Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) responded to the Capital Gazette shooting by reminding America that Republicans in Congress have sent potential shooters a green light to kill through their inaction on gun violence.
Sen. Murphy tweeted:
Pulling for everyone at the Capital Gazette. Horrible.
So awful that my colleagues still don't understand their unconscionable silence has become a green light for would-be shooters, who perceive inaction as endorsement.
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— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 28, 2018
Republicans in Congress have sent the wrong message to mass shooters
It is a fact that the Republican Party has consistently sent the wrong message to would-be mass shooters. Republicans have shown complete indifference to the epidemic of mass shootings. The shooter in Maryland used a shotgun, so this conversation isn’t about banning guns. The problem is that the NRA/GOP has adopted a standard playbook. After each mass shooting, they say as little as possible, wait for the public outrage to blow over, then go back to business as usual. The Republicans never allow the country to have a sustained dialogue about what can be done to end the mass shooting culture in American society.
The problem is not as simple as what to do about guns. How do we change the mindset that mass killing is an acceptable solution?
Sen. Chris Murphy was correct. Until Republicans are willing to have a real conversation about mass shootings that doesn’t begin and end with give everyone more guns, mass shooters are going to feel emboldened because in this case inaction has become an endorsement of the behavior.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
