I thought I was out of outrage – until it happened again. Yet another mass shooting, this time in California at a social services center; 14 innocent people dead and many more injured. How can this continue to happen – and what does this say about us that we as a country appear numb to this repeated horror?
This year to date there have been 352 mass shootings (defined as four or more people including the shooter killed or injured by gunfire). A shocking statistic that does not even include homicides related to gang violence or armed robbery. More than one mass shooting a day; more than once a day people send their loved ones off with a kiss not knowing it would be their last. The innocent victims are more than those killed or injured. (An aside – "active shooter" is a now familiar term, part of our vocabulary of violence, and yet another sign of how prevalent such atrocities have become.)
What can be done to stop this madness? One common factor among incidents is the use of assault-style rifles – large gun magazines and rapid fire. Who can get such a weapon? Turns out, pretty much anybody. Listed on the "no-fly list" (people who pose a specific or suspected threat to aviation)? Never mind blowing up a plane, get an assault weapon instead. Problem with domestic violence or nonlethal assault and battery on your record? No worries, your "right" to own an assault weapon is protected. Does any of this make sense? Not to me, and actually not to most people.
Recent surveys confirm previous findings – large majorities of people (both gun owners and nongun owners) strongly support policies that would prohibit such folks from owning guns. What about assault weapons themselves? Again, a majority of people continue to support bans on assault-style weapons and on large capacity ammunition clips, although support differs between gun owners and nongun owners. (In fact, there was a federal assault weapon ban in 1994 that lapsed in 2004). What about other measures, such as background checks? Again, large majorities of people support background checks for all gun purchases (closing the gun show and Internet sales loopholes). People also support requiring states to report to the background check database people deemed ineligible.
So what has happened? Federal legislation is still lacking, even for something as widely supported as background checks. On a state level, it is a mixed bag. Some states increased gun ownership and sales controls while other states relaxed restrictions on guns. But this is a national problem. What do we hear from our elected representatives in Congress – and other national leaders? Their condolences to the victims and families, thoughts and prayers for the communities affected. That's nice, but not sufficient – and it is not acceptable either to just passively allow mass shootings to become normal. As noted by others, "God can't fix this!" However, Congress can at least start.
Will there be challenges? Absolutely. A real problem is that America is awash in guns – more guns than people. More guns equal more gun deaths – if people have access to tools that cause harm, some will use them for that purpose. While this statistic underscores the depth of the problem, it also underscores the need to get going on solutions. Another barrier is the lobby to "protect" Second Amendment rights. Carried to such an extreme that Congressional leadership voted down measures to prevent suspected terrorists ("no-fly list"), felons and the mentally ill from obtaining guns – a day after the California shooting – because such measures may threaten to strip some innocent people of their rights to own guns. Frankly, my concern is for the innocent victims of mass shootings.
It is long past time for Congressional leadership to take action, as we elected them to, and address this horrific problem, listen to their constituents (the American people, not just the minority gun lobby), and pursue realistic measures to stop the madness. Comprehensive background checks and reinstituting an updated ban on assault weapons is a good place to start.
Rosa Meehan is an environmental consultant and guest editor at Alaska Dispatch News.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary@alaskadispatch.com