(Cartoon image is by Marc Murphy in the Louisville Courier-Journal.)The news coverage of mass shootings and gun deaths in the United States are no longer on the front pages or being reported by national news media. One would be tempted to think that these mass shootings and deaths have miraculously stopped, or at least slowed way down. But that is not true -- it is not even close to true!
As of October 17th, there have been 337 mass shootings in the United States this year (an average of more than one mass shooting for every day of the year), and 31,037 gun deaths (more than 100 gun deaths for every day of the year). No other developed nation has anywhere near this many mass shootings or gun deaths -- only the United States (which has more guns than people).
After the last widely reported mass shootings (resulting in multiple deaths) in El Paso and Midland-Odessa, Donald Trump promised something would be done -- and even bragged about his support for stricter background checks for gun buyers. He was lying. He did nothing.
He could have pressured Mitch McConnell to allow debate and a vote on the background checks bill (passed by the House more than 230 days ago), but he didn't. And McConnell continues to block that bill -- refusing to allow either debate or a vote on it.
Both Trump and McConnell have blood on their hands -- the blood of thousands of innocent gun victims. It is increasingly clear that nothing will be done by the federal government to curb gun violence until both Trump and McConnell are voted out of office.
Thoughts and prayers from cowardly politicians will not solve our epidemic of gun violence. It will take action. Keep pressure on Congress to do something, and in November of 2020, vote any politician out of office who refuses to act.
