Fecteau: Until We Act on Gun Violence, Expect More Ungodly Death

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Matt Fecteau, GoLocalProv Guest MINDSETTER™

 

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Another day, another mass killing, is anything sacred? Not in the eyes of violent and deranged people, but that is exactly why Congress should act to keep guns out of their reach. As a country, we need practical, Constitutional, federal measures that would reduce the type of high profile mass killing such as in Roseburg, Oregon. Up to that time, expect many more innocent lives needlessly lost. 

With gun violence, we cannot merely settle for state action. The federal government has to take the lead. Cities and states with the most stringent guns laws are at the mercy of other parts of our country where gun laws are simply nonexistent. Thus, we must seek national solutions to address these constant mass shootings.     

This is not a liberal or conservative issue.  Even the patron saint of contemporary conservatism, President Ronald Reagan, understood this. In 1986, he worked with Congress to enact legislation making it illegal for civilians to carry a fully automatic weapon.  After his tenure, in 1991, Reagan came out in support of awaiting periods and background checks, and in 1994, an assault weapons ban.  

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Despite accusations to the contrary, gun regulation is inherent in our country’s Constitution. The United States Constitution’s second amendment expressly talks about a “well regulated” militia conducive to the security of our state. However, lately, regulation has become a dirty word few politicians dare say for fear of the gun industry, and their proxy organization, the NRA. This has to change. 

Why is Congress so paralyzed to act? A vast majority of Americans support sensible gun laws.  

Through their financial power, the gun lobby has stymied any ability to curb gun violence. Also, there remains a vocal, misinformed minority that continues to oppose even the most modest reforms. This minority inundate any rational thought. They shut their critics down with gun lobby talking points, easily proven false.  

We gave Congress a pass for simply too long. We need to demand far-reaching action to prevent another mass shooting. While no silver bullet solution exists, there is reasonable federal action we can take:  universal background checks, permanent serial numbers, a national database, safe storage requirements, waiting periods, a ban on high-capacity magazines, traceable bullets, requirements for federal mental health submissions, and even smart gun technology. 

These are neither outlandish, radical ideas, nor will they give rise to a tyrannical federal government, as other gun rights advocates have suggested. At this point, any national legislation would be a step in the right direction, though something has to be done.  

How many more men, women, and children have to die to get the message across?  Until there are across the country calls for gun violence to be reined in and we hold Congress’s feet to the fire, we will continue to watch the mounting death toll, culpable for letting this mass murder continue. 

God save us from ourselves.

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Matt Fecteau ([email protected]), of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, lost to U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in last year’s Democratic primary. He is a former White House national security intern and Iraq war veteran.

 

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