[Discussion] Mass Shooting at Uvalde Elementary School

[aggie08 21,578]

It's like you guys haven't even considered how many children's lives that they saved from police bullets by not charging in. #heroes

[sidis 9,832]

 

[Planet Houston 4,943]

I’m certainly no military and/or police expert, but this explanation makes complete sense to me. And is utterly enraging. 

 

[aggie08 21,578]

The most infuriating part to me is that this is the EXACT scenario that most of these fucks fantasize about: crazed gunman loose in a school, no backup imminent...time to go John McClane on their ass!

[cue to press conference] "No, no. There's no need to thank me. I'm not a hero. All in a day's work. What's that? Gal Gadot insists on giving me a blowjob? Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint."

[Jshep34 2,381]

Theyll be claiming ptsd from this, after standing outside doing nothing. Get medical retirement and pensions.

[Fondren & Main 6,759]

1 hour ago, Macanudo said:

It falls on deaf ears.   I live Texas in a R district.    None of them care.

Well, that is beyond your control.  I have the Serenity prayer written on my whiteboard at work as a constant reminder that I can only control what I can control.  You are the constituent and I figure you may want to contact them.

[workswithseed 2,139]

[Eskimohorn 5,654]

 

Mostly False

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/aug/14/curt-schilling/trump-backed-ex-pitcher-curt-schilling-misleads-sa/

But we should demand more data on firearm violence

[Macanudo 13,081]

You know that incompetence of the Uvalde PD has done, right?   It's taking everyone's eye off guns.

 

Good job, coppers.

[burntorangebongos 10,787]

Don't politize after a tragedy

Back the blue

Guns don't kill people

Good guys with guns save lives

==============

Millions have been paid to deciminate these messages and I repeated them without effort. If they were really no brainers truisms then why are real world events not bearing them out?

We all want mass school shootings to stop. Why can't the majority of us who believe the way to make it happen is by being able to get common sense policies about no one under 25 being able to buy assault weapons, banning high capacity magazines, jail for adults if someone uses their weapons in school shootings to be voted on? 

So because we are gerry-mandered to shit where I've got some congressman from Weatherford as my representative who violates house ethics rules, kids have to die? We should be better than just rolling over and throwing up our hands. My vote doesn't count and hasn't for years. There has got to be another way. We have got to save lives and it has to start here with mass school shootings. It tears everybody's hearts out and we all want the innocents to stop paying for our failures.

We need to do fix this now.

[chainsaw 9,998]

Schilling gonna shill

[Helobious 9,503]

 

[Snake Diggity 4,628]

2 hours ago, Fondren & Main said:

Anyone call our elected representatives to let them know that we are wanting change?

I've never done it before in my life, but was considering it.

I called both Cornyn and Cruz, and emailed them each twice.  Neither answered the phone (although I did call Cornyn after hours). I left pleading messages.  I don’t expect it to do any good.  But had to take some kind of immediate action.

[Cap33 404]

I've never been able to get through to anyone at Cornyn's office. Roger Williams's office will answer and talk to you.

I don't try Cruz because, as mentioned above, he truly DGAF about anything but himself. 

[hornmpa96 2,625]

I sent sternly worded emails to Cruz, Cornyn and Abbott. I'm expecting significant legislation any moment now.

[closetohumping 17,547]

So this is what a former cop hypothesizes:

it’s 39 minutes  sorry

 

[Fondren & Main 6,759]

How did this broke ass bitch afford a Daniel Defense rifle?  And, an EOTech optic at that?

Edited May 27, 2022 by Fondren & Main

[CooterBrown 18,089]

How did this broke ass bitch afford a Daniel Defense rifle?  And, an EOTech optic at that?

You may find this shocking but a kid willing to shoot his grandmother in the face and murder innocent children may be willing to steal her credit card.

[Brisketexan 105,569]

6 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

You may find this shocking but a kid willing to shoot his grandmother in the face and murder innocent children may be willing to steal her credit card.

