Guns and political violence
No one is immune
Guns can be both a tool for protecting our personal freedoms and, as we saw on Saturday, one for undermining the civic order that protects us all. Like every American of good will, we were horrified by the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania last weekend and strongly condemn political violence of any kind. We mourn the victim and are thankful to law enforcement for ensuring that more lives were not lost.
There will be much debate about the security failures that allowed a solitary young man with an AR-15 to get a clear shot at a former president. But it’s a familiar story, and it reveals once again how vulnerable we all are to gun violence in America. Schools, churches, grocery stores, malls, movie theaters, concerts, bars, bowling alleys, parades, political rallies—all have been targeted with violence that does not discriminate among race, creed, gender, or political beliefs.
What can we learn from this incident? Precious little at the moment, as authorities are still tracking the shooter’s movements and attempting to determine a motive. The rifle the shooter used had been purchased legally by his father, so it was easily traceable; 20 other guns found in the home were also legally purchased and registered to the father. Whether the shooter had displayed any concerning behaviors beforehand is also unclear.
In any case, this tragedy speaks to the responsibility we all have as gun owners to ensure that our firearms are safely stowed away in a gun safe, vault, or other secure location where they may not be accessed without our permission and supervision.
At 97Percent, this tragedy, like all incidents of gun violence, steels our resolve to continue working to balance the liberties we treasure with the safety of all Americans.
On the Hill
Communities across the U.S. are unwittingly contributing to a secondary arms market by providing seized and surrendered guns to disposal services that dismantle one component and sell the remaining parts. The weapons are then recycled into civilian hands, often with no background check required. A bill introduced in the U.S. House, the Firearm Destruction Licensure Act, would require those engaged in the business of firearm destruction to become licensed, and directs the Attorney General to prescribe the acceptable methods of firearm destruction.
We say: We believe, as most Americans do, that background checks at the state and federal level should be part of the gun permitting process. Thus, we support the bill’s goal of preventing people from obtaining guns without a background check.
More on the Hill:
House Republicans and VA at a standoff over veterans who lost gun rights because they needed help managing their benefits —Stars and Stripes
2024 Republican platform drops gun-rights promises —The Reload
In the Courts
A federal appeals court agreed this week to reconsider the constitutionality of a 1968 federal law banning convicted felons from owning guns, setting aside a panel’s ruling that the law violated the right to bear arms, at least for those convicted of nonviolent felonies. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a majority of its 29 judges had voted to refer the issue to an 11-judge panel for a new hearing, an order that reinstates the law in the nine Western states covered by the court. —San Francisco Chronicle
We say: We agree with Judge Milan Smith, who said the Supreme Court has held that “the Second Amendment right belongs only to law-abiding citizens,” but only as it applies to violent felons. Several other appeals courts have used that rationale to uphold the 1968 law, and the Supreme Court strengthened it in June with the Rahimi decision. However, we believe non-violent felons who have successfully completed their prison sentences and re-entered society are entitled to the same rights and privileges as any American.
More in the courts:
Supreme Court’s recent ruling adds more confusion to gun laws, some experts say —The Washington Post
How SCOTUS’s Chevron Decision threatens gun regulations —The Trace
Gun rights groups sue California for new 11% tax on gun sales —Courthouse News Service
Guilty: Inside the high-risk, historic prosecution of a school shooter’s parents —The Washington Post
Minnesota court rules age limit on carrying guns is unconstitutional —Newsweek
Jury returns ‘not guilty’ verdict in landmark NM gun safety case —RDR News
In the States
In rural Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday, guns are a part of the culture. But some gun safety advocates are blaming the Keystone State’s gun laws for the tragedy. State law allows anyone 18 or older to purchase an AR-style rifle or other long gun from a shop after passing a quick background check—or from an individual without a background check. In the case of Saturday’s shooting, the shooter obtained the legally purchased weapon from his father.
We say: While we support the implementation of gun permit laws at the state level, in conjunction with background checks, it is not yet clear whether that would have made a difference in this case. Like the rest of the country, we await the findings of state and federal investigators.
More in the states:
A handful of U.S. grocery stores now have ammo vending machines —AP News
Florida: New state law cracks down on gun crimes committed by minors —Action News Jax
Florida: DeSantis says Florida won’t comply with Surgeon General’s gun violence advisory —The Hill
Minnesota: Dozens of Extreme Risk Protection Orders filed since Red Flag Laws —KSTP
New York: Weapons detection systems being deployed in NYC subways amid drop in transit crime —New York Daily News
From Joe S., New York, lifelong gun owner and former range officer:
Regarding the recent court decision exempting unloaded guns from safe storage law, whatever happened to the first thing my dad told me about guns? “Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun. There’s no such thing as an unloaded gun”?
From DeeDee C., Beyond Thoughts & Prayers subscriber:
Gun safety is important to me because it is related to my own mental health and the mental health of our society. When access to guns makes U.S. citizens 12x more likely to die from gun suicide, when living in the U.S. makes your chance of dying by gun death 26x more likely than other developed countries, and when guns are the number one cause of children and teen deaths—it affects ALL of our citizens. Stress and anxiety are a byproduct of losing our freedoms.
We must continue the conversation on how to make the U.S. safer for our children and grandchildren. I did not grow up in this anxiety-producing world, and I will act to make sure my kids and grandkids don’t have to.
Do you have a comment about any of these critical issues? Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Please include your first name and state, and we may publish it in a future issue. Thank you for reading!
For more information about 97Percent, please visit our website at 97Percent.us.
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