Brunswick Beacon, 06.16.22
Responding to Americans’ outrage, Congress passed a gun safety bill last week. Ted Budd, David Rouzer, and every North Carolina Republican voted “No.”
The Protecting Our Kids Act raises the age to buy certain semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21, strengthens laws for gun trafficking and selling large-capacity magazines, and allows local government buyback programs for individuals who surrender them. It creates tax incentives for purchasing safe storage devices, and strengthens regulations on bump stocks and ghost guns.
Since the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, polls show that Americans support gun safety legislation by 59% to 35%. Even 56% of gun owners approve. Still, Republican politicians stubbornly refuse to support any gun safety legislation. All but five Republican representatives opposed the Protecting Our Kids Act, and Republican senators are determined to filibuster and block it in the Senate.
Why? Because the gun lobby massively increased its political contributions, from $10 million in 2018 to $56 million in 2020, with 99% going to Republicans! This year’s total could go even higher.
The Asheville Citizen-Times tracks gun lobby contributions. It reports that the gun lobby has given $198,100 to Rouzer, and $163,364 to Budd.
Business Insider reports that Budd owns a gun store worth up to $5 million, and “brought in up to $1 million in income during 2020 alone.”
On June 2, the Beacon’s new publisher wrote: “Demand your legislators act on gun violence. Tell them to stand up to the gun lobbyists and make some changes. Enough is enough.”
He’s right! But, when legislators like Budd and Rouzer ignore our demands, take money from the gun lobby, and vote against protecting our kids, we have to vote them out. We deserve legislators like Cheri Beasley and Charles Graham, who won’t put the gun lobby and personal interest ahead of children’s safety.
Enough is enough.
Kristine Garrity
Calabash