Is it too soon after Las Vegas to discuss gun violence? While I disagree with the premise, I'll presume for the moment that it is too soon.
Is it long enough since the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting that we can start talking about gun violence?
Is it long enough since the 2015 San Bernardino shooting that we can start talking about gun violence?
Is it long enough since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that we can start talking about gun violence?
Is it long enough since the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that we can start talking about gun violence?
Is it long enough since the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting that we can start talking about gun violence?
Is it long enough since the 1999 Granada Hills Jewish Community Center shooting that we can start talking about gun violence? (This one is personal because I know someone who was there.)
The Gun Violence Archive counts 274 mass shootings so far in 2017—an average of one per day.
When do we START to talk about gun violence? How many days do we wait after a mass shooting? We NEVER go that many days without a mass shooting.
The public wants change. In this poll in June, 26 out of 27 ideas for restricting guns or avoiding gun violence got support of at least 60% of Americans. Why can we not pick at least ONE of those and DO IT?! Since they are so popular, it would make sense to do every one.
What can we do? From the poll:
- Ban sales to terror watchlist
- Mandatory loss/theft reporting
- Ban sales to mentally ill
- Universal background checks
- More treatment for mentally ill
- Ban sales to stalkers
- Ban sales to violent criminals
- Childproof locks
- Report all sales to federal government
- Increase penalties for illegal possession
- Mandatory safety training
- Mandatory licensing
- Mandatory waiting period
- Mandatory safe storage
- National buyback for banned guns
- Ammunition background checks
- Mandatory fingerprinting
- National firearm registry
- Ban guns from colleges
- Limit purchase frequency
- Assault weapons ban
- Microstamped bullets
- Limits on ammunition purchases
- High capacity magazine ban
- Ban sales of semi-automatic guns
- Ban guns from workplaces
Not every one of these would have helped with this shooting, but each shooting is different. We need a combination of these to cover the causes of our daily mass shootings.