In the Shadow of Ulvade

It's been about 2 weeks since the terrible tragedy at Robb Elementary in Ulvade, TX where an 18 year old gun man armed with AR-15's took the lives of 19 children and two teachers. 

In the aftermath of previous mass shootings, particularly those involving schools like in Parkland and Sandy Hook, there was the hope that the latest tragedy would prompt politicians to do something about gun violence.

Even the Republican Party as beholden as they were to the NRA and the alleged sanctity of the 2nd amendment would see that something needed to be done to curb gun violence, especially murders committed on a mass scale with automatic weapons.  

But no.  

Each time in the aftermath of such violence, even when the dead were children, the Republican Party held firm to its resolute opposition to any kind of gun control.  

Here in the shadow of Ulvade, it's important to not make that mistake again. There will be no coming together of Democrats and Republicans to address any kind of gun control when half of that equation is dead set against doing anything about guns. 

We can't let time slip by and assume common sense and common decency will prevail in any kind of meaningful bi-partisan manner. 

The Republican Party blames the tragedy of Ulvade on doors, broken homes, gay and transgender agenda, video games, lack of school prayer. 

The bodies of the children slaughtered at Robb Elementary were so shredded, the dead could only be identified by dental records and DNA.  These bodies were not violated by video games or doors. They were destroyed by bullets from an automatic rifle that was designed for military use on a battlefield, not for use by civilians. 

There is not one single god damn reason for any civilian anywhere in the world to have such a weapon. 

Republican congressman Chris Jacobs of New York agrees.

Jacobs said he would support a ban on the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle following the white supremacist mass shooting in Buffalo last month that left 10 people dead and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 21 people.

Now guess who is no longer running for re-election to Congress?

Jacobs scored a 92% rating with the gun rights group Gun Owners of America and was endorsed by the NRA in 2020.  

But Jacobs said this: “If an assault weapons ban bill came to the floor that would ban something like an AR-15, I would vote for it. I can’t in good conscience sit back and say I didn’t try to do something." 

Then this happened:  every Republican elected that had endorsed Jacobs for re-election withdrew their endorsement. Party officials that supported Jacobs withdrew their support. 

 With support from his own party decimated, Jacobs announced he was withdrawing from seeking re-election to Congress.  

Still in the shadow of Ulvade where the dead have not all been buried yet, other mass shootings continue to occur.  

In a speech on Thursday, President Joe Biden addressed the nation. “For God’s sake, how much more carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say ‘enough’? Enough!"

Here are some of things Biden called for as part of gun control:

• universal background checks
• a ban on assault weapons
• a national “red flag” law to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, 
• raising the age to buy a gun to 21
• the repeal of a liability shield for gun manufacturers

In various polls, these measures have majority support not only in the general American population but specifically among gun owners.  

Republicans have opposed all of this.   

If we are to ever move into the light out of the shadow of Ulvade, we will need to do this without the Republican Party.  

The graphic below is from the New York Times which points out the common thread among mass shootings using automatic weapons: they were obtained legally.  

A weapon designed for mass murder can be obtained legally.

Which makes no damn sense to me.