As America reels in horror from the 249th mass shooting in only 219 days so far this year — and the third this week — all eyes have been on US leadership to see if anything can or will finally be done about not just the incredible increase in white nationalist terrorism since the election of Donald Trump, but about the scourge of gun violence in general.
Details have still not been completely filled in on today’s tragedy, but we know that it was a Trump-supporting white nationalist named Patrick Crusius who carried out the attack that left 19 people dead, including a 4-month-old baby. The manifesto he uploaded this morning to fringe website 8Chan contained many details that matched the timeline of the Wal-Mart portion of today’s violence, and spoke of a “Hispanic Invasion,” much like you might hear at any random Trump rally.
His weapon of choice? A semiautomatic rifle, of course, in the style of an AK-47. Such a gun is legal to open carry without a permit in both Texas and in Wal-Mart specifically, though businesses are allowed to ban open carry even in states where it is legal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement this afternoon that offered condolences, of course, to the families and victims of today’s attack. But it also tore into Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who refuses to allow gun safety bills to even come to a vote in the Senate:
Too many families in too many communities have been forced to endure the daily horror of gun violence.  Enough is enough. The Republican Senate’s continued inaction dishonors our solemn duty to protect innocent men, women and children and end this epidemic once and for all.
We will continue to insist on commonsense steps to keep our families and our communities safe. May it be a comfort to those grieving the loss of their loved ones that so many Americans mourn with and pray for them at this difficult time.”
In February, the House passed HR 1112, Enhanced Background Checks, sponsored by South Carolina Democrat Jim Clyburn. Clyburn’s bill has never made it to the table in the Senate, as McConnell has fashioned for himself a role as the decider of what, if any, laws are even discussed. He has summarily blocked hundreds of bills passed by the House in this legislative session without so much as allowing debate in the Senate.
Pelosi is correct: We need to do something and do it now. Unfortunately, until we get rid of McConnell and the obstructionist Republicans, Congress can’t advance even bills that the vast majority of Americans support, which Donald Trump is actually likely to sign.
Featured image via screen capture
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