By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Different day, same story: Man buys a handgun and goes on a same-day rampage, killing several people.
Everyday citizens say they’re shocked, but how can they be? This is the umpteenth time this narrative has played out.
This week it was in the Atlanta area. The lone suspect shot nine people Tuesday. Eight died. The shooter is described as a “super nice, super Christian” who told authorities he had a sex addiction and targeted three spas to eliminate temptation.
Next week? It could be anywhere. Guns are so ubiquitous and easy to get that it’s hard to find a place safe from the potential of random gun violence.
When will we learn? When will we learn porous gun laws and, even worse, expanding “gun freedoms” are a plague on our society. It’s a vicious cycle — people want more guns because they’re afraid. And they’re afraid because of all of the violence in America that can be traced back to what? Cotton candy? No, guns.
Legislators have chances to do something smart on guns, rather than the path they’re headed on.
At the federal level, a smart thing is to reinstate a national waiting period for the purchase of guns — something that responsible gun owners generally don’t oppose. At the state level, South Carolina legislators should close the so-called “Charleston loophole,” which firearms sellers take advantage of to sell guns if a background check has not come back in three days. This is the loophole that South Carolina racist Dylann Roof used to murder nine people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston almost six years ago. U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., recently reintroduced a proposal to close the loophole by extending the background check period to 10 days. South Carolina lawmakers should do it now.
What South Carolina legislators do not need to do is to expand the pervasiveness of guns. Already on the books are processes and procedures for citizens who want to be armed to get concealed weapons permits if they want more security.
But is that good enough? Apparently not. Hours after the Atlanta slaughter, South Carolina House members threw caution to the wind and passed a bill that will thrust handguns into the open.
S.C. Rep. Phillip Lowe, R-Florence, actually had the gall to say on the House floor this week that open carry was needed because of South Carolina’s heat. Opening his jacket at the podium, he said when someone with a concealed weapons permit was carrying a gun they would violate the permit if they took off the jacket because it was hot … and that’s why open carry was needed.
Really? Was he serious? In my book, if you have a concealed permit and you want to carry, you should put up with a little sweat as the price to pay to feel safe. Guns that are out in the open are much more dangerous than one locked away at home.
The chief proponent of the open carry bill is Rep. Bobby Cox, a Greenville Republican who (surprise) works for a handgun manufacturer. His argument, equally as specious as Lowe’s, is we need the open carry rule to bring us in line with what goes on in 45 states. Hogwash. Just because other states are doing something wrong doesn’t mean we must, too..
“This is sending a message that these legislators and myself stand with the citizens of South Carolina to protect our constitutional freedoms,” Cox said this week.
Double hogwash. Citizens currently can legally purchase guns. Not having open carry does not impinge on their freedoms. Rather, they just have to follow reasonable rules — just as they do if they want to drive cars or live in a civilized society.
Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson of Hopkins painted a dramatic picture.
Open carry, he said, is an example of white privilege. But any Black person like him — a former college basketball player with tattoos who is 6 feet and 7 seven inches tall — would be in real danger if he openly carried a handgun.
“This bill as it stands will be no more than legalized hunting for Black people,” Johnson said.
Call your state senator today and urge him or her to shut down open carry legislation that will make South Carolina far less safe.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and publisher of the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
Andy Brack, why don’t you write an article about all the illegally owned guns that are held in the hands of criminals committing all the murders, and shooting with their illegally purchased weapons? Isn’t there a state data base with all the crimes committed by criminals in possession of those guns? Do you expect innocent lawful people to give up their lawfully acquired weapons for protection to become the unarmed victims of those criminals??
Did you ever think about the victims of the criminals holding illegal guns who commit violent homicides? Those victims have families! Why don’t gun ban advocates ever care about the lives of the victims?? There are many lives saved from the violence of those criminals, you are telling them you don’t care if they would have been killed. You would rather lawful gun owners give up their protection to survive a criminal attack.
Fabulous th at you spoke out on this dangerous bill which will make South Caorolinians less safe. Actually, t here are two bills: open carry whth raining, which (raining) tends go get watered down or rescinded in those 45 s ates that have open ca ry, and constitutional carry, which is even worse. If it is not too late, go toARM in ARM’s website to get clear and easy to follow guidelines on who to con tact and how to do it easily.It would be incredible if we could wake up and be a state that red\cognizes the folly in these bills, especially in a state that is already in the top ten in gun violence deaths.
Judy Hines.C harlesteon
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I cannot thank you enough for this column..it ran in the Greenwood Index Journal. I tried to comment there but it wouldn’t allow me to without a subscription.
At present I am just so tired. And gutted. Tired of writing to legislators and receiving patronizing replies focused on their ” rights.” Zero compassion for or mention of my family’s story ( my daughter ran for her life from a shooter on her campus and suffers from debilitating PTSD as a result.) Gutted because every day, week, month, year, there are so many other families who will experience the same. And it doesn’t have to be this way. Legislators who proclaim they are ” pro-life” and yet idolize and prioritize their firearms are a disgrace. And I am at a loss as to how to affect change.
Thank you for using your platform to try to do so. It may not make a difference to them, but it absolutely does for those of us still trying to make our voices heard.
Sir, leaving your wallet at home also insures it want be taken as well, thanks for being intelligent enough to state the obvious. So you are smart enough to know more than the governments of 45 other states……I’m impressed! It bothers me to see the race card played. Good work Mr. Brack and Mr. Johnson!