I think you're missing the obvious.  He got the money from (((Soros))).  And no, I haven't looked to see if that explanation is out there.  And yes, I am 100% sure there are people saying that.

[Fondren & Main 6,759]

11 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

You may find this shocking but a kid willing to shoot his grandmother in the face and murder innocent children may be willing to steal her credit card.

Fair point, but I get notifications on purchases that big though through my phone.  Would like to know more especially since his mom spent all her money on drugs, his dad was not involved and his grandmother was about to shut off his phone.

[Seasick Sailor 3,747]

23 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

So this is what a former cop hypothesizes:

it’s 39 minutes  sorry

 

So a guy who wasn't there thinks people who weren't there shouldn't criticize the cops whose actions have been criticized by their own leadership.

Fuck this cop apologist bullshit. 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Has handcruser stopped selling guns to people under 21 yet?

The right wingers and gun nuts sure are quiet these last couple of days. Haven’t heard many suggestions and when you do, and ask if they vote for politicians that would pass such laws, they disappear.

[Foosters 17,918]

2 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

Fair point, but I get notifications on purchases that big though through my phone.  Would like to know more especially since his mom spent all her money on drugs, his dad was not involved and his grandmother was about to shut off his phone.

Is it just a coincidence that you're parroting the same questions currently being tossed around on Gab and Texags, where this is being pushed as a false flag?

[Fondren & Main 6,759]

Just now, Foosters said:

Is it just a coincidence that you're parroting the same questions currently being tossed around on Gab and Texags, where this is being pushed as a false flag?

Well, I think that we need to look at where the money came from and prosecute them as being an accessory.  Is that unreasonable?

[Dahobbs 17,804]

4 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

So a guy who wasn't there thinks people who weren't there shouldn't criticize the cops whose actions have been criticized by their own leadership.

Fuck this cop apologist bullshit. 

Yeah, the former cop is defending cops. Shocking. In other news, fuck that guy too. 

[Bateshorn 9,945]

For those of you calling congressional offices: it’s a 20 something making 45K a year to get yelled at by constituents all day.  Try to have a bit of compassion for them personally as you register your concerns.  The MOC isn’t taking your phone call unless your a big donor.

[Pods 7,594]

2 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

For those of you calling congressional offices: it’s a 20 something making 45K a year to get yelled at by constituents all day.  Try to have a bit of compassion for them personally as you register your concerns.  The MOC isn’t taking your phone call unless your a big donor.

True, but if the MOC they are working for opposes sensible gun reform, it's pretty good odds the person answering the phone agrees with the MOC. 

[Dahobbs 17,804]

2 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

For those of you calling congressional offices: it’s a 20 something making 45K a year to get yelled at by constituents all day.  Try to have a bit of compassion for them personally as you register your concerns.  The MOC isn’t taking your phone call unless your a big donor.

I disagree. The 20 something chose to work for senor fuck face. And pretty much anyone doing that has political aspirations connected with the party they are working for. So, in short, they deserve and need to hear choice words as well.

[Bateshorn 9,945]

I’m just saying: would you want someone screaming expletives at you? 
 

Be vigorous in your points. Be passionate. But it’s also a human on the other end of that line.  And it’s totally reasonable to ask the person if they really want to defend a politician who is so pro gun when children are dying. 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Bateshorn

[FartingMonk 3,608]

I don't understand the situation.  It used to be with a shooter you surround and wait until tactical came.  Now everyone has rifles in their trunk.  And most training has shifted to you show up.  You find a buddy.  You pair up and you eliminate the threat.  I guess that IC still went with the old school thinking about this will.never happen in my town.

[Macanudo 13,081]

I always tell them to think about the person they work for.   I don't yell at them.   I ask them to explain to me what good there is in Ted Cruz.   

It's sad comedy.

[Js1 85,744]

8 minutes ago, Pods said:

True, but if the MOC they are working for opposes sensible gun reform, it's pretty good odds the person answering the phone agrees with the MOC. 

