Mike Sussman is a regular guest columnist for the Newark Advocate.
In case you weren’t paying attention earlier this year, the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two black members on April 6 for being at the well and protesting gun laws in the state, or lack thereof, after a school shooting. in Nashville that killed six people. One white member who protested with the two black members, Gloria Johnson, avoided expulsion by one vote.
Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were quickly returned to office by their respective city councils in Nashville and Memphis. They had to stand for election in a June primary and they won. In the state’s Aug. 3 general election, Jones will run against Republican Laura Nelson, while Pearson will face independent Jeff Johnston.
The response to punitive action by the Tennessee House is another example of the beginning of the end for old white lawmakers. America is changing fast. While many so-called conservative states have made it harder to vote, young people have joined minorities in electing more liberal politicians each year. Because of scenes like the one in the Tennessee legislature, young Americans are changing the political winds.
Republicans continue to insist that nothing can be done about mass shootings, even when the victims are children enjoying a day at school. They continue to provide funding for mental health solutions to mass shootings. Of course, anyone who walks into an elementary school and shoots random kids is mentally unstable. How does one determine a person’s mental health status when the legislature opposes background checks and “red flag” laws in an attempt to prevent shootings in the first place?
We also have our own problems here in Ohio. On August 4, 2019, a mass shooting in Dayton was one of the worst in Ohio history. Nine people were killed and 17 others were injured. It was closing time in the entertainment district. The shooter was wearing a AR-15-style firearm that looked like a short-barreled rifle but is legally classified as a handgun with a large ammunition magazine. Fortunately, the police responded quickly and within 30 seconds of the direct encounter killed the gunman, who was wearing body armor.
The story continues
And never fear, Governor Mike DeWine quickly arrived on the scene promising to do something about the proliferation of military-style assault weapons. He made this speech in the company of then-Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a Democrat who would later run against DeWine and lose by a wide margin.
The governor’s promise to do something later took a turn. He passed a bill to allow concealed carry without training or other restrictions. The National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers pour millions of dollars into the campaigns of Republican state legislators and members of Congress across the country. This insures them against gun control laws.
On April 13, 17-year-old Ralph Yarl was trying to pick up his siblings when he rang the doorbell at the wrong address in Kansas City, Missouri. The 85-year-old white homeowner didn’t ask anything as he shot the teenager twice through the glass door. Miraculously, the teenager survived and the homeowner was facing armed assault charges.
Two days later, on April 15, a 20-year-old white woman, Kallan Killis, was in one of multiple vehicles searching an address in New York State when they stopped on the wrong road. As the vehicle she was in was the last to turn to leave, the 65-year-old white owner came out of his home and shot her dead. The owner, Kevin Monahan, faces murder charges. Are there too many guns?
Next time you go to the polls, vote for the candidate who says he’s in favor of banning assault weapons. That vote should be for a candidate who believes gun purchases should include significant background checks.
Write to Mike Sussman at msilksussman@aol.com
This article originally appeared in the Newark Advocate: Sussman: Support candidates who support assault weapons bans, more controls
