From the BBC:
“US mass shootings: Trump
condemns racism and white supremacy”
President Donald Trump has
condemned hatred and white supremacy in a public address following mass
shootings that left 31 dead in Texas and Ohio. He called for mental health gun
control reforms, the death penalty for those who commit mass murder and more
bi-partisan co-operation over gun laws. "Mental
illness and hate pull the trigger, not the gun," Mr Trump said, speaking
at the White House on Monday. He did not express support for gun control
measures proposed in Congress. "In one voice, our nation must condemn
racism, bigotry and white supremacy," Mr Trump said on Monday. "These
sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America." His
comments came shortly before the suspect in the El Paso, Texas, shooting was
charged with capital murder. El Paso police also confirmed on Monday that two
more victims died in hospital, raising the Texas death toll to 22.
What else did Trump say?
The president outlined a number
of policies, including more co-operation between government agencies and social
media companies, changes to mental health laws as well as ending the
"glorification" of violence in American culture. He called for red flag laws that would allow
law enforcement authorities to take away weapons from individuals believed to
be a threat to themselves or others. Mr Trump said government agencies must
work together and identify individuals who may commit violent acts, prevent
their access to firearms and also suggested involuntary confinement as a way to
stop potential attackers. He also said he directed the justice department to
propose legislation to ensure those who commit hate crimes and mass murders
face the death penalty. The president criticised the internet and
"gruesome" video games for promoting violence in society. "It is
too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that
celebrates violence," he said. "We must stop or substantially reduce
this and it has to begin immediately." But he did not address the
criticisms of his own harsh rhetoric against illegal immigration, which
opponents say has contributed to a rise in racially-motivated attacks. The
president had earlier tweeted that lawmakers in Congress should pass background
check legislation in a package with "desperately needed immigration
reform". He did not reference background check policies in his address. Mr
Trump went on to say he was "open and ready to discuss all ideas that will
actually work" and said Republicans and Democrats should "join
together in a bi-partisan fashion to address this plague".
Sticking to the script
On Monday morning Donald Trump tweeted
that he was open to new gun-control legislation - perhaps in exchange for
immigration reform. When he spoke at the White House a few hours later,
however, talk of such sweeping legislative compromise was gone. Instead there
was mention of mental health, video game violence, social media monitoring and
executions for mass murders. The president alluded to "great
legislation", but the proposals he outlined were either overly vague in
applicability or modest in scope. Passing
comprehensive gun-sale background checks - or any other ambitious firearm
regulations - would require concerted presidential effort to sway recalcitrant
Republicans. The president gave no indication of a stomach for such a fight. And
while there was talk of the evils of white supremacy and hate, the president's
critics will be disappointed to hear no acknowledgement of his own possible
role in stoking the flames of racial resentment. The president stuck to a tight
script on Monday. As he did after the Charlottesville violence in 2017, he
called for national healing. Mr Trump's speech will do little to end the sharp
words of his critics, however. As with Charlottesville, it seems only a matter
of time before he strikes back.
What has Congress done?
Democrats in the House of
Representatives passed a bill in February that would mandate new background
checks for gun transfers. The
Republican-controlled Senate has not yet taken up the legislation. Congress has faced challenges in trying to
pass gun control measures following mass shootings in recent years, with
Republicans arguing Democrat-sponsored bills as unconstitutional or
ineffective. In a joint statement, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for the upper chamber to end its summer
recess in order to vote on the background checks bill.
What would happen if all guns
disappeared?
They criticised the president for
not mentioning the legislation during his address, saying: "When he can't
mention guns while talking about gun violence, it shows the President remains
prisoner to the gun lobby and the NRA (National Rifle Association)." Mrs
Pelosi and Mr Schumer also blamed Republican leader Mitch McConnell for
refusing to take action. Mr McConnell
has not responded to the demands from Democrats. Following Mr Trump's address,
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he will introduce a bill co-sponsored by
Democrat Richard Blumenthal to create a federal grant programme to help states
adopt red flag laws. "State Red Flag laws will provide the tools for law
enforcement to do something about many of these situations before it's too
late," Mr Graham said in a statement.
What happened in El Paso?
Investigators are now determining
whether the mass shooting was a hate crime. Federal hate crime charges can
result in the death penalty. On Saturday, a gunman opened fire with a
semi-automatic rifle on a Walmart crowded with families buying back-to-school
supplies. He surrendered to police outside the store. The mass shooting,
believed to be the eighth deadliest in modern US history, took place in a city
where most of the population of 680,000 is of Hispanic descent. In addition to
the 22 fatalities, 26 people were injured. The victims have not yet been named
by police, but Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said six Mexican
nationals were among the dead and seven others were injured. The suspect has
been named as Patrick Crusius, a resident of the city of Allen, in the Dallas
area, about 650 miles (1,046km) east of El Paso. He is believed to be the author of a document
posted before the shooting which said the attack was "a response to the
Hispanic invasion of Texas".
What happened in Dayton?
A gunman killed his sister and
eight others in an attack that lasted only 30 seconds at a popular nightlife
district in the early hours of Sunday morning. Twenty-seven others were
injured. Officials have not yet stated a motive for the attack. Dayton police
chief Richard Biehl said on Monday it was unclear whether the suspect,
24-year-old Connor Betts, intended to kill his sister. The gunman was seen running towards a
nightclub and was stopped by police gunfire as he reached the entrance. Police
said he had worn body armour and came carrying extra ammunition for his
semi-automatic rifle with high-capacity magazines. Chief Biehl said that had the gunman made it
inside, "there would have been catastrophic injury and loss of life".
Since the shooting, a number of the
gunman's former classmates have came forward to say he was expelled from high
school for having a "hit list" of people he allegedly wanted to kill.
^ I was fairly impressed with how
Trump dealt with these mass shootings. Usually he has no filter - especially when using social media – and yet
he dealt with these tragedies as they should be. I don’t know if these are just
words, but hopefully they aren’t. ^
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