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States take the lead on gun control

Sunday voices: Susan Bigler

It is time to return to the subject that spurred me to start writing commentaries a year ago: guns and the violent taking of innocent lives tragically and unnecessarily.

The determination of the Parkland, Fla., survivors has been instrumental in finally seeing some action from our lawmakers. Breakthroughs have occurred at all levels of government. The city of Pittsburgh as a result of last year’s synagogue massacre has just passed a far-reaching legislation, but it is already and inevitably headed for opposition. One step forward.

A number of laws have been passed at state level as 20 states can be credited with laws that restrict access to guns by individuals with a documented history of violence. Several have addressed the methods of sales allowed, the extents of background checks, and the age of purchase.

Our state of New York has taken further action this year by restricting guns in schools, funding buyback programs, allowing court-ordered bans for at-risk people, and allowing longer waiting periods for inconclusive background checks. Even the federal government moved, and banned bump stocks.

Findings of a recent study done by the Boston U School of Public Health showed a correlation: states with universal background check laws showed homicide rates 15% lower than states without, and laws prohibiting people convicted of a violent crime to buy a gun resulted in an 18% reduction. This supports the potential effectiveness of extensive background checks and “red flag” restrictions, measures that meet the approval of most Americans.

While action is gradually occurring to “do something,” tragedies continue. The specter of mass murder reared its ugly head again, but this time it turned in another direction: across the globe to peaceful, welcoming New Zealand, a nonviolent country in comparison to the rest of the world.

Although the perpetrator was not an American, the specter was cultivated here. The perpetrator published a manifesto that referenced our president as a white nationalist leadership figure, and spoke of Second Amendment rights, even though that amendment has no relevance anywhere except the United States. Those individuals in the U.S. who advocate and perpetrate hate crimes, aided by arsenals of firearms, have international allies. Unsuspecting New Zealand, unlike what has happened to the U.S., hasn’t grown numb to these massacres, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern immediately responded with plans for more control.

In contrast, the uptick in aggressive white supremacist activity here has been encouraged by the attitudes of our current administration and the support of the NRA gun manufacturing lobby. New Zealand’s population of 5 million owns 1.5 million guns, but has had one of the lowest homicide rates in the world. However, hate crimes, with no central data collection established, have been escalating under the radar there. White nationalism has been spreading its infection globally, not just in the U.S. Here, statistics are showing that recent mass shootings are mostly committed by white males — frequently against minorities in defenseless public circumstances.

An online tracker called Gun Violence Archive shows astounding frequencies of overall gun-related violence in the U.S., with numbers such as a total of 12,615 reported incidents from the beginning of 2019 through April 1, resulting in 3,395 deaths; 709 children under 17 killed or injured. There have been 68 mass shootings, 70 officers and 512 suspects shot or killed in law enforcement related incidents. The site updates daily. These stats do not even include gun-related suicides.

Suicides are also byproducts of the initial tragedy. PTSD is a common experience, as well as survivor guilt. The killer in Parkland has just this past month, claimed two more students, and the Sandy Hook shooter has claimed a troubled father. The horror and pain they experienced doesn’t go away.

While some in power have allowed the violence to continue, we now have a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives that has been working to pass measures to help reduce gun-related tragedies. They have just passed HR8, 240-190, which requires background checks for internet and gun show sales. In a 228-198 vote, they allowed for more time to complete background checks, from three to 20 business days.

Incidently, they also adopted a GOP measure to add to HR8 a provision which requires undocumented immigrants who fail an FBI gun background check to be reported to ICE. Our representative, Tom Reed, naturally voted against the background check bills, while voting for the ICE reporting provision — typical partyline vote responses, which taken in combination make no sense because the goal of the present administration is to get more illegal aliens into the hands of ICE for deportation.

It seems that extending the scope of background checks would actually help catch more of them to report to ICE. The bills passed anyway, regardless of Reed’s vote. Now it will be up to the Senate. Next up in the House is a vote to update and reinstate the Violence Against Women Act which includes gun control measures directed at known domestic abusers. Not surprisingly, the NRA is trying to block it with a “key vote alert” which is their way of threatening congressional representatives with a bad rating that amounts to their allowance being cut off.

An average of 50 women per month are shot to death by partners in the U.S. and the chances of being killed by an abusive partner increases by 5 times if a gun is in the household. The current edition of the act would include extending the prevention of gun purchases to dating partners with restraining orders, temporary protective orders, and stalking convictions. Reed did not vote for the last version in 2013; and if the House has not yet voted it wouldn’t hurt and might help save a life, to call and ask him to vote for it this time around.

No one escapes the effects of gun violence, even if it is as remote as an effect on our music enjoyment. Gun violence has just taken the life of rapper Nipsey Hussle, who had a promising career with a grammy nomination and an aim to help kids avoid gang violence by directing them to science and technology interests. He had a meeting scheduled with the Los Angeles police commissioner and chief of police to discuss ways to help achieve this. Unfortunately, he became another victim instead.

On April 1, the U.S. Postal Service released a stamp honoring the legendary soul singer, Marvin Gaye, on what would have been his 80th birthday. He was shot to death by his own father in a domestic dispute the day before his 45th birthday. He asked “What’s Going On?” “Mother, mother, there’s too many of you crying, brother, brother, there’s too many of you dying.” And “Imagine” the music we will never now get to hear because a gunman took John Lennon from us at the too early age of 40. John had become a vocal supporter of peace and love.

Here’s the ultimate irony. In our current climate where we are experiencing all this hate and violence, what do we focus on? A beloved statesman is accused of being too friendly.

Susan Bigler is a Sheridan resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com

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