After School Shootings, Senate Republicans Block Domestic Terrorism Bill

Brief comment on the Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA.) - Unfortunately school shootings happen often enough that we know some of the names of the schools where the shootings occurred: Sandy Hook Elementary School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Oxford High School, Santa Fe High School, Columbine High School. Now Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has joined this shameful list.

Over Memorial Day weekend (May 27-29), just days after the killings, former president Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R.TX), South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Texas Gov. Greg Abbot (by prerecorded remarks) and other Republicans spoke at the at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Houston, about 270 miles from Uvalde.

Each rejected any suggestion that gun control measures were needed to stop mass shootings.

They blamed the atrocities on factors that had nothing to do with firearms — the breakdown of the American family, untreated mental illness, bullying on social media, violent video games and the inexplicable existence of “evil.”

Clearly, Republicans will do nothing about enacting meaningful gun laws.

As expected, Senate Republicans after back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, on May 26, blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on hate crimes and gun safety. Thus sadly, it will only be a matter of time before the next mass shooting occurs.