Not always. Unfortunately we live in a red state with a Republican government and legislature, 2 R senators and a gerrymandered R majority delegation. Some of them have no choice but to pick the least odious option if they want experience in a congressional/legislative office. I had to intern for an R state rep in college bc that’s all I could find. The competition for the D house members is insane if you want to work within and for your home state 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Js1

[Bateshorn 9,945]

3 minutes ago, FartingMonk said:

I don't understand the situation.  It used to be with a shooter you surround and wait until tactical came.  Now everyone has rifles in their trunk.  And most training has shifted to you show up.  You find a buddy.  You pair up and you eliminate the threat.  I guess that IC still went with the old school thinking about this will.never happen in my town.

The current protocol is to go in, right away. Preferably in a team of two or more, but get in there. And they aren’t supposed to stand around gearing up. 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Bateshorn

[Dahobbs 17,804]

7 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

I’m just saying: would you want someone screaming expletives at you? 
 

Be vigorous in your points. Be passionate. But it’s also a human on the other end of that line.  

Objection, assumes facts not in evidence. 

At any rate, I don't think it matters what they want. They deserve to be uncomfortable. And that deserves to be communicated to their bosses. 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Dahobbs

[Bateshorn 9,945]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

Not always. Unfortunately we live in a red state with a Republican government and legislature, 2 R senators and a gerrymandered R majority delegation. Some of them have no choice but to pick the least odious option if they want experience in a congressional/legislative office. I had to intern for an R state rep in college bc that’s all I could find. The competition for the D house members is insane if you want to work within and for your home state 

Yeah.  I know staff asses with MPPs from Ivies in the Dem offices. 

[Samson's Wig 3,195]

Just like with Sandy Hook and Parkland, too much energy and anger is being spent focused on the actions of law enforcement and security.   This plays right into the hands of the NRA.  The focus and anger should be laser focused on gun control if anything is ever going to change.  Those predisposed to hate cops, even with justification, are understandably focused on that aspect.  And while that aspect needs addressing, it will do nothing to change the underlying cause and problem at hand.  Stay angry, but channel that energy toward harassing the fuck out of elected officials until they do something or campaigning for politicians who will.  

Putting the focus on law enforcement's response plays right into the hands of the "we need more secure schools to solve this problem" crowd.  Fuck those cops if indeed they hung around and did nothing, but Twitter and the rest of the Internet fuck up stories like this every damn time.  Internet warriors gonna do what they do.  So will shitty cops.  Stay focused on gun control.  Get involved if you're truly moved to do so.  Lots of gun control advocacy groups out there.  Or just reach out to politicians directly, but keep doing it a month from now, and six months from now, and next year, and so on.

[B00M 6,574]

1 hour ago, Eskimohorn said:

Mostly False

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/aug/14/curt-schilling/trump-backed-ex-pitcher-curt-schilling-misleads-sa/

But we should demand more data on firearm violence

Ah, yeah, I see now the CDC was only loosely involved. But to be fair, I listed the 500k to 3M range, I didn't go all curt schilling.

Quote

Defensive Use of Guns

Defensive use of guns by crime victims is a common occurrence, although the exact number remains disputed (Cook and Ludwig, 1996; Kleck, 2001a). Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than 3 million (Kleck, 2001a), in the context of about 300,000 violent crimes involving firearms in 2008 (BJS, 2010). On the other hand, some scholars point to a radically lower estimate of only 108,000 annual defensive uses based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (Cook et al., 1997). The variation in these numbers remains a controversy in the field. The estimate of 3 million defensive uses per year is based on an extrapolation from a small number of responses taken from more than 19 national surveys. The former estimate of 108,000 is difficult to interpret because respondents were not asked specifically about defensive gun use.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/18319.

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/18319/chapter/3?term=Defensive#15

[FartingMonk 3,608]

26 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

The current protocol is to go in, right away. Preferably in a team of two or more, but get in there. And they aren’t supposed to stand around gearing up. 

That's why I don't understand the call.  Unless you have solid evidence that all the people in the room were dead there is no fucking reason that they should have stood there.

