Yesterday I was going to cover the shootings in Florida on Politics Done Right with a show centralized on righteous indignation. I featured instead someone who had a more measured approach which believes there is a better way to get to sensible gun control.
I invited Coffee Party USA former president Debilyn Molineaux and instead of addressing the gun control question directly, she postulated that if one instead solved ancillary issues, it could render gun control moot. While Debilyn is likely correct that solving people’s problems — boredom, abuse, molestation, lack of self-worth, — would inhibit those who have access to guns from using them as their antidote, the problem is now.
More moderate approach to gun control?
We all know the ultimate solution because it is in effect in countries like the United Kingdom where these events don’t occur. Limit access to guns, period. Australia instituted buyback programs and gun control after having liberal gun policies. They’ve not had a mass killing event since.
But Americans are under the grips of politicians who are controlled by the National Rifle Association (NRA). Most Americans want stricter sensible gun control. The problem is that to most it’s not existential, so they are not revolting in the streets.
If messaging were better I think we would accomplish two things. First, it would show Americans that there is a better way that is not hypothetical given examples of countries without the problem and nations that solved their mass shooting problems. And second, many Americans would activate and put the fear of the masses in the psyche of even the politicians in hock to the NRA. We would have empowered the masses with a consistent message.
I recall an episode of The West Wing where President Bartlett did just that to shoot down the nonsense emanating from an Evangelical Host. It was not only epic, but it shows the effectiveness of a tightly constructed narrative. Check it out here.