Republican Politicians Will Never Change Their Minds on Guns. So We Have to Change Their Jobs.

Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for March For Our Lives

On Aug 7th in Orangeburg County, SC a six-year-old girl was shot and killed by a child. A six-year-old. Shot. And killed. Her life, gone. In an instant. All because an adult gun-owner failed to securely store their loaded firearm, and allowed a child to access it. 

Tragic. Preventable. Maddening. 

Credit: Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office

First and foremost, I will honor this child’s life with my action. I will honor this child’s life by using my voice, by making people uncomfortable, by continuing to wake up every single day, like I have since February 2018, to address the public health crisis that is gun violence. 

Did you know guns are the leading cause of death for children in this country? Not cancer, not motor vehicle collisions, not drownings. GUNS. 

Did you also know that our South Carolina Republican supermajority DOES NOT GIVE A DAMN? (By the way, I asked if I could write this article in all caps and they said no.)

That’s right. The “pro-life” (vomit emoji) South Carolina GOP does not give a damn about our kids getting shot. They never have. And, I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, they NEVER WILL. Just like you can’t negotiate with terrorists, you can’t tell sad stories about kids getting shot to our Republican lawmakers and expect them to change their position. They won’t. Trust me, I have tried. 

To further prove my point, Republican women in Tennessee tried this tactic after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee and instead of common sense gun laws like background checks, red flag laws and secure storage laws, they got…arming teachers. (They also raised money and donated it to the same Republican elected officials who gave them the proverbial middle finger when it came time to vote.)

When I think about gun violence, I immediately think about the politics of gun violence. Why don’t I think about policy? Because we know what policies work. Background checks, red flag laws, and secure storage laws reduce the incidence of firearm injury morbidity and mortality. Why don’t I think about advocacy? Because the Republican party’s position on this issue CANNOT BE SWAYED. 

The leader of the modern day Republican party could be shot at by a young man with an assault weapon and I bet they wouldn’t change their position. Oh wait, that actually happened. They didn’t. 

So stop pretending like this is going to be the shooting that convinces South Carolina Republicans to care, and start working to get them out of office. 

Politics is the only way out of this public health crisis. It’s sad but true. Expert testimony, op-eds, evidence based policy papers, one-on-one conversations with lawmakers, sob stories, data, hell, even a Surgeon General’s advisory, will not change their minds. They won’t change their minds, so the only answer is to change their jobs. (I heard the Trump campaign is looking for some crisis comms staffers, maybe they can start there). 

If you give a damn about kids, kids like the six year old who was shot and killed in South Carolina this week, or the thousands of other American kids who are shot and killed every year, it’s time to accept the fact that our Republican lawmakers are cold-hearted and self-serving, and they will never change their position on this issue. EVER. 

So stop being naive, stop hoping you will get through to them, and start doing everything in your power to VOTE THEM OUT. 

If you don’t believe me, look up your state legislators, call them, and ask them to bring a secure storage bill to the floor next session. I’ll buy a beer for anyone who gets a South Carolina Republican to agree to even have a conversation about it. 

*PSA: Storing your guns locked and unloaded significantly reduces the incidence of unintentional shootings and youth suicide. Go to BeSMARTforKids.org to learn more.