The United States has a gun problem unparalleled anywhere in the world. The mass shooting in San Bernardino last Wednesday was the 352nd this year, averaging out to more than one mass shooting every day. According to the Brady Campaign, the average day sees 31 murders and 55 suicides committed by firearms in the US. The US firearm homicide rate is 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 other countries that are similar in wealth and population. In the average American home, a gun is 22 times more likely to be used as a tool for domestic violence, suicide, or an unintentional shooting than it is to be used as a weapon of self-defense. In the average year, 108,476 Americans are shot, and 32,514 Americans die from gun violence.
The recent mass shootings in Colorado Springs and San Bernardino have started a new conversation about gun control in the US. Unfortunately, the conversation being had in millions of dining rooms across the country looks very different from the conversation happening in Congress.
Nine out of ten Americans support universal background checks. Ninety percent. This could be the most agreed-upon policy in the US. So why is gun control so out of reach? Like so many issues, it all boils down to one thing—the corrupting influence of money in politics.
Money in politics spent by billionaires is what makes the billionaire tax rate so low. Money in politics spent by oil companies is what keeps politicians from acting on climate. Money in politics spent by big corporations is what keeps the corporate tax loopholes in our tax code. Money in politics spent by banks is what prevented bankers from facing criminal charges after the financial disaster of 2008. Money in politics spent by pharmaceutical companies is what allows them to charge outrageous prices for life-saving drugs.
Money in politics spent by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and weapons manufacturers is what prevents gun control legislation from going anywhere.
Think Progress reporter Igor Volsky exhibited this conflict of interest when he responded to government officials’ “thoughts and prayers” tweets, to families of those killed in San Bernardino, with how much money the NRA donated to their campaigns. He called out Ken Buck, Todd Rokita, Mitch McConnell, Renee Ellmers, Steve Womack, Peter Roskam, Ed Royce, Paul Ryan, and Steve Scalise, all of whom received between $1,000 and $922,000 from the NRA in campaign donations.
On Thursday, a vote on the Senate floor also helped clear up any misconceptions about senators’ true positions on gun control. Senator Diane Feinstein proposed legislation that would prevent people on the terrorist watch list from buying firearms. The bill lost 54-45. If it sounds ridiculous that anyone would vote against this, that’s because it is. The terrorist watch list or “no-fly” list was created after 9/11 in order to identify people who are dangerous and prevent them from endangering others by boarding an airplane. Terrorists are not allowed to fly, but they are allowed to buy a gun in the US.
It’s important to note, the vote was split very strictly along party lines. All but one democrat voted for the bill, and all but one republican voted against it. The republicans who voted to affirm terrorists’ right to bear arms are the same people who supported the Patriot Act after 9/11. They are more than willing to take away American’s rights to due process and privacy, but they won’t consider taking away a terrorist’s so-called “right” to own a gun. They think that accepting Syrian refugees would put us at risk for a terrorist attack, but they would eagerly arm any terrorist once they got here.
If the US wants to move forward as a nation on gun control, it needs to realize that too many republicans in Congress would rather help their NRA buddies make a buck off suspected terrorists than protect American citizens from gun violence.
Senator Dianne Feinstein put it best: “If you need proof that Congress is a hostage to the gun lobby, look no further than today’s vote blocking a bill to prevent known or suspected terrorists from buying guns and explosives. If you’re too dangerous to board a plane, you’re too dangerous to buy a gun. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”
The issue of money in politics isn’t just about the righteous fight to reclaim democracy anymore—it’s a matter of life and death.
Sophia Cunningham is a vegan feminist from Orange County. She is interested in studying politics and sociology, and she spends her free time reading, writing, and singing. She hopes to educate others about social issues and the importance of activism in everyday life.
