Top Tips for Gun Control Advocates
By Steven Barasch:
Image Source: Flickr
Those who wish to help reduce gun violence should consider becoming knowledgeable about how the legislative process works and how to effectively lobby congress. Many people will feel passionate about this issue and want to act, but it’s important to also understand what we’re up against. The NRA alone has a budget of more than $200 million. They have been working on this for years and have put together an impressive operation with many well-connected lobbyists. Even though there was a lot of momentum after the Parkland shooting, and now the Uvalde, Texas shooting. It is still going to be an uphill battle. Here are some tips for those who want to lobby Congress for gun control legislation.
Why are they still being elected?
Massacre after massacre, school shooting after school shooting these politicians openly receive donations from the NRA year after year. The only thing the NRA wants to do is sell more guns for the gun manufactures they lobby for. They will tell you about mental health issues, how teachers should carry weapons in the classrooms, how changing the laws wouldn’t have mattered in this case or that case. An overwhelming percentage of Americans want a universal background check that works. Whereas it is true more mental health services are needed, those services are still lacking and varied from state to state. Why do voters continue to elect these politicians who stuff their campaign trunks with NRA gun money? Ironically these politicians are the first in line to offer thoughts and prayers when a tragedy happens.
The Second Amendment
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Nowhere in the Second Amendment does it say the right to be bear Arms can’t be regulated. Those who think any type of gun control, whether it be a comprehensive universal background check, or banning AR-15 style assault weapons altogether come up with the same lame and false arguments.
1. “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”
2. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. “
3. “But, mental health!”
Total dollars given to US Senators by NRA
- Mitt Romney (Utah) $13,647,676
- Richard Burr (North Carolina) $6,987,380
- Roy Blunt (Missouri) $4,555,722
- Thom Tillis (North Carolina) $4,421,333
- Marco Rubio (Florida) $3,303,355
- Joni Ernst (Iowa) $3,124,773
- Rob Portman (Ohio) $3,063,327
- Todd C. Young (Indiana) $2,897,582
- Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) $2,867,074
- Tom Cotton (Arkansas) $1,968,714
- Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) $1,475,448
- Josh Hawley (Missouri) $1,391,548
- Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee) $1,306,130
- Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) $1,269,486
- Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) $1,267,139
- Mike Braun (Indiana) $1,249,967
- John Thune (South Dakota) $638,942
- Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) $341,738
- Richard Shelby (Alabama) $258,514
- Chuck Grassley (Iowa) $226,007
- John Neely Kennedy (Louisiana) $215,788
- Ted Cruz (Texas) $176,274
- Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) $146,262
- Steve Daines (Montana) $123,711
- Cindy Hyde-Smith (Mississippi) $109,547
- Roger Wicker (Mississippi) $106,680
- Rand Paul (Kentucky) $104,456
- Mike Rounds (South Dakota) $95,049
- John Boozman (Arkansas) $82,352
- John Cornyn (Texas) $78,945
- Ben Sasse (Nebraska) $68,623
- Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma) $66,758
- Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) $55,961
- Mike Crapo (Idaho) $55,039
- Jerry Moran (Kansas) $34,718
- John Barrasso (Wyoming) $26,989
- John Hoeven (North Dakota) $22,050
- Susan Collins (Maine) $19,638
- James Lankford (Oklahoma) $18,955
- Jim Risch (Idaho) $18,850
- Tim Scott (South Carolina) $18,513
Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema although being rated as a “D” by the NRA should be on the list as well. They have continuously stood in the way of passing meaningful gun reform laws. They insist on a bipartisan measure to address the issues and refuse to get rid of the filibuster that requires a 60-vote majority. The NRA has contributed 100% of their election contributions to republicans in 2020. These two senators live in an antiquated political world of a bipartisanship. After all, Republicans hate Democrats more than they love your children, the innocent, and democracy itself.
The Polls
From an Atlantic Magazine article By Ronald Bronstein posted on May 22, 2022:
“The Pew polling found that significant majorities of Americans support background checks (81 percent), an assault-weapons ban (63 percent), and a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines (64 percent); a majority also opposes concealed carry of weapons without a permit. Majorities of Republicans who don’t own guns shared those opinions, as did Democratic gun owners, by even more lopsided margins. Even most Republicans who do own guns said in the polling that they support background checks and oppose permitless concealed carry (which more red states, including Texas, are authorizing).”
There are many aspects of the NRA organization that are troubling, but one in particular jumps out: they don’t represent gun owners. The NRA only cares about their corporate sponsors and their profits. For example, the NRA has accepted millions of dollars from the firearms industry. This is a group that exists not to protect the rights of gun owners but to make money off of them.
Lobby your Congressperson directly
All members of Congress have a “in-district” office where you can go and talk to a staff-person directly. Most of the time, meetings are by appointment only and are very quick. Often you can go just to leave a message for your Congressperson to show them that you care about this issue. If you have time, you can also write a letter to your Congressperson. Simply write a short letter to your congressman. State your position on the issue, give a short summary of why you care about it, and encourage the Congressman to act.
Lobby the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader
The first thing to understand about the legislative process is that in order to pass any legislation, it has to go through the House and Senate, be signed by the President, and then be reconciled with the Senate version. Therefore, to pass any meaningful gun control bill, there would need to be bi-partisan support. It would be difficult to pass anything in the Senate, since it requires 60 votes, and Republicans have 50 seats. Democrats have 48 seats. There are 2 Independents who both caucus with the Democrats. The Vice President of the United States holds the tie breaker voter. The House of Representatives requires a majority of 218 votes. Republicans have 210 seats. Democrats have 224 seats. The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader are the two people who decide which bills come up for a vote. So, the best way to lobby them is to show that this is an issue that many people care about. There are many ways to do this. You can contact your representative’s office and ask to be put on their mailing list so that you can be notified when actions are being taken. You can also sign up for various online groups that offer information and ways to get involved.
Lobby the Senate and urge them to bring legislative actions
Not all of the lobbying has to be directed towards the House. The Senate can also bring up legislation. The “Stop Gun Violence Act of 2018” was passed by the House of Representatives and failed in the Senate. This bill would have expanded background checks to all gun sales, close the gun show loophole, and create a federal grant program for school safety. You can find your Senator’s contact information on the Senate’s website. You can also call or write them. It is best to call rather than write, as it’s easier for them to just write off a letter as being from an “extremist.” You can also track what bills are moving forward on the website Senate.gov.
60% of registered voters
Before the Uvalde, Texas 60% of all registered voters wanted stricter gun laws. Those who don’t want it use every excuse under the sun to defend their position as the bodies pile up. Every argument, every website, every politician has one unmentioned thing behind their argument: Money.
Conclusion
Legislative gun control is not the complete answer. It is part of the answer. One cannot say what it will and will not prevent in the future. One thing for sure is an 18-year-old has only 1 reason to buy an AR-15 assault weapon and that is to kill people. It is the only thing that weapon has been designed for. The way things are right now, it is a guarantee that someone, somewhere here in the United States, is plotting, planning, and preparing for another school shooting. It is also guaranteed the same for another mass shooting no matter what is behind motivation. Do you want change? Stand the fuck up and demand it.
Call 202-224-3121 ask to be connected to your representative and leave a message demanding common sense gun laws.
See also What Do We Say to Our Dead Children?
Recommended Reading: The NRA: The Unauthorized History
Sources: Alternate Facts, Dueling Realities, and the Second Amendment
The Real Reason America Doesn’t Have Gun Control – The Atlantic
Rolling Sone: Pro Gun Arguments We’re Sick of Hearing
