A gunman opened fire at a community baseball practice game in Washington on Wednesday, critically wounding top Republican Congressman Steve Scalise and three others, before the police shot him dead.The attack provoked a wave of emotion on Capitol Hill, where Republicans and Democrats expressed concerns over a possible rise in verbal or physical violence, and president Donald Trump appealed for unity.
In addition to this, a man dressed in a UPS uniform opened fire at a package sorting hub in San Francisco, killing three people before turning the gun on himself, police said.
Representational image. Reuters
However, the despite the two incidents,the one issue that hasn't been spoken about is gun control. In a country wherethere are almost as many guns as people, gun ownership is fiercely defended by firearms industry lobbyists, and Republican politicians, who now control the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House.
There was also no immediate indication that Trump or his fellow Republicans would shift from their position protecting gun ownership rights. House Republicans who attended a briefing following the shooting were asked by reporters about the need for gun control legislation. "Everyone was focused on the facts of the case, and what might be needed to enhance lawmakers' security," was all Republican representative Barbara Comstock would say.
Scalise was, ironically enough, part of efforts made by House Republicans that opposed federal gun control laws, which he saw as an assault on the Constitution's Second Amendment.
Even today, gun control groups are fighting federal legislation that would relax existing gun laws, especially after Republicans backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) fared well in last November's elections.
Among the first things they did was roll back curbs imposed by former president Barack Obama's administration, that sought to restrict sale of firearms to people receiving social security checks for mental illnesses or people deemed unfit to handle their own financial affairs.
As pointed out in areport on NBC News, the rule was hotly contested by gun rights advocates.John Feinblatt, president of the Everytown For Gun Safety group, was quoted as saying he expected more gun control rollbacks. "(It is) just the first item on the gun lobby's wish list," he said, accusing the National Rifle Association of "pushing more guns, for more people, in more places".
The National Rifle Association was a generous supporter of the Trump campaign for presidency, donating $30 million. As mentioned by a Bloomberg report, Trump receivedan ecstatic reception from the lobbying group at its April convention in Atlanta. "You came through for me," Trump told his audience there, adding, "And I am going to come through for you."
He soon came good on his promise, the report mentioned, when he overturned another regulation imposed by his predecessor, that had stopped hunters from shooting down bears from airplanes on federal land in Alaska.
But Trump's critics have said that apart from the relaxation of these checks, there hasn't been any concerted effort on Trump's part. A report on CNN said that gun right advocatesare looking for Trump to help advance legislation making concealed-carry permits valid across state lines, as well as a measure that would loosen requirements for buying gun silencers.
However, Trump's chief accomplishment, in gun advocates' view, was his successful nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, which returned a conservative majority to the panel and opened the door for legal challenges to some restrictive gun laws in states around the country. Already, the NRA has launched legal actions against an assault weapons ban in California in the hope that it wouldbe eventually overturned by the court.