[Brisketexan 105,569]

23 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

Just like with Sandy Hook and Parkland, too much energy and anger is being spent focused on the actions of law enforcement and security.   This plays right into the hands of the NRA.  The focus and anger should be laser focused on gun control if anything is ever going to change.  Those predisposed to hate cops, even with justification, are understandably focused on that aspect.  And while that aspect needs addressing, it will do nothing to change the underlying cause and problem at hand.  Stay angry, but channel that energy toward harassing the fuck out of elected officials until they do something or campaigning for politicians who will.  

Putting the focus on law enforcement's response plays right into the hands of the "we need more secure schools to solve this problem" crowd.  Fuck those cops if indeed they hung around and did nothing, but Twitter and the rest of the Internet fuck up stories like this every damn time.  Internet warriors gonna do what they do.  So will shitty cops.  Stay focused on gun control.  Get involved if you're truly moved to do so.  Lots of gun control advocacy groups out there.  Or just reach out to politicians directly, but keep doing it a month from now, and six months from now, and next year, and so on.

Huh.  I look at it more in terms of neutralizing one of their key red herring arguments: "What we really need is good guys with guns!"  Fuck you, we had good guys with guns, lots of them, it was an utter failure.  Cross that solution off your bullshit list.

Just like "it's all about mental health!"  Fuck you, every country has mentally ill people, we're the only one with 288 mass shootings.  Cross that solution off your bullshit list.

Just like "we have gun laws, we should enforce those!  He shouldn't have had a gun on school property!"  Fuck you, there was nobody wiling to enforce that gun law (as opposed to the "don't sell an AR to someone till they turn 18," which worked like a charm.  So, some gun laws are meaningless -- cool.  Others fucking work.  So, cross that argument off your bullshit list.

None of us are saying we shouldn't ALSO address mental health (we should, for about 10,000 reasons -- gosh, can you imagine taking  policy action that reduces mass shootings and other assaults/murders, AND reduces the homeless problem?  Gosh, what an amazing thing!).  None of us are saying that good guys with guns can't/shouldn't protect people (they should.....they didn't here, because cops are terrible awful no good very bad people, but in theory, it should help, and on occasion, it actually has helped.  So, yeah, when we look at the contrast here, we get to be pissed off -- this is also a "cops are bad, exhibit eleventy billion" issue).

Gun violence in this country touches on dozens of issues.  We shouldn't ignore any of them.  Instead, we ignore one of them (the actual guns), and functionally ignore the rest because, while the GQP SAYS those other issues are the real issue....they don't do anything about those issues either.  Because they are pieces of dick.

[Brisketexan 105,569]

8 minutes ago, FartingMonk said:

Unless you have solid evidence that all the people in the room were dead there is no fucking reason that they should have stood there.

What you may be failing to consider is that cops are absolutely awful in almost every way imaginable.  You should consider that, and then all these outcomes will make sense.

 

[Celery Man 21,026]

1 hour ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Has handcruser stopped selling guns to people under 21 yet?

The right wingers and gun nuts sure are quiet these last couple of days. Haven’t heard many suggestions and when you do, and ask if they vote for politicians that would pass such laws, they disappear.

They’re hanging out in please do this better doing vaginal self exams 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

[pops 7,044]

1 hour ago, Fondren & Main said:

How did this broke ass bitch afford a Daniel Defense rifle?  And, an EOTech optic at that?

I guarantee the till at wendys didn't add up last Friday night

[Samson's Wig 3,195]

31 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Huh.  I look at it more in terms of neutralizing one of their key red herring arguments: "What we really need is good guys with guns!"  Fuck you, we had good guys with guns, lots of them, it was an utter failure.  Cross that solution off your bullshit list.

Just like "it's all about mental health!"  Fuck you, every country has mentally ill people, we're the only one with 288 mass shootings.  Cross that solution off your bullshit list.

Just like "we have gun laws, we should enforce those!  He shouldn't have had a gun on school property!"  Fuck you, there was nobody wiling to enforce that gun law (as opposed to the "don't sell an AR to someone till they turn 18," which worked like a charm.  So, some gun laws are meaningless -- cool.  Others fucking work.  So, cross that argument off your bullshit list.

