Pressure grows on Biden to enact stricter Gun Control after Colorado massacre
Pollemix News – March 23, 2021
Only hours after yesterday’s deadly massacre in Boulder, Colorado, the debate over gun control reared up as Democrats begged Congress to act following two mass shootings in the span of a week.
President Biden has yet to issue a public statement following the Colorado mass shooting, however, his speech last week in the aftermath of the the murder spree targeting Asian massage parlors in Atlanta was curiously absent of any calls for enacting stricter gun control measures. That may change now following the two high profile shootings, with gun control advocates imploring Biden to make stricter gun control a centerpiece of his administration.
Biden will be briefed on the Colorado incident Tuesday morning, while a Democrat-led Senate Judiciary committee will also convene a hearing on the spate of recent gun violence. Cynics point to the lack of meaningful action following past mass shooting incidents including at Sandy Hook and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, where Democrats pledged to introduce stricter gun control legislation only to see it fizzle in Congress. Nevertheless, with Democrats controlling all 3 chambers of government, supporters are somewhat more hopeful that they will be able to pass stricter gun control measures through the current administration.
In the immediate aftermath of the Colorado shooting, the partisan divide on the issue was made clear with Democrats and Republicans each decamping to their respective talking points. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement pleading with Congress to pass legislation to combat gun violence.
“For the second time in a week, our nation is being confronted by the epidemic of gun violence,” Pelosi said. “Too many families in too many places are being forced to endure this unfathomable pain and anguish. Action is needed now to prevent this scourge from continuing to ravage our communities,” she added.
Her sentiments were echoed by Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, who pledged that the Senate would act on the issue:
We are closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Boulder, Colorado.
I’m praying for the Boulder community and the first responders. I’m mourning for those we’ve lost.
This Senate must and will move forward on legislation to help stop the epidemic of gun violence. https://t.co/PrTeQeiw6F
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 23, 2021
In contrast, controversial House Member Lauren Boebert who ran a gun-themed restaurant called Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colorado tweeted out a message calling for “thoughts and prayers” but was then exposed by journalist David Gura who tweeted out a fundraising email that Boebert sent in the immediate aftermath of the Boulder shooting begging supporters for funds to prevent Biden “taking our guns.”
Here is the message in full, paid for by Lauren Boebert for Congress: pic.twitter.com/0bUSZE5C6G
— David Gura (@davidgura) March 23, 2021
The NRA simply tweeted an image of the Second Amendment in the Constitution but neglected to mention the Colorado shooting or express condolences for the victims:
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. pic.twitter.com/eFBP2PTTUu
— NRA (@NRA) March 23, 2021
A 2019 Monmouth University Poll found that a plurality of Americans supported stricter background checks while 44% supported an assault weapons ban, however, both Republican voters and legislators have been adamantly opposed to any 2nd Amendment legislation. Thus any change to existing gun control laws would require an executive order from President Biden, or would need to be muscled through by the slim Democrat majority in the House and Senate. Although the outcome of any attempt to enact stricter gun control legislation is uncertain, the fierce debate it would ignite is inevitable as few issues animate the American public with the same intensity as the ‘right to bear arms’.
POLL: Should President Biden enact stricter Gun Control in the US?