With inputs from Reuters
Read the rest here:
- Assemblyman Tim Donnelly Introduces Sweeping Handgun Carry License Reform Bill AB 1563 - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Ex-Supreme Court justice pushes gun grab, 2nd Amendment rewrite - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Party of guns: 2016ers speak to NRA - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Michigan 2014 Second Amendment March - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Georgia Governor Signs Law Allowing Firearms In Public Places - Andrew Napolitano - Stuart Varney - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Tony DeTora's Second Amendment Commitment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Second Amendment Man Drug PSA - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Do you exercise your Second Amendment Rights while riding? - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Kira Davis - My 2nd Amendment Story - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Gabby Franco for NRA News: "Freedoms Are Not Untouchable" - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- SafeandVaultStore GS592820 Second Amendment Gun Safe - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Oathbreaking Tyrant: Justice John Paul Stevens Wants To Change The Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Dear LiberalViewer: Second Amendment Response - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Justice John Paul Stevens Wants To Change The Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- God & The Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Amend The Second Amendment? - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Justice John Paul Stevens on the Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- CCRW Televised Forum - Mental Health, Second Amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Obama lying supporting second amendment - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Second Amendment Rally Saturday - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Second Amendment and other t-shirts support the cause - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- 2nd Amendment - Laws - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- Second Amendment - U.S. Constitution - FindLaw - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- Rep. Larry Pittman talks about Second Amendment - Video - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- billkeyz talking about gun control the Second Amendment NRA - Video - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- US Senate Candidates Iowa - Second Amendment - Video - April 27th, 2014 [April 27th, 2014]
- NRA leadership uses Bloomberg gun control push to rally members - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Open Carry Or Concealed Carry In California & Does The NRA Oppose - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Greg Brannon Nuke Second Amendment right - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- SafeandVaultStore GS724027 Second Amendment Gun Safe - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Supreme Court Gun Carry Rights; Drake v. Jerejian, Pending petition - Video - April 29th, 2014 [April 29th, 2014]
- Letter: NRA opposes reasonable responses - April 30th, 2014 [April 30th, 2014]
- Common sense calls for repeal of second amendment - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- GUNS: Amendment words to fight over - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Gun lobby group receives open government award - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- NFL Player Brags About Shooting a Skunk to NRA - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Disgruntled Motel Owner Uses Second Amendment To Fight Government Officials #ZHG - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Psychiatrists to push NWO gun control - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day 2014 - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day 2014 at the Pennsylvania Capitol - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Second Amendment Action Day Rally - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Pyro Planet Second Amendment & Star Spangled Blast - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Gun rights: Times have changed since the creation of the Second Amendment - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Billy Johnson for NRA News: "Infringed Rights" - Video - May 3rd, 2014 [May 3rd, 2014]
- Second Amendment group marches in El Paso - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment (Part 1 of 2) - Video - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- New Jersey Gun-Carrying Limit Left Intact by High Court - May 5th, 2014 [May 5th, 2014]
- Supreme Court Wasnt Serious about the Second Amendment - May 5th, 2014 [May 5th, 2014]
- Staying away from guns and Gitmo - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- US Supreme Court refuses to consider gun-rights case - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Success For Gun Owners & 2nd Amendment Defenders In 2014 - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Yen on Second Amendment - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Second Amendment Shootout - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Gun Depot USA Second amendment target shooting. - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Second Amendment in real time boils down to politics - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Second Amendment - Laws - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Alan Gottlieb Supporting Compromise of your Second Amendment Rights - Video - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- Lawmakers divided on bill that restricts EBT use - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Defenseless Nigerian Men, No Second Amendment #BringBackOurGirls Boku Haram - Video - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment (Part 2 of 2) - Video - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Flawed argument I - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- Minera Panama S.A. and Petaquilla Minerals Limited Sign $60 Million Agreement - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- Interview Interrupted by State Highway Administrator - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- Lawmakers debate proposed EBT restrictions - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- N.J. Gov. Chris Christie under the gun over ammo bill, as White House beckons - May 13th, 2014 [May 13th, 2014]
- Guns and Supreme Court: Is Second Amendment a Privilege, Not a Right? - May 13th, 2014 [May 13th, 2014]
- Guns to be focus of rally - May 15th, 2014 [May 15th, 2014]
- DHS Says "Hands Off" VIP Terrorist - Video - May 15th, 2014 [May 15th, 2014]
- INFOWARS Nightly News: with David Knight Monday May 12 2014: Plus Special Reports - Video - May 15th, 2014 [May 15th, 2014]
- Gun rights advocates hope for convention impact - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Det Bowers on the Second Amendment - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Trevor Stewart - V18 - AUDIO - THE RACIAL NETWORK & THE SECOND AMENDMENT - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Trevor Stewart - V17 - THE RACIAL-NETWORK & THE SECOND AMENDMENT - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment: A Biography - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Knowing Your Rights.... Yes we have them! - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- The Second Amendment (Game) - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- We Have Rights! An Animation On The Second Amendment - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- Letter: 2nd amendment purposes - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]
- Senator Ted Cruz's father Rafael Cruz on the Second Amendment - Video - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]