None of us are saying we shouldn't ALSO address mental health (we should, for about 10,000 reasons -- gosh, can you imagine taking  policy action that reduces mass shootings and other assaults/murders, AND reduces the homeless problem?  Gosh, what an amazing thing!).  None of us are saying that good guys with guns can't/shouldn't protect people (they should.....they didn't here, because cops are terrible awful no good very bad people, but in theory, it should help, and on occasion, it actually has helped.  So, yeah, when we look at the contrast here, we get to be pissed off -- this is also a "cops are bad, exhibit eleventy billion" issue).

Gun violence in this country touches on dozens of issues.  We shouldn't ignore any of them.  Instead, we ignore one of them (the actual guns), and functionally ignore the rest because, while the GQP SAYS those other issues are the real issue....they don't do anything about those issues either.  Because they are pieces of dick.

I get where you're coming from, but the "good guys with guns" folks don't give a shit whether their argument is neutralized or not.  Internet debates never changed anything. Arguing for the sake of debate can be loads of fun, and I'm all for it generally, but this is an issue that requires action and we fail to do anything over and over.

If we could somehow manage to magically fix mental health issues, clean up the police departments and ensure they respond properly to dangerous situations, elect finger wagging soft hearted folks who speak eloquently on the evils of gun violence, raise the age to purchase a gun to 25, pass red flag laws in all 50 states, etc. etc. etc., school shootings and mass shootings will still happen.  There is only one way to stop it.   But we won't do it.  We will, however, bitch and moan about all of the ancillary issues because subconsciously we think maybe something will happen to address those.  I suppose from a palliative standpoint that makes some folks feel better.  I thinks it's fucking pointless.

It's going to take the type of passionate, pigheaded, long-term, potentially insane behavior that has led us to the point of Roe v. Wade being overturned to change gun laws in this country.  That's what we need.  Steal their playbook.  Get it done. 

[Prepuce of Doom 21,112]

2 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

I disagree. The 20 something chose to work for senor fuck face. And pretty much anyone doing that has political aspirations connected with the party they are working for. So, in short, they deserve and need to hear choice words as well.

I had a job applicant a couple of years ago who it turned out had recently interned for Kevin McCarthy. I asked her a fair number of questions about that experience (not at all relevant to the position or industry) so that it would be salient enough to click when she never received an offer. 

Petty but satisfying. 

[Deej 77,162]

38 minutes ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Petty but satisfying

New Surly motto?

[Snake Diggity 4,628]

4 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

I called both Cornyn and Cruz, and emailed them each twice.  Neither answered the phone (although I did call Cornyn after hours). I left pleading messages.  I don’t expect it to do any good.  But had to take some kind of immediate action.

Cornyn responded to my email:

 

Spoiler

Thank you for contacting me regarding federal firearms policy. I appreciate the benefit of your comments on this important matter.

 

On May 24, 2022, a gunman maliciously took the lives of 21 innocent people, including 19 children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. My heart goes out to the loved ones of those who lost their lives as they grieve such a cruel tragedy. This is an incredibly difficult time for the Uvalde community, Texas, and our Nation. My office is coordinating with federal, state, and local officials to assist the people of Uvalde as they navigate the aftermath of this senseless act of violence.

     

Like every Texan, I want to prevent violent crime, and this begins with enforcing existing gun laws. The federal government has not adequately enforced the 2007 NICS Improvement Amendments Act (P. L. 110-180), which amended the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This law is supported by organizations ranging from the National Rifle Association to the Brady Campaign and was passed unanimously by Congress in 2008. P.L. 110-180 requires states to submit criminal history and mental health records of individuals who are adjudicated as a danger to themselves or others in order to prevent them from legally purchasing firearms. This includes felons, domestic violence perpetrators, and those who suffer from serious mental illness.

