As a parent, few things scare me more than school shootings. That’s one of the reasons I’m keeping the following in mind as we head into election season.
The 2016 Democratic Platform says:
We will expand and strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in our current laws; repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to revoke the dangerous legal immunity protections gun makers and sellers now enjoy; and keep weapons of war—such as assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines (LCAM’s)—off our streets.
The 2016 Republican Platform says:
We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle. We also oppose any effort to deprive individuals of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the current Administration’s illegal harassment of firearm dealers. We oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, registration of ammunition, and restoration of the ill-fated Clinton gun ban.
That “most popular and common modern rifle” is the AR-15 assault rifle, which the NRA called “America’s Most Popular Rifle” in a January 2016 blog post. A version of the weapon was used in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The rifle used at the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando was a similar type of assault rifle, although a different brand.
Compare and contrast. This goes beyond just the question of Clinton vs. Trump, and extends to every Congressional and state race. Not that all candidates will abide strictly by their party’s position, but many will.
Consider this, too: Since 2013, there have been 160 shootings in school buildings or on school or campus grounds, including fatal and nonfatal assaults, suicides, and unintentional shootings, according to Everytown. These shootings, in 38 states, led to 59 deaths and 124 non-fatal gunshot injuries. Nearly 53 percent of them were in K-12 schools.
Everytown also reports on data from the National Crime Victimization Survey that indicates between 2010 and 2014, there were an estimated 43,000 hate crimes committed in the United States that involved guns. More than half (52 percent) of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation are violent. And between 2004 and 2012, the percentage of hate crimes involving violence increased from 78 percent to 90 percent. Violence doesn’t necessarily mean gun use—but I agree with Everytown’s assessment that “Congress should pass legislation that would prohibit people convicted of violent hate crimes from buying or possessing guns.”
LGBTQ equality is a key factor for me in who I vote for this election season, but I can’t separate that from the need to protect my family from the risk of violence. For me, the choice is clear.
