MSNBC reporter Craig Melvin has had enough of the “predictable” American response to mass shootings.
During Tuesday’s live coverage from Orlando, he recalled his first time covering such a tragedy in Newtown and recounted the list of similar massacres that have taken place since. It didn’t take him long to tear into America’s “spineless” politicians and the country’s collective inaction following these tragedies.
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Melvin said:
There’s usually an explanation after one of these massacres in our country, existing laws aren’t enforced or the shooter was crazy or racist, or homophobic, xenophobic, ISIS-inspired.
Something else that usually happens, vows to never forget, to never let it happen again. We weep. We light our candles. We say our prayers, maybe there’s a March, a vigil and a few months go by, we get distracted by something or perhaps convince ourselves we can’t really do anything. We can’t restrict the Second Amendment at all. Our current state, clearly what the musket-toting founders envisioned. Of course, we can’t ban assault weapons because there’s already so many of them in circulation. How will the good guys defend themselves? We can’t stop people with mental health issues from getting their hands on guns because that might discourage people from getting help for mental illness.
We can’t do anything? Nothing? The gun lobby is so strong. Our politicians are so spineless. Predictable excuses used every time. The truth is when it comes to lawmakers we get what we deserve.
Early Sunday morning, 50 people 200 yards behind me just enjoying life, mowed down. Another national tragedy and how will we respond this time? Will we throw our hands in the air and do nothing because we can’t figure out precisely what to do or will we figure out how to keep school children and women and Christians and movie-goers and gays, even the forgotten scores who have been dying in Chicago for years now, can we figure out some way to keep more Americans alive?
Melvin closed his powerful commentary by saying, “I’ll probably see you soon from another mass shooting in the United States of America.”
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
