The Mass Shootings Continue As Congress Does Nothing

The photo at right is from Heavy.com. It is of Santino William Legan -- the young white supremacist sympathizer who shot up the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California. He killed three people -- a six year old boy, a thirteen year old girl, and a 22 year old man. Several more people were injured.

It was the 245th mass shooting in the United States this year -- and one more (in D.C.) has occurred since then, raising the total to 246. Since we are only 210 days into this year, that means there are more than one mass shooting every day. (With a mass shooting being defined as at least four people being shot.)

Will Congress spring into action? Once again, they are sending thoughts and prayers. In other words, they don't plan on doing anything at all to stop the epidemic of gun violence in this country. I'm talking about the congressional Republicans. Democrats would like to pass some sensible and constitutional gun laws, and they've started. The Democratic House passed a bill to plug the holes in the background check law for gun purchases, but the Republican Senate refuses to debate or vote on the bill.

This is not political cowardice. The voting public wants some sensible restrictions. A significant majority supports banning assault-style weapons (which the Gilroy shooter used, buying it in Nevada on July 9th), and an overwhelming majority (about 90%) supports requiring a background check on all gun sales (including sales between private individuals). No, the GOP is just worried they will lose the campaign money coming from the NRA and gun manufacturers.

So, the deaths from guns will continue unabated. There will likely be around 400 mass shootings by the end of this year, and about 40,000 gun deaths. Many of those shootings and deaths don't have to happen. They will happen because Congress won't do anything to stop them.

But Congress will send thoughts and prayers -- neither of which will do the victims (or future victims) any good at all.