Robinson: Don’t fall for the lie that we can’t limit massacres

We can accept the loss of life in war as the price of freedom, but not senseless murder in churches.

By Eugene Robinson

“Thoughts and prayers” are fine. Locking arms “through the tears and the sadness,” as President Trump prescribed, is all well and good. But none of this does a damn thing to stop, or even slow, the carnage.

On Sunday, in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a disturbed and angry man with a military-style semiautomatic assault rifle opened fire at the First Baptist Church during services, killing 26 people. It was the worst church shooting in modern American history. Think about that: We’ve seen enough mass killings at houses of worship that we can rank them in order.

Why did he do it? We may never be certain; the assailant, 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, is dead. But we can say with certainty how he did such an unspeakable thing: with a gun designed for warfare, a weapon that has no business in civilian hands.

I’ve written this column before, and I will have tragic occasion to write it again. I don’t care about that. I’ll keep writing it because we cannot become inured to this horrific gun violence. We cannot allow mass killings to become normalized, even though they happen with increasing and numbing frequency. We can accept the loss of life on the battlefield as the price of freedom, but not senseless murder in the church pews.

Now begins the sophistry from apologists for the gun lobby. First they will feign outrage that anyone would “politicize” such a tragedy by seeking ways to prevent such a thing from happening again. Then the National Rifle Association’s water-carriers will choose some gun control proposal and crow about how that specific measure could not have prevented this specific massacre. Therefore, they will argue, we must do nothing at all.

If all else fails, the complicit enablers of horrific gun violence — and that’s what they are — will rush to get in front of the discussion and lead it astray, as the NRA did after Las Vegas by encouraging debate about bump stocks. Yes, those accessories allow a gunman to fire more rapidly. But a standard AR-15-style rifle is plenty rapid enough. What kills are the high-speed, large-caliber rounds that tear through flesh, bone and brain as if they were tissue paper. But the NRA doesn’t want us to focus on the gun or the ammunition, because then even strong supporters of the Second Amendment might begin asking inconvenient questions.

Chief among them: Why do we make it easier to amass an arsenal of weapons of war than it is to get a driver’s license or register to vote?

The guns most often used in these mass shootings are variations on rifles designed for soldiers to carry into combat. They are not optimized for killing rabbits or deer, but for killing people. They have no business in civilian hands.

The gun lobby claims it is impossible to distinguish between assault weapons and other firearms, but that is preposterous. Of course a distinction can be made. Perhaps Kelley would have embarked on his rampage anyway wielding a shotgun, but he would have had to reload frequently and likely would have been able to kill far fewer people.

Large-capacity magazines are also unnecessary for hunting or target shooting. How do you define what’s large-capacity and what isn’t? Just do it. Pick a reasonable number and write it into the law.

It goes without saying that there should be universal background checks for purchasing firearms. But there should also be enforcement mechanisms, with teeth, to make sure that dealers do not sell weapons to individuals banned from obtaining them. And just as there is a mandatory, comprehensive registry of automobiles, there should be such a registry for firearms and ammunition.

To those who spend part of each day scanning the skies for black helicopters, I say relax; the government already knows who you are, where you live, what you drive and how much money you earn. If you’re on Facebook, you’re probably telling the whole world much more. A week ago, Kelley posted a photo of his assault rifle.

I hear you sighing that none of this, realistically, is going to happen. I respond: But it should.

The United States is alone among advanced countries in having gun policies that facilitate, rather than obstruct, deadly rampages such as Kelley’s. The Supreme Court has made clear in its rulings that the Second Amendment permits reasonable gun control measures. This crisis is political, not constitutional.

You and I have the power to elect leaders who will reduce gun violence. The blood of innocents is on our hands.

Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Friday, March 29

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Schwab: Who was Langerhans? And when’s the ferry to his islets?

The Herald’s resident retired surgeon slices into the anatomy of the etymology of our anatomy.

Comment: Cervial cancer treatable; if you’re screened for it

A screening for cervical cancer can detect cancerous or precancerous cells and direct treatment.

Comment: Framers gave us Goldilocks Constitution; let’s use it

It was meant to be resilient, not perfect, but it has to be used as designed toward workable solutions.

Comment: GOP in Congress isn’t fighting crime; it’s arming it

Budget cuts to the FBI and ATF and other riders have made it easier for criminals to get firearms.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.