According to the Huffington Post, Gun Violence Archive who tracks mass shootings across the country (described as 4 or more people killed or injured by guns) reported that 154 mass shootings has taken place since the first of the year thru June 14. That includes the 5 shootings in Virginia at a baseball field and 4 killed at a UPS station in California. During the same period last year 142 such mass shootings were recorded.
The increase took place even though Donald Trump as President and Presidential candidate said that would all stop when he became President. Phony tough talk with out a plan accomplishes zero. A number of police officers have also been killed since Trump took office but his administration never spends time talking about that because Trump said he was going to stop that also. President Trump also criticized President Obama when North Korea test fired their missiles and said it would not happen on his watch. Yet North Korea continues to test their missiles on Trump's watch and at a more frequent rate.
Wednesday's gun violence that wounded 5 people in Virginia including a U.S. House member, occupied the news media all day and over shadowed the 4 killings in California. It also provided the same old conversation about gun violence that has yet to be converted into sensible solutions because of the NRA, the gun lobby, the gun industry and the republicans in congress. And of course, once again the talk is about the nasty threats via the social media such as Facebook.
But Trump's supporters loved the threats of "lock her up" and "crooked Hillary." Trump even told his supporters at a campaign rally that he could shoot some one and his supporters would still vote for him. And that statement by a Presidential candidate was accepted by his supporters with out any push back. The news media paid little attention to such a horrible statement. Trump also urged his supporters at more than one rally to eject protesters.
The phoniness of the so called tough talk and a ideology that defies logic is astounding and will never solve the problem of gun violence in America. Every year that proves to be true. Is it not sad that the killing of hundreds of innocent school kids in school over a period of years is not taken serious enough by congress to take action. The gun lobby just don't care so responsible people need to step up to the plate and act.
President Trump with all of his nasty and ugly comments about people during the campaign and his Presidency does not represent a competent leader who can unite people. He is a person about division, distrust and a desire to harm people's character. And that is by his own choosing. In fact as of this writing he has chosen the road of regression. The phony tough talk needs to take a back seat to the real world. Does Trump have the capacity to change? Time will be the judge.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
