Time for Gun Law Reform

Wisconsin Wants Common Sense Gun Law Reform
Let the Legislature Debate New Laws

In the wake of yet more mass shootings this week that left far too many dead and injured, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers asked Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to meet and discuss how to address the growing problem of gun violence. There have been over 250 mass shootings this year alone where 4 or more died, with two occurring in Wisconsin.

After agreeing to meet, Vos immediately tweeted that he would not consider gun law reform and blamed the recent carnage on “mental illness.” Fitzgerald indicated that he would not consider any bills that infringed on the 2nd Amendment and Due Process. Their entrenched views will certainly preclude legislative consideration of universal background checks for all firearm purchases or of “red flag” laws that would permit a judge to order firearm confiscation from those found to be a serious threat to themselves or others. 

These modest proposals are already finding renewed favor in states historically opposed to gun law reforms such as Ohio where the republican governor called for similar measures in light of the killing sprees in Dayton and El Paso.

Blaming “mental illness” for our gun violence problem is a distraction dreamed up by the NRA and pedaled by those afraid of losing NRA support. According to U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, 19 out of twenty murderers and 4 out of 5 mass shooters do not have mental illness diagnoses. All of the civilized countries in the world have citizens with mental illness, yet none come close to having as many gun homicides or mass shootings as we do, except those at war. Trump’s recent blaming of the mentally ill for the latest round of killings is all the more bizarre when we recall that one of his first presidential acts was to reverse the Obama era rule barring firearm sales to the mentally ill. 

Hatred of others not like the shooter based on religion, race or country of origin is not a “mental illness.” Hatred and fear of others are among the hallmarks of the white supremacist nationalists all too often found with their fingers on the trigger of the assault-style weapons that kill our fellow citizens. 

The current batch of white supremacist nationalist killers have often been self-described Trump supporters who appear to have been given permission to repel the “invaders” and wipe out the “infestations” their leader describes at his rallies and in his tweets. Trump’s refusal to consider basic gun reform measures further emboldens the haters to continue their killings. His recent condemnation of white supremacy and hatred ring hollow when followed by his tweets attacking his critics in racist and hate filled terms.

Other GOP notables trot out obsession with violent video games as a leading cause of our mass shooting carnage. Other countries, notably China and Japan, have far more video gamers that we do, yet far fewer mass shootings or murders by firearm. No other country where video gamers play violent games comes close to approaching our levels of gun violence. 

What all of our mass shooters have in common is all too easy access to the assault style rifles with high capacity magazines and ammunition designed to inflict the greatest amount of damage to human bodies. Lack of access to these weapons of mass destruction is one of the hallmarks of those countries with almost no mass shootings. 

The tide of public opinion on gun control has shifted. Over 80 percent of Wisconsin citizens in a recent Marquette University Law School poll supported universal background checks for all firearm purchases. This would eliminate the so-called “gun show” loophole in present law that exempts private firearm sales from current background check rules. Over half of those polled also supported a ban on assault-style rifles.

Twenty-two states now have “red flag” laws similar to those now proposed by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. These laws provide due process protections for gun owners by requiring a hearing before a judge where evidence of current danger to self or others must be presented before firearms can be removed by law enforcement. Such measures will certainly pass constitutional muster under the 2nd Amendment.

While important first steps, these measures will not address the need to further restrict access to the weapons whose sole purpose is to kill human beings. Until we renew the assault weapons ban, the killings will continue unabated. 

Speaker Vos and Majority Leader Fitzgerald would do well to take a step back from the NRA talking points and mythology and allow the legislature to freely debate how best protect all Wisconsin citizens from further gun violence. Let us urge them to act on reasonable gun reform before there is another Wisconsin mass shooting. We deserve no less.