 

To prevent high-risk individuals from illegally purchasing firearms, federally licensed firearms sellers are required to run an FBI background check through NICS on all individuals who attempt to purchase a firearm. This system relies on the sharing of records by federal agencies and state governments to ensure individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm are not able to obtain them. Unfortunately, federal agencies and state governments often fail to upload relevant information to NICS, thereby allowing dangerous individuals and violent criminals to purchase firearms. This failure to share information had tragic consequences in multiple mass-violence events, including Blacksburg, Virginia (2007); Charleston, South Carolina (2015); and Sutherland Springs, Texas (2017). In each of these cases, a dangerous individual who was legally prohibited from purchasing firearms was able to pass a NICS Background Check, because criminal or mental health records were not uploaded to the system.

 

I introduced the bipartisan Fix NICS Act (S. 2135; 115th Congress), which was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (P. L. 115-141). This legislation helps prevent future tragedies and ensure the integrity of our criminal background check system. P.L. 115-141 requires federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans to upload all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law. Federal agencies are held accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees. P.L. 115-141 rewards states who comply with NICS implementation plans through federal grant preferences and incentives. Since the Fix NICS Act was signed into law in 2018, more than eleven million new records have been added to the NICS databases. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to build upon the continued success of this law to ensure missing records don't put more innocent lives at risk.

We can also reduce violent crime and mass shootings by taking steps to strengthen our broken mental health system. On August 5, 2015, I introduced the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015 (S. 2002; 114th Congress), which was later signed into law as part of the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-255). This law enhances the ability of local communities to identify and treat potentially dangerous, mentally ill individuals. The law includes reforms to increase the use of treatment-based alternatives for mentally ill offenders, and improve crisis response and prevention by state and local law enforcement officials. The bill was endorsed by a diverse group of organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Association of Police Organizations.

 

On October 23, 2019, I introduced the RESPONSE Act (S. 2690; 116th Congress), which included a number of provisions to prevent mass attacks and make our communities safer.  This legislation would create nationwide task forces to investigate and prosecute those who are illegally selling firearms, and those attempting to buy firearms who provide false statements as part of a background check. In addition, this bill would improve the quality and availability of mental health care by expanding assisted outpatient treatment and increasing access to crisis intervention teams. Furthermore, the RESPONSE Act would increase safety for students and teachers by promoting best practices and internet safety policies to help schools better identify and assess students whose behavior indicates a threat of violence. Finally, this legislation encourages online platforms to share information with law enforcement concerning acts of mass violence, hate crimes, or domestic terrorism. While this bill was unfortunately not enacted during the 116th Congress, I look forward to working with my colleagues to prevent violent crime during the 117th Congress.

 

Like you, I am outraged by mass shootings and the senseless destruction of lives. As your Senator, I am committed to focusing on the root causes of mass violence, fully enforcing current law, and addressing improvements to mental health care in America.  I will continue to push for effective solutions that protect communities while preserving our constitutional rights.

 

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent Texas in the United States Senate. I recognize we have differing opinions on this important matter, but I hope you will continue to share your views with me regarding issues of importance to you. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

 

Sincerely,

 

JOHN CORNYN

United States Senator

 

Thank you for contacting me regarding federal firearms policy. I appreciate the benefit of your comments on this important matter. 

 

On May 24, 2022, a gunman maliciously took the lives of 21 innocent people, including 19 children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. My heart goes out to the loved ones of those who lost their lives as they grieve such a cruel tragedy. This is an incredibly difficult time for the Uvalde community, Texas, and our Nation. My office is coordinating with federal, state, and local officials to assist the people of Uvalde as they navigate the aftermath of this senseless act of violence.

      

Like every Texan, I want to prevent violent crime, and this begins with enforcing existing gun laws. The federal government has not adequately enforced the 2007 NICS Improvement Amendments Act (P. L. 110-180), which amended the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This law is supported by organizations ranging from the National Rifle Association to the Brady Campaign and was passed unanimously by Congress in 2008. P.L. 110-180 requires states to submit criminal history and mental health records of individuals who are adjudicated as a danger to themselves or others in order to prevent them from legally purchasing firearms. This includes felons, domestic violence perpetrators, and those who suffer from serious mental illness.

