Mass Shootings Continue as Congress Avoids Gun Control Reforms

Once again, innocent lives have been lost due to a mass shooting carried out by a young man wielding a powerful assault rifle. This tragic event closely follows a similar incident in a different community, both marked by the use of an AR-15 or similar weapon. While the names of the victims and locations of the massacres change, the heartache and despair over the bloodshed remain constant.

As a mark of respect, President Biden ordered the US flag to fly at half-staff over the White House for five days. Unfortunately, this has become an all-too-familiar sight as mass shootings continue to plague the nation. Proclamations ordering flags to half-staff were also issued on multiple occasions in recent years, marking tragedies in Nashville, Monterey Park, Highland Park, Uvalde, San Jose, Indianapolis, Boulder, and Atlanta.

Despite the prevalence of gun violence, solutions to address this issue seem elusive. A recent Fox News poll indicated that 61% of Americans support banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, while 87% favor universal background checks and 81% advocate raising the age for gun purchases to 21. Even Former Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist endorsed these measures, along with safe storage laws and ending legal immunity for gun manufacturers, in a Forbes op-ed last week.

However, President Biden's recent call for the same reforms, minus raising the age to 21, met with inaction from Congress, which remains under the influence of the NRA. For now, the flags will remain at half-staff until Thursday evening – only to be raised again until the inevitable next proclamation.