Friday Finds
Wherein we unearth GVP-related stories from the past week
On Fridays here at Armed With Reason, we highlight some articles from the Gun Violence Prevention realm that might’ve been missed during your busy week.
Photo by Lee Lawson on Unsplash
Most of this week’s content centers on the attempted assassination of Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump last weekend, while grappling with the seemingly naive insistence that “there is no place for violence” in a country with more guns than citizens and the most lax gun laws in the world.
Trump was nearly killed with an AR-style rifle he resisted calls to ban: Will it restart the gun debate in America?
“About one in 20 US adults — roughly 16 million Americans — own at least one AR-15-style rifle, according to polling from Ipsos and The Washington Post.”
Unfortunately, gun violence – against Trump or anyone else – is all too American
“That is, the United States is full to overflowing of violence of many kinds and afflicted with many enthusiasts for violence and the weapons with which it is most often fatally inflicted.”
The US won’t put down its weapons – gun violence is as American as apple pie
“‘This kind’ of violence has long been commonplace in the US for centuries, and shows no sign of abating. In fact, nearly one in 10 US presidents have been assassinated in office, while another handful were either shot or narrowly escaped disaster.”
Few Lawmakers Called for Tougher Gun Laws After Trump Shooting
“This assassination attempt was enabled by easy access to a military-style rifle, used precisely as it was designed. Today’s muted response reflects a dangerous normalization of political violence and gun threats.”
Someone tried to assassinate the former president — and the GOP still won’t talk about guns?
“Republicans could take action to make it harder for people to obtain these weapons, if they wanted to. There’s even a precedent for it.”
'Arm yourself accordingly': What the GOP is saying about gun control after Trump shooting
“[Rep. Wesley] Hunt, R-Texas, warned an audience Tuesday morning that an AR-15 ban could become a ‘Trojan horse’ that could lead to wider gun restriction if proponents on ‘the left’ try to push the issue in the wake of the assassination attempt.”
Past shootings of US presidents led to new gun controls. This one probably won’t
“Despite the devastation it has brought, the AR-15 has a fierce grip on American politics. The NRA has called the AR-15 ‘America’s Rifle’, and in 2023 five Congressional Republicans proposed a bill to declare it America’s ‘National Gun’.”
Crowd Goes Wild as Vance Boasts of ‘Mamaw’s’ 19 Guns to Injured Trump
“‘When Mamaw died shortly before I left for Iraq in 2005, and when we went through her things, we found 19 loaded handguns,’ the former Marine said, drawing sustained laughter from many observers in the convention hall. ‘The thing is, they were stashed all over her house… It occurred to us that towards the end of her life, Mamaw couldn’t get around so well, so she was sure that no matter where she was, she was within arm’s length of whatever she needed to protect her family. That’s who we fight for. That’s the American spirit.’”
VIDEO: “An America Awash in Guns”: Brady President Kris Brown on Trump Shooting & the Need for Gun Control
“Brown advocates for critical gun control measures that would interrupt the Republican Party’s vision of ‘guns everywhere, for anyone, at any time.’”
VIDEO: After Trump shooting, gun violence prevention group says Pennsylvania gun laws rank "middle of the pack"
“‘This is just a fact here in Pennsylvania, and in many states, those rifles are legal to buy,’ Josh Fleitman, the campaign director with CeaseFire PA, said. ‘They were federally banned for 10 years, and once that ban was allowed to expire, we saw the rate of mass shootings triple.’”
Sandy Hook group navigates divisive politics to expand school gun violence prevention program
“Sandy Hook Promise is expanding its efforts with bipartisan support, even in a contentious election year. Its Know the Signs pilot program aimed at preventing school gun violence and addressing the underlying mental health crisis is scaling up nationally.”
The Science of Gun Policy
“In this report, part of RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative, researchers seek objective information about what scientific literature reveals about the likely effects of various gun laws.”