All too often, opponents of gun control allow perfect to be the enemy of good.
The argument that a given law will not completely prevent mass shootings is a cowardly reason for not taking action. No singular law can stop gun violence in this country; but if we do not work diligently to reduce the carnage, we are capitulating to a scourge that is diminishing our humanity, stoking fear and suggesting that our people are too weak to generate solutions.
The United States has more guns per capita than any developed nation; it is not a coincidence that we have more gun deaths than any developed nation. Yet too many Americans and too many politicians are the embodiment of a headline from years ago on the satirical website The Onion: “ ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.”
Washington lawmakers are to be lauded for taking action. The legislative session that ended Sunday saw the passage of strong attempts to reduce gun violence and make our state safer for all residents.
House Bill 1240 prohibits the sale, manufacture and distribution of assault rifles, which are the favored tool of murderers seeking to inflict maximum damage. All Southwest Washington Republicans voted against the measure, while Democrats were in support.
Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said: “HB 1240 clearly violates our state and federal constitutions, which is why it will end up in court immediately.” On the other hand, in 1994 Congress implemented a ban on assault weapons, which was allowed to sunset after 10 years.
While a ban on the sale of assault weapons is the most eye-catching aspect of firearm legislation from this year’s session, a bill demanding accountability might be the most impactful. It would allow people whose family members die from gun violence to sue if a manufacturer or seller “is irresponsible in how they handle, store or sell those weapons.”
Under the state’s Consumer Protection Act, the attorney general could file a lawsuit against manufacturers or sellers for negligently allowing their guns to be sold to minors, or to people buying guns legally in order to sell them to someone who can’t lawfully have them.
That, too, will face legal challenges. But it seems that those who are consistently espousing the rights of “responsible gun owners” would be eager to hold irresponsible people accountable.
The Legislature also passed a measure requiring a 10-day waiting period for all gun purchases — something already required for semi-automatic rifles — and for gun buyers to show they have taken a firearm safety course.
The slew of legislation prompted platitudes from relentlessly optimistic Gov. Jay Inslee. “We refuse to accept gun violence as normal,” the governor wrote on Twitter. “Gun violence, in all its forms, can be prevented.”
Therein lies the crux of the issue. No, gun violence cannot be prevented or eliminated. But it can be reduced through sensible measures that preserve the right to bear arms without cowering to the whims of the firearms industry.
As state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has said: “The devastation of mass shootings extends far beyond the casualties and injuries. Mass shootings traumatize entire communities. We must stop selling these weapons of war in Washington.”
By working to do something about the problem rather than accepting it, elected representatives have demonstrated that a majority of Washingtonians agree with that sentiment.
