Ease Of Purchasing Guns Becomes Point Of Reflection In Texas
While many officials are suggesting that dealing with mental health problems is the key to stop gun violence, some people on social media are pointing out the disparities between the ease of buying a high-powered firearm or getting other services and equipment. Meanwhile, a woman shot in New York's subway is suing the gunmaker and a St. Louis doctor looks at the toll guns are left there.
Houston Chronicle:
Abortions, Booze On Sundays And Marijuana. Here's What Texans Say Is Harder To Get Than A Gun
Many Republicans have zeroed in on the mental health crisis in the U.S., while Democrats have said it is too easy for people like the Robb Elementary shooter, Salvador Ramos, to purchase or get a hold of high-powered weapons. In fact, Ramos was too young to purchase alcohol but old enough to buy an assault-style rifle. As is usually the case, the gun control debate found its way onto social media. On Reddit, for example, one thread in particular is starting to gain traction after the person who started the thread said it was harder to buy a motorcycle in Texas than a gun. (Pettaway, 5/31)
The Hill:
Texas Artist Donating Customized Caskets For Uvalde Victims
A Texas artist is donating customized caskets for victims of last week’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Trey Ganem, the owner of custom casket company SoulShine Industries, pivoted to helping the victims’ families shortly after the shooting. The massacre left 19 children and two teachers dead, galvanizing the nation and reigniting a fight over gun regulations. (Schonfeld, 5/31)
More on the gun violence epidemic —
NBC News:
Brooklyn Subway Shooting Victim Sues Gun Maker Glock For Fueling 'Public Nuisance'
A woman who was shot in the Brooklyn subway shooting in April that left 10 people wounded filed a lawsuit Tuesday against gun maker Glock Inc. and its parent company, accusing them of fueling "a public nuisance" in New York and endangering public health and safety. Ilene Steur, the woman behind the federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York, was on her way to work when she was shot in the April 12 attack where a gunman fire dozens of bullet into a busy subway train. (Da Silva, 6/1)
St. Louis Public Radio:
St. Louis ER Physician On Gun Violence’s Toll
While the nation reels from the mass shooting in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Dr. Kristen Mueller finds herself reflecting on the sheer amount of everyday gun violence in St. Louis. “Firearm injuries have become one of [the] regular reasons people seek medical care in the city,” the emergency medicine physician told St. Louis on the Air. “It's almost what we call a ‘bread and butter case,’ as terrible as that sounds.” Mueller works in the emergency departments at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. She’s also an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Washington University’s School of Medicine. She said St. Louis’ four Level 1 trauma hospitals have cared for more than 10,000 patients with acute firearm injuries in the past decade. (Woodbury, 5/31)
The Texas Tribune:
America’s First Modern Mass Shooting Never Really Ended
The stench of burnt powder hung in the air as the elevator doors opened, knocking Ramiro Martinez back on his heels for an instant. Having muttered a desperate Hail Mary to himself, the off-duty Austin police officer rushed into the observatory of the Tower at the University of Texas, where a depraved killer, armed with a Remington 700, a shotgun, an M1 rifle and a grudge against the world, had rained bullets down on the “Forty Acres” for nearly 90 minutes. Eleven were dead on the ground. Thirty-one were wounded. Inside the tower, three people had been killed, and two others wounded. (McGraw, 6/1)
NPR:
School Shooting In Scotland Can Teach Us Lessons About Gun Violence In The US
As Americans continue to reel from the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and 2 teachers dead, headlines and commentators repeat a common refrain: The U.S is the only country where this happens. Nowadays that may be true, but 26 years ago, it happened in Scotland. In March 1996, a gunman entered Dunblane Primary School, killing 16 students, a teacher, and injuring 15 others. To this day, it is the deadliest mass shooting in UK history. But that's where the similarities end. In the aftermath of the shooting, parents in Dunblane were able to mobilize with the kind of effectiveness that has eluded American gun control activists. By the following year, Parliament had banned private ownership of most handguns, as well as semi-automatic weapons, and required mandatory registration for shotgun owners. There have been no school shootings in the U.K since then. (Shapiro, Jarenwattananon and López Restrepo, 6/1)
In related news about students' mental health —
EdSource:
Counselors Not Part Of One California District’s Plan To Tackle Student Mental Health
Faced with escalating student mental health needs, one California school district is trying an unusual new approach – one that does not include counselors. Saugus Union School District in northern Los Angeles County, which in recent years has endured a nearby school shooting