Here’s the thing: 44 percent of Republicans said the mass shootings were something we should accept as part of a free society. (Most Republicans – 56% – said mass shootings are something we can prevent and stop if we really try.)
This number is a striking departure from the way the country as a whole views the problem. More than 7 out of 10 Americans (72%) said mass shootings could be prevented if we really tried, while only 28% said they were part of life in a free society.
Think about what Republicans say: There is no political – or cultural – solution to the problem of mass shootings. Instead, it is necessary to live in a free society.
This, of course, is a full bed.
Many other free countries in the world have no problem with mass shootings like us in the United States.
What this (uninformed) view allows, however, is an attitude that suggests that gun violence in the United States cannot be changed, and we all just have to accept these mass shootings as a byproduct of our freedom.
It takes away all freedom of action from individuals and from us, collectively, as a society.
(It is also worth noting here that 46% of Republicans said in the CBS / YouGov poll that the United States would be safer if all or more people had guns, while only 16% said the country would be more safe if no one or fewer people have guns The United States already has more guns than people.)
Keep these numbers in mind as you read about the possibility of an agreement between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate on gun law.
The numbers do not mean that the deal is impossible. But what they’re suggesting is that there are a lot of Republicans who just don’t believe the government can do anything to stop or slow down the mass shootings.
The point: Politicians only work to solve problems that people believe can be solved. For many Republicans, gun casualties are not one of them.
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