Dealer’
- Providing money “to help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools,” while also supporting “school violence prevention efforts” and training for school employees and students.1
This is just the agreed upon framework. The actual legislation has not been written yet and you can bet huge sums of money that the NRA and other gun lobbyists are already busy at work trying to get some of these things either deleted or watered down to the point where they are meaningless. Even then, whatever bill emerges from the Congressional sausage maker after all of the lobbyists add their special sauce, still has to be voted on and approved by at least 60 Senators (including 10 Republicans) before it can go to Biden for signature.
If, by some miracle, the framework of the agreement announced is passed without too much bastardization, the real question is, ‘how much impact will this really have on reducing mass shootings?’ I would argue, not very much. At best, this will be like giving someone Tylenol who is actually suffering from a malignant tumor.
The package left out the major things that are needed to really address this problem. They left out expanded background checks, a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines and even the reasonable provision to raise the age to purchase an AR-15 style rifle from 18 to 21.
Red flag laws are a good thing and they have proven effective in some states (including Florida!!) However, they are routinely opposed by the NRA and I suspect that if this provision survives the writing of the actual legislation, it will be so watered down at the national level that is will be of little value. We all know that ANY law that impinges on a person’s right to ‘keep and bear arms,’ will be deemed unconstitutional by the NRA and others.
The need for mental health resources is real and I agree that more funding is required. It’s unfortunate that it comes as part of ‘gun control’ legislation rather than as part of health care that should be provided to citizens of this country like it is in so many other countries. The fact is, the large majority of people with mental health problems are not violent, they just need help. Trying to conflate ‘gun violence’ and mental health does very little to truly address either problem.
Part of the premise is that people will opt to use more readily available mental health resources rather than going to the store and buying an assault rifle. It could be argued that many people who are mentally ill to the point where they consider mass murder, will be more than likely to skip going to see a mental health professional even if there is one on every corner. The mere fact that someone is mentally ill, usually also means that they don’t necessarily make rational decisions.
Improvements in school safety are all well and good. However, from my lily pad, it is simply a distraction from the real issue. The Senate is basically saying that we are not going to do anything to reduce the number and availability of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines so we are going to turn out schools into fortresses. No doubt some of the Senators will decide that as part of ‘improving school safety’, they will want to allocate funding to arming and training teachers!
In my admittedly, very cynical opinion, these are all a smoke screen to allow senators to pretend to do something to solve the problem while not actually doing anything meaningful to address the root problem. I guess I should be thankful that at least something is being discussed, however, we have been down this road before: Sandy Hook; Parkland; Buffalo; Uvalde; etc., etc., etc. and, in the end, nothing meaningful ever gets accomplished. I have little faith that this exercise will do anything other than provide sound bites so the senators can have their egos stroked and their campaign coffers filled.
We should all gird ourselves for many more offerings of ‘prayers and condolences’ to the victims and the families involved in all of the mass shootings to come. Let’s be honest – there will be many more – until the malignant tumor of gun violence in this country is truly addressed.