  

To prevent high-risk individuals from illegally purchasing firearms, federally licensed firearms sellers are required to run an FBI background check through NICS on all individuals who attempt to purchase a firearm. This system relies on the sharing of records by federal agencies and state governments to ensure individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm are not able to obtain them. Unfortunately, federal agencies and state governments often fail to upload relevant information to NICS, thereby allowing dangerous individuals and violent criminals to purchase firearms. This failure to share information had tragic consequences in multiple mass-violence events, including Blacksburg, Virginia (2007); Charleston, South Carolina (2015); and Sutherland Springs, Texas (2017). In each of these cases, a dangerous individual who was legally prohibited from purchasing firearms was able to pass a NICS Background Check, because criminal or mental health records were not uploaded to the system. 

  

I introduced the bipartisan Fix NICS Act (S. 2135; 115th Congress), which was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (P. L. 115-141). This legislation helps prevent future tragedies and ensure the integrity of our criminal background check system. P.L. 115-141 requires federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans to upload all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law. Federal agencies are held accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees. P.L. 115-141 rewards states who comply with NICS implementation plans through federal grant preferences and incentives. Since the Fix NICS Act was signed into law in 2018, more than eleven million new records have been added to the NICS databases. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to build upon the continued success of this law to ensure missing records don't put more innocent lives at risk. 

We can also reduce violent crime and mass shootings by taking steps to strengthen our broken mental health system. On August 5, 2015, I introduced the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015 (S. 2002; 114th Congress), which was later signed into law as part of the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-255). This law enhances the ability of local communities to identify and treat potentially dangerous, mentally ill individuals. The law includes reforms to increase the use of treatment-based alternatives for mentally ill offenders, and improve crisis response and prevention by state and local law enforcement officials. The bill was endorsed by a diverse group of organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Association of Police Organizations. 

  

On October 23, 2019, I introduced the RESPONSE Act (S. 2690; 116th Congress), which included a number of provisions to prevent mass attacks and make our communities safer.  This legislation would create nationwide task forces to investigate and prosecute those who are illegally selling firearms, and those attempting to buy firearms who provide false statements as part of a background check. In addition, this bill would improve the quality and availability of mental health care by expanding assisted outpatient treatment and increasing access to crisis intervention teams. Furthermore, the RESPONSE Act would increase safety for students and teachers by promoting best practices and internet safety policies to help schools better identify and assess students whose behavior indicates a threat of violence. Finally, this legislation encourages online platforms to share information with law enforcement concerning acts of mass violence, hate crimes, or domestic terrorism. While this bill was unfortunately not enacted during the 116th Congress, I look forward to working with my colleagues to prevent violent crime during the 117th Congress. 

  

Like you, I am outraged by mass shootings and the senseless destruction of lives. As your Senator, I am committed to focusing on the root causes of mass violence, fully enforcing current law, and addressing improvements to mental health care in America.  I will continue to push for effective solutions that protect communities while preserving our constitutional rights. 

 

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent Texas in the United States Senate. I recognize we have differing opinions on this important matter, but I hope you will continue to share your views with me regarding issues of importance to you. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. 

 

Sincerely, 

 

JOHN CORNYN 

United States Senator 

 

TLDR: His response was to highlight a bunch of legislation he sponsored that obviously didn’t work.  Fuck him.

Edited May 28, 2022 by Snake Diggity

[Jkwellborn 6,877]

No people are advocating for police to do their fucking job

Didn’t the Supreme Court rule that police don’t have a responsibility to protect you or something?

[Homercles 10,206]

Well…good job passing those things that didn’t make a difference and blaming the federal government?  I mean what do you expect from a politician but…”it could have been worse”

[scottsins 1,992]

Well, I think that we need to look at where the money came from and prosecute them as being an accessory.  Is that unreasonable?

You would have to prove that the person who gave him the funds was aware that they would be used in furtherance of a crime being committed.