Two more mass shootings and killings within 24 hours left 31 innocent people dead and more than two dozen wounded in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio this past weekend. In both shootings it was reported assault type weapons were used. It was a familiar story played out once again with weapons of war that should not be allowed on the streets of America.
And no one is more implicated with the problem than President Trump, Mitch McConnell and the republican Party who have looked the other way, caved to the NRA and the Gun Lobby on reasonable gun control and who have used the gun violence issue to divide the country with personal attacks of racism, bigotry and an invasion from Mexico fear mongering. And Trump was at it with his divisive speech Monday concerning the shootings. Trump said as quoted from reports: IN ONE VOICE OUR NATION MUST CONDEMN RACISM, BIGOTRY AND WHITE SUPREMACY. HATRED WARPS THE MIND, RAVAGES THE HEART AND DEVOURS THE SOUL. But Trump's actions as President cannot and does not walk the talk.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his party has refused to take up or pass any meaningful legislation to bring common sense to the gun problem in the U.S. Time after time they have refused to advance any democratic proposal on the subject matter. And in February the democratic controlled U.S. House passed the most sweeping Universal Gun Background Check legislation in the past 25 years. It requires federal background checks for all firearms sales and transfers, including those sold online or at gun shows. The bill passed on a 240 - 190 vote along party lines. Mitch McConnell has yet to take up the bill for Senate debate and a vote and the President said he would veto the bill if passed in the Senate. After the two shootings democratic Senator Chuck Schumer and Republican Representative Peter King urged McConnell to take up the democratic passed bill ASAP.
The assault weapons ban during the Clinton administration should be in-acted once again because it worked. It was the George W. Bush administration that let it expire. Trump and his party hate the progress and success of the democratic party in governing and accomplishing those things that really matter and make a difference for the people and the country. That is why as a candidate in 2016 Trump blamed mass shootings that took place on President Obama's watch was his fault and that if elected President, he, Donald Trump would put and end to all the mass shootings.
Will Trump, Mitch McConnell and their party begin a serious conversation with the democrats since the El Paso and Dayton shootings. Will they show any feelings for the victim's families and finally face the problems? Or will they allow Trump and themselves to be toxic to what ever they touch. In the mean time the democratic party will continue to speak out and act in the U.S. House where they have control. It is also worthwhile to mention once again the clichés of the republicans, the gun lobby and the NRA when they repeat, "guns don't kill people, people kill people. The comic strip Beetle Bailey brought common sense to the issue when he asked Sarge, "If guns don't kill people how come we take guns to war." And that really says it all.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
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