Thursday birthed another gun-related tragedy, this time fulfilling Donald Trump’s greatest wish, the ruthless and brutal murder of the American free press, or “fake news” as he has dubbed it.
Quite possibly the only positive to come from the latest NRA-funded massacre, this time at the Annapolis based Capital Gazette, is that with the witnesses to the crimes being journalists, misinformation is not spreading as easily as it has for other mass shootings.
This has allowed a greater focus on the real conversation: when will this country wake up and accept that it has a gun problem, and what will it take to get some action to resolve it?
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been asking that question since the day a bullet nearly ended her life as she delivered a speech in her native Arizona. The shooter managed to get a bullet inside Giffords’ head while hitting 19 other attendees and killing six.
Through the grace of modern medicine, Giffords was not one of the six who lost their lives in the 2011 tragedy, and managed to make a full recovery that she turned into activism which, in spite of indifference from Republicans, she continues seven years later.
On Thursday, Giffords took to her Twitter to respond to the NRA’s latest accomplishment, beginning with a simple yet powerful point to the obvious:
“Reporters shouldn’t have to hide from gunfire while doing their jobs. A summer intern in the newsroom shouldn’t have to tweet for help. We shouldn’t have to live in a country where our lawmakers refuse to address this uniquely American crisis.“
Reporters shouldn't have to hide from gunfire while doing their jobs. A summer intern in the newsroom shouldn’t have to tweet for help. We shouldn’t have to live in a country where our lawmakers refuse to address this uniquely American crisis. https://t.co/nJTDPv6pxU
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) June 28, 2018
Giffords mention of the intern refers to a young man who was present at the beginning of the shooting, who sent out a tweet as shots began begging for help.
Giffords sent out a second tweet in which she elaborated on the uniquely American problem that is consistent, mass gun violence:
“This is not normal. Since the year began, there’ve been 179 days and already 154 mass shootings. Every day, more than 90 people are killed by a gun. We are facing a problem and we have to do something about it.”
This is not normal. Since the year began, there’ve been 179 days and already 154 mass shootings. Every day, more than 90 people are killed by a gun. We are facing a problem and we have to do something about it.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) June 28, 2018
For a moment of devil’s advocacy, the definition of a “mass shooting” has never quite been universally defined, though for the sake of reform advocates like Giffords, four people shot excluding the shooter typically constitutes.
That means only twenty-five days in 2018 have been free of four or more people shot in a singular incident. That’s not one full month, even counting the shortest, February.
Giffords issued one final tweet, echoing Joe Biden’s earlier call to action.
“We should be outraged-and making plans to hold them accountable.”
Americans are demanding that their lawmakers pass effective laws to protect our communities, but this Congress refuses to listen. We should be outraged—and making plans to hold them accountable. I’m ready to stand with voters and make our voices heard loud in November.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) June 28, 2018
Giffords says she’s ready to “stand with voters and make our voices heard loud in November.”
It’s now up to the rest of us to make sure Giffords isn’t standing there by herself.
