Guns and political violence
No one is immune
Guns can be both a tool for protecting our personal freedoms and, as we saw on Saturday, one for undermining the civic order that protects us all. Like every American of good will, we were horrified by the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania last weekend and strongly condemn political violence of any kind. We mourn the victim and are thankful to law enforcement for ensuring that more lives were not lost.
There will be much debate about the security failures that allowed a solitary young man with an AR-15 to get a clear shot at a former president. But it’s a familiar story, and it reveals once again how vulnerable we all are to gun violence in America. Schools, churches, grocery stores, malls, movie theaters, concerts, bars, bowling alleys, parades, political rallies—all have been targeted with violence that does not discriminate among race, creed, gender, or political beliefs.
What can we learn from this incident? Precious little at the moment, as authorities are still tracking the shooter’s movements and attempting to determine a motive. The rifle the shooter used had been purchased legally by his father, so it was easily traceable; 20 other guns found in the home were also legally purchased and registered to the father. Whether the shooter had displayed any concerning behaviors beforehand is also unclear.
In any case, this tragedy speaks to the responsibility we all have as gun owners to ensure that our firearms are safely stowed away in a gun safe, vault, or other secure location where they may not be accessed without our permission and supervision.
At 97Percent, this tragedy, like all incidents of gun violence, steels our resolve to continue working to balance the liberties we treasure with the safety of all Americans.
