What to Hope for After the Uvalde Massacre

By David Corn  May 28, 2022

Children pay their respects at a memorial site for the victims killed during the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP

Many years ago, a prominent pundit told me there were three words you could not say on television: I don’t know. This week, after the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, I didn’t know what to say and was glad I didn’t have to add to the barrage of comments on cable news. Sure, I could pour on the outrage and assail the usual suspects who offer meaningless thoughts and prayers while blocking gun safety measures that might prevent some of the recurring nightmares that have become endemic in the United States. I could engage in the ritualistic post-shooting debate and debunk the usual BS the gun lovers hurl—we need good guys with guns; it’s a mental health issue—and the blah-blah-blah-it’s-not-about-guns.

On each side, we have memorized the script. We say no other industrialized democracy has this problem and point out they all limit gun ownership. We’re right. But this argument—though persuasive for the majority of Americans who support anti–gun violence initiatives—doesn’t move the gun-crazy obstructionists who possess disproportionate influence within our political system and who respond that it is merely a bad guy with a gun. And each time one of these massacres occurs in the darkness and despair of the tragedy, we say to ourselves—we cannot help but say to ourselves—perhaps this time, this damn time, it will be different. This time, the blood, the misery, the ruined lives will finally—finally!—prompt a breakthrough. Because we want to believe we can stop small pieces of metal from tearing apart the bodies of children, or elderly worshippers, or concertgoers. We want to believe that the goddamn politicians who kneel at the altar of gun fetishism will finally remove their blinders, give up the NRA dollars fattening their campaign accounts, and admit that the problem is simple: too many guns with too few constraints on access. And maybe even they will announce they are ready to try to find meaningful solutions.

Of course, this won’t happen. Sandy Hook, Parkland, Aurora, the Pulse, Las Vegas, El Paso, Charleston, Buffalo. (The list is so long that we at Mother Jones maintain a mass-shooting database.) So what is the point of hoping? Still, part of me can’t help wonder—or hope?—if this time something will happen. Manchin is talking about crafting a bipartisan bill. McConnell is saying give it a try. Maybe the terrible deaths of these 19 children and two adults will be afforded a fragment of meaning by motivating action that could possibly prevent future massacres.

But even if there are sincere efforts underway, can common sense overcome theology? I used to believe that the biggest obstacle to progress on gun safety was the NRA. Forty-two years ago, I organized against the gun lobby in the aftermath of John Lennon’s assassination. And as a reporter, for decades, I have witnessed the clout of this group, as it has thwarted one initiative after another—though during the Reagan years, it failed to stop a ban on cop-killer bullets and under Clinton it also failed to halt a ban on assault-style weapons. (President George W. Bush, naturally, let the assault weapons ban lapse.) Certainly, the NRA, with massive political contributions and its own independent ad campaigns, has assisted gun-fancying Republicans, including Donald Trump, in gaining political power and then leveraged that access. Remember what happened after the 2018 Parkland shooting in which 17 high school students were killed and 17 injured? Trump held a bipartisan meeting with legislators in the White House. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) pressed him to support expanded background checks for gun buyers. “I like that responsibility, Chris,” Trump replied. “I really do. I think it’s time. It’s time that a president stepped up, and we haven’t had them. And I’m talking Democrat and Republican presidents—they have not stepped up.” It seemed as if Trump might consider action.

What happened next?

Two days later, he met with NRA officials. That was the end of that. He threatened to veto such a measure if it passed Congress.

Yet perhaps the NRA’s biggest achievement was turning gun rights into an article of faith for the Red State tribe. For this slice of Americans, guns are not the stuff of policy debates; they are a key component of identity. Barack Obama was right: Many conservative Americans do “cling” to their guns—or the idea of gun rights. And the politicians know this. It seems a Republican can’t run for office these days without a campaign ad in which he or she fires a gun. No doubt, fear of the NRA’s political muscle and a desire for its campaign bucks influence Republican politicians. But even without all that, they would still be beholden to their tribe’s intense attachment to guns.

Most of the nation does support various restrictions on gun ownership—just as a majority rejects Donald Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 election. But Republican pols and right-wing leaders are not playing to that wide swath of the citizenry. Their allegiance is to the fanatics, fearing a challenge from the right or excommunication from the faith.

In a culture war, every dispute is part of the overarching us-versus-them narrative. For decades, the NRA and right-wingers have cast efforts at gun control as a devilish plot of the left to take away all your guns, which itself is part of the larger plan of those evil commies (and the government) to destroy your way of life (and the America you love) and control you and your children. In such a struggle, there can be no policy debate and no compromise. As a result, Republican politicians have no cogent argument and constantly contort themselves as they deny that guns pose a problem.

One example: This past week, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox host Laura Ingraham:

This problem is a much larger problem than...the gun issue, the mental health issue. And all those are important. But at the end of the day, Laura, we are in a sick society where we are at each other’s throats all the time... Everywhere you look, we are just—whether it’s on the internet, whether it’s in any walk of life, people are just at each other every day. And we have to ask ourselves who we are. And I believe we’re a nation of godly people, and godly people need to pray...We gotta make changes...Christians have to pray for God to heal our land. And we have to take a stand...For those of us who are Christians we need to take hold of our country, and we do that through prayer. You cannot change the culture of a country without changing the character of the people, and you just cannot change character without changing a heart and you can’t do that without turning to God.

Put aside for the moment that Patrick was saying this on Fox, which is command central for stirring up fear, resentment, and hatred. His basic argument was illogical. In Canada, Europe, and all over the world, mass shootings are not a problem. Would Patrick say these places are godlier and inhabited by more devout Christians than the United States? But these countries did not turn to prayer to stop this madness. They just passed laws about guns. But if commonsense gun laws are anathema, you have to conjure up this sort of nonsense.

Watch Sen. Ted Cruz in this exchange with a British reporter who notes the rest of the world “cannot fathom” the epidemic of gun violence here and the suicidal resistance to action. He responds by attacking the journalist for questioning “American exceptionalism.” This is the performance of a man desperate not to face the obvious truth.

The Republicans’ fatal embrace of guns won’t be broken easily. And thanks to gerrymandering and the structure of the Senate, they can smother significant gun safety reform. In the Senate they repeatedly wield the filibuster to defy the will of the majority. And yet McConnell seems to be suggesting it’s time for a change. Perhaps he is worrying that the usual GOP obstructionism could become a vulnerability for Republicans in a few House and Senate races in the upcoming midterm elections and is looking for political cover via a bipartisan compromise measure. But even if anything comes out of this, the measure will likely fall far short of the controls needed to stop the next Uvalde. Or Buffalo. Or Newtown. Or Columbine.

The way to beat bad guys who embrace guns is by amassing a ton of good guys who care as deeply about the prevention of gun violence and are committed to doing what’s needed to bring gun sanity to this land. The hope must be not only that some Rs will finally leave their hellish cult to support some moderate gun safety action, but that American voters will as passionately cling to the need for change as Republicans cling to killing machines. Only then will this damn time be different.  

Got anything to say about this item—or anything else? Email me at ourland@motherjones.com.

Scheduling Notice—and a Request

As previously noted, the Our Land crew will be hitting the barbecue this long, holiday weekend. Consequently, there will be no issue early next week. We’ll be back shortly after that. And while I have your attention, please help us expand the audience for Our Land by forwarding issues to your friends and foes. Let them know they can sign up for a subscription at www.davidcorn.com. Many thanks. And enjoy your vegan hot dogs.

Dumbass Comment of the Week

A whole issue could be devoted to the infuriating, false, and disingenuous remarks made in the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting. (See the examples above.) But let’s make room for other inane statements uttered this week. Reacting to liberal billionaire George Soros’ appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, during which he lashed out at Vladimir Putin, pro-Trump numbskull Candace Owens tweeted, “If you think Putin is a greater threat to Western civilization than George Soros—you haven’t been paying attention.”

I don’t know how bonkers one must be to look at Putin, his war crimes, his brutal destruction of entire cities, and his bombing of civilians and side with him over a funder of progressive causes whose work did much to break the Soviet grip on power. It’s difficult to comprehend. But it’s not difficult to award Owens this week’s prize.

The runner-up is Kandiss Taylor, a Republican who competed in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary this past week. Hers might not be a familiar name, but she is an extremist conservative activist. She ended her campaign on a hysterical note, vowing that she would execute sheriffs by firing squad if they don’t “do the will of the people. I don’t mind handcuffing them either...The Constitution says when you commit treason, it’s death by firing squad. I didn’t write it—it’s in there.” Uh, it’s not in there. Taylor made this comment while standing in front of a banner that read, “Jesus. Guns. Babies.” This is a slogan of Christian nationalism. Two days after uttering this violent idiocy, she received 41,113 votes in the election (3.4 percent)—which incumbent GOP Gov. Brian Kemp won with 74 percent. Is it good news or bad news that more than 40,000 Georgians voted for her? I leave that to you to decide.

The Mailbag

Responding to my recent column about Trump’s and Tucker Carlson’s participation in the CPAC in Hungary that celebrated autocrat Viktor Orbán, Glenn Ivers emailed:

I enjoy your column, and your commentary when I catch it on the tellie. Been thinking about how Republicans and other bullies have become masters at simple messages, which they drive home with ad nauseam repetition: Putin with Ukraine being about uprooting Nazis, Trump about the election being stolen. It would be great if you could delve into the mindset of people who believe the lies if they are told to them often enough. Was it Roy Cohn who said if you tell a lie often enough and loud enough people will believe it? I believe he also said: accuse your opponent of what you are doing first and loudest, so that any retort seems like petty tit-for-tat. Democrats and left-leaning communicators need to crack that code: something along the lines of "The bigger the lie, the more often you need to tell it." "And the louder you need to say it." Not to mention Republican expertise at generating fear in the populace (caravans!) and of smearing your opponent (pedophiles!). When emotions are raised, facts become irrelevant. It is clear to me at least that it is all a smoke screen to cover their grab for power so they can exercise policies that are often against against the public interest. Democrats need to find a way to clear the smoke away in this and coming election cycles.

Glenn, I agree with the need for anti-smoke messaging. And it wasn’t sleazebag-lawyer Roy Cohn who is credited with either of those quotes. The first remark about repeating a Big Lie has long been attributed to Joseph Goebbels, though he was accusing the British of using this tactic. As the Washington Post’s Rachel Weiner explained:

For the record, Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was actually talking about British Prime Minister Winston Churchill when he espoused the theory of the "big lie," writing, "The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous." Hitler himself wrote in "Mein Kampf" that people "readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods." But he was talking about the Jews, not his own strategy.

It's interesting you bring up Cohn, who was both a consigliere and mentor for Trump. As for accusing the other side—as Goebbels did—this strategy has also been attributed to Lenin and, more recently, GOP strategist Karl Rove. Then again, Monty Pythoner John Cleese once gave credit to Soviet spies: “One should never forget the first principle of the old KGB. ‘Always accuse your enemy of exactly what you are doing.’”

In the aforementioned column, I wrote, “As many commentators have observed, Trump has adopted the style of professional wrestling: bombastic, confrontational trash-talking in support of inauthenticity.” Bruce Bailey took exception to my reference to professional wrestling:

FYI, you might like to know the prime directive in professional wrestling: Take care of your opponent. Yes, the "promos", as they are called, often are bombastic. That's what the audience is there for. So are certain speeches in the theater. Yes, the matches are prearranged. Not just the outcomes, virtually every move in the ring is planned and often rehearsed. Just like the theater. [Trump] is a fan of the WWE. He has appeared on the show, at one point doing a skit with owner Vince McMahon. The McMahons have donated generously to [his] campaigns. It's not surprising that [Trump] adopted certain promo techniques from pro wrestling. In other words, think twice before denigrating that business and those professionals. Many of them are highly skilled and can do physical things far beyond the ordinary. I think of it as an art form, a sort of simulated combat ballet, and often a display of amazing strength and athleticism... Overall, if you respect thespians, ballet dancers, and acrobats, you should also respect professional wrestlers. The better ones perform remarkable feats almost daily for our entertainment.

Jo Fuller asks:

I can't find what Republican lawmakers attended this [CPAC in Hungary]. I'm trying to write a letter to the editor, and I'm in Florida and can't find out if Rubio, Scott, or DeSantis attended. Any direction you could give me to look would be appreciated.

This was not the average CPAC. GOP politicians and presidential wannabes did not flock to it. But it did feature a racist and antisemitic Hungarian commentator. Remember that next time these Republicans attend a stateside CPAC.

Several readers noted that they shared my alarm over the victory of QAnonish, Big Lie promoter Doug Mastriano in the GOP gubernatorial primary. But Bill Townsend had a different take: 

While your clarion call for anxiety-driven alarm could arguable be somewhat justified, it should be a bit tempered by the fact that today the GOP party is a minority one. When I last looked, the GOP held about 27 percent of reregistered voters, while the Democrats and independents came in at about 32 percent each; with the remaining 9 percent being split among even smaller political parties...Further, as you suggest, it is the GOP that houses the avid and rabid Trump supporters, and by most accounts they indeed are about half the GOP. Which puts their numbers about 13 percent of registered voters. And while independents do hold some of these avid and rabid types, most people within the independents are not gullible enough to be taken in by either GOP or Democratic propagandistic party-lines; that's why they are registered independents, they want to think for themselves—which is something Trumpsters aren't able to do...

You are correct to raise this issue and point out Pennsylvania’s possible, but probably not potential, peril. And yes, by pointing out the situation, it will help accentuate more concern which should then activate more efforts to see to it that your raised concern/threat is defeated. Ergo, thank you for that. Your piece was very well written, but in your efforts to make it "so alarming" you have simply contributed to the malaise of fear that is shredding America's sense of decency. Why not work on reviving the "Fairness Doctrine" so America can again get used to hearing, and listening to, the other side of topics and issues?

Seventy-four million Americans voted for Trump. Certainly, not all were in the “avid and rabid” category Bill cites. But in election results, that doesn’t matter. Any Republican who wins a primary has a decent shot at victory in a state with lots of Republican voters, such as Pennsylvania. Consequently, I think alarm is justified, and I hope it motivates rather than depresses folks. As for the Fairness Doctrine, yes.

Bettina Norton wrote in to address a pressing matter: 

I am such an admirer of yours. Your analyses beat out everyone. But tell me: do you own a standard poodle. White? We are on our sixth since 1955... first one white, Zita, from Bel Tor Kennels, Branford, Connecticut. Then Shadow, Cinnamon, Ichiban, and last, Tosca (now deceased) and her littermate Caramella.

Moxie is indeed a standard poodle. A bit on the smaller side at a svelte 39 pounds. A substandard? (She hates that joke.) I grew up with standard poodles because I was allergic to dogs. It’s a great breed. They tend to be athletic and extremely intelligent. (Only border collies score better on SATs.) But they can be worriers. I think that’s because they’re often too smart for their own good. But Moxie disagrees on that, too. Speaking of which....

MoxieCam™

“I am so ready for summer and the beach.”

“Moxie, the water is 53 degrees.”

“That’s a you problem.”

Read Recent Issues of Our Land

May 25, 2022: The anti-ness of the Trumpified right; Our Land in photos; Tokyo Vice vs. Miami Vice; Sarah Shook and what makes a song cool; and more.

May 21, 2022: Why a threat to Pennsylvania is a threat to us all; Dumbass Comment of the Week (saying goodbye to Madison Cawthorn); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

May 17, 2022: Special Book Excerpt: How John Lennon’s murder led to preventing mass shootings; and more.

May 14, 2022: The January 6 committee gets ready for prime time; Dumbass (and Disappointing) Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more

May 10, 2022: Can Joe Biden convince America the GOP is a threat?; Slow Horses gallop; an old new Brian Eno-John Cale tune; and more.

May 7, 2022: Imagine if elections were boring (guest column by James West); and more.

May 3, 2022: Reality and reality TV at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner; the excessive glamour of WeCrashed; a reminder to watch The Survivor; and more.

April 30, 2022: Elon Musk and Twitter—what to worry about; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Russian Nuclear Annihilation Edition); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™ (an Impossible Burger commercial?); and more

April 26, 2022: Trump’s lust for revenge spreads through the GOP; The Batman mopes; the Peruvian origins of punk rock; and more.

Got suggestions, comments, complaints, tips related to any of the above, or anything else? Email me at ourland@motherjones.com.