Within a few days, Colorado Springs and San Bernadino became the scenes of the most troubling trend in America: The mass murders of unarmed citizens by gun-wielding killers.
The day after Syed Farook, aided by his wife, Tashfeen Malik, mowed down 14 of his coworkers at a holiday party, the U.S. Senate blocked legislation to keep those on the no-fly list from buying guns—or even waiting 72 hours to purchase firepower—and rejected background checks. C-VILLE asked our men on Capitol Hill whether Congress can do anything to stop the mass murders or is “run, hide, fight” the new norm in America?
Senator Tim Kaine: “Many in Congress have chosen to be bystanders to the epidemic of gun violence. Just yesterday, the Senate voted on a measure that would prohibit individuals on the terror watch list from buying firearms and explosives. I was disappointed to see this commonsense bill fail and lack strong bipartisan support. It is clear that we have a gun problem here in America and we must take action to help solve some of the issues that perpetuate this deadly cycle of violence. We may not be able to stop every gun crime, but we can make society safer by strengthening the background record checks system, restricting high-capacity magazines and making it illegal for suspected terrorists to purchase weapons.”
Senator Mark Warner (who did not vote on the December 3 gun legislation): “While there’s much we still don’t know about what happened in San Bernardino, Americans know this: Enough is enough. The time has long since passed for commonsense gun safety legislation to close loopholes, expand background checks and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the seriously, dangerously mentally ill.”
U.S. Representative Robert Hurt: “I am deeply saddened by the horrific act of violence that occurred in San Bernardino on Wednesday. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of those we lost as law enforcement continues to investigate what appears to be an act of terror. It is vitally important that we keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill without infringing on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. This situation also underscores the need to destroy ISIS and other agents of terror that are spreading their message of hate in the effort to incite violence in the U.S. and around the world.”