The death toll, a day later, has risen to 7 with more than three dozen injured. Folks were celebrating July 4th with their families. How many will bring their kids to next year's parade? Will those who do so, come with trepidation? (We can, of course, ask the same questions about churches, elementary schools, grocery stores, movie theaters, ... not just about Fourth of July celebrations.)
There were more than a dozen mass shootings over the holiday weekend and there have been over 300 in the country in the first half of 2022.
Senator Chris Murphy observes that the United States is an international outlier when it comes to gun violence. He says the recent legislation that he shepherded through the Senate will make a difference, but adds, "Today is a reminder of how much more work that we have to do."
Neither the NRA, nor Ted Cruz, nor the majority of Republican elected officials wish to do more, while the Republican majority on the Supreme Court is dedicated to crippling the ability of elected legislatures to take reasonable steps to solve the barrage of gun violence. The Republican Party, which has sided with gun manufacturers, the gun lobby, and a faction of extremists among GOP voters, sees the solution to gun deaths as more guns, in more hands, in more public places. By 'hardening' buildings and adding armed guards, we can make American cities more like military compounds in war zones. By encouraging individuals to carry guns (by making gun ownership easier, regulations laxer, and increasing the venues where guns are present), we can guarantee that the U.S. will remain an international outlier regarding gun violence.