It is Long Past Time for Sensible Gun Regulation in America

 By Mildred Robertson

Like many love affairs, America’s infatuation with guns has yet again resulted in violence and death. NPR reported on May 15, 2022, that just five months into the year America had already experienced 198 mass shootings. That averages about 10 such attacks per week. The article came on the heels of a racially motivated mass shooting that took the lives of 10 people in a Buffalo, N.Y. supermarket. The massacre was touted as the deadliest mass shooting of the year in the U.S. according to the “Gun Violence Archive,” an independent data collection organization.  Unfortunately, The Buffalo shooter did not hold the title for long, because on May 24^th an 18-year-old suspect slaughtered at least 19 children and two adults in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Uvalde is about 85 miles west of San Antonio.

Republican and Democrat leaders all over America sent their thoughts and prayers to the victims of the latest bloodbath.  And then they took sides…one talking about the need to regulate weapons of mass destruction running rampant in America, while the other stubbornly clung to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, touting the philosophy that we need a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun. This is in face of the fact that in Buffalo an armed retired police officer lost his life putting that philosophy into practice. In Uvalde the local police had to call in SWAT to take out the reportedly armored, well-armed assailant. But not before he snuffed out the life of those nineteen children and the teachers who attempted to shield them with their own bodies.

The carnage in America outstrips that of any other civilized nation. The gun culture in America harkens back to this nation’s frontier history and revolutionary founding. At our inception, there was no federal army and little or no police force to provide security for isolated pioneers, so they were responsible for their own protection. The revered Second Amendment upon which the gun culture mythology is built states simply: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." At that time, the primary weapon used was a musket.

While the U.S. has the means to provide security to this nation’s citizens through the military, national guard, and state and local police, Americans continue to cling to the idea that they must take up personal arms to protect themselves. This has resulted in a higher population of weapons than people in the U.S. American citizens own about 400 million firearms, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the nonpartisan Small Arms Survey, and the U.S. population numbers approximately 331 million people.

The proliferation of guns has, in fact, made citizens less safe. We have become so accustomed to gun violence that at least 42 states require schools to conduct lockdown drills to prepare for possible active shooter incidents. Every day in America, more than 100 Americans are killed through gun violence. Another 200 are shot and wounded.  Many citizens witness this carnage and live in fear of it. Research indicates that access to a gun doubles the risk of death by homicide. Firearms are the leading cause of death among American youth. Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by a firearm than in other high-income countries. A national “Violence against Women” survey indicates that “Nearly one million women alive today have been shot or shot at by an intimate partner, and approximately 3.7 million American women alive today have been threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.”

Many who embrace the gun culture say that their weapons are primarily for hunting. Yet the sale of semiautomatic handguns outstrips that of rifles that are commonly used for hunting. An AR-15 would not be useful on a hunt…unless you are hunting humans. According to reports, the Uvalde shooter had a handgun, assault rifles, and high-capacity magazines which allowed him to fire multiple bullets quickly. This firepower allowed him to snuff out the life of innocent children and those trying to protect them. He reportedly bought the two assault rifles days after his 18^th birthday.

And so, here we are again; sending up our thoughts and prayers for the slaughtered. But that is not enough. After we pray, we need to get up off our knees and DO SOMETHING.

We seem to agree that the carnage must be stopped, but we cannot get those in power to take action to enact sensible gun control legislation. At least not those currently in control. We are midway through the primary season, with the general election just six months away. I implore those of you who believe that gun rights in America need to be overhauled to let candidates know that a proliferation of guns owned by civilians and permissive gun regulations is not in the best interest of this nation. If they will not hear you…vote for someone who will.

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1.        https://everytownresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/05/GVIA-CDC-Update-122221B-02-1024x1024.png

2.        Everytown Research & Policy Gun Violence in America, 5.19.2020; Last Updated: 1.26.2022

3.        Gun culture in the United States, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

4.       https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/24/us/uvalde-texas-elementary-school-shooting/index.html.

Increased Early Voting in NC Battleground State

By Mildred Robertson

We say this, it seems, every election cycle, but this primary election vote may be the most consequential ballot that a voter casts in his or her lifetime. Almost 250,000 North Carolinians appear to think so too, as they cast their ballots in the NC Primary Early Voting which ended Saturday, May 14 at 3 p.m. Primary voters will decide who will vie for the open Senate seat vacated by Republican Senator Thom Tillis on Election Day, May 17.

A number of local races across the state will also be decided, along with some mayoral and city council seats in Charlotte and Greensboro which were delayed last year due to redistricting.  Tillis’ departure casts North Carolina among the nation’s mid-term battleground states and provides an opportunity for Democrats to take the seat.

In 2020 Tillis only defeated challenger Cal Cunningham (D) by 1.8 percentage points. The most recent presidential election was decided by less than 1.3 percentage points solidifying North Carolina’s status as a purple state. The balance of power in Washington D.C. may well depend on who North Carolinians choose to represent them in November.

While the election features several contentious races that have drawn national interest, a recent Spectrum News/IPSOS poll found the top issues for North Carolina voters are inflation and rising costs for housing. Nevertheless, media has focused on the more controversial aspects of the race with national characters weighing in. Former President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Ted Budd who is seen as the Republican front-runner for the open Senate seat, closely followed by former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCory. Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley is the presumptive Democratic nominee, leaving most of the action on the GOP side. Also competing for the GOP nomination are former Rep. Mark Walker and U.S. Army combat veteran Marjorie Eastman.

Other controversial primaries include that of Madison Cawthon (R) in North Carolina’s 11^th Congressional District, whom Trump has endorsed. Cawthorn is facing stiff competition from the GOP establishment and the America First wing of the party.

On the Democratic side, in the 4th Congressional District, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam is up against state Sen. Valerie Foushee and former American Idol star Clay Aiken. Allam, who is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), represents the Progressive wing of the party while Foushee is seen as a more establishment candidate. The 4th District includes Alamance, Orange, Durham, Person and Granville counties. The seat, vacated by Rep David Price (D), is considered a blue district, and the winner of the Democratic primary will likely win in the November General Election.

While the early voting numbers may at first glance appear anemic, they outstrip 2018 by close to 20,000 votes. Democratic ballots cast thus far slightly outstrip Republicans 124,000 to 122,000. More Democrats have mailed in ballots as well, according to the elections board.  

In each of these high-profile primaries, if no candidate gets more than 30% of the vote the races would go to runoff elections on July 26.

This is a lot of information to take in. But America faces unprecedented challenges. It is important that we be informed and that we participate despite shallow media coverage.

Elections matter. Whether your concern is inflation, housing costs, women’s rights, affirmative action, or the balance on the Supreme Court, your voice needs to be heard. If you did not vote in this year’s primary election, you still have a chance to speak up.

Here in North Carolina, your vote may change the nation’s trajectory. Prepare yourself. Ask questions. Get informed, and then cast your ballot on November 8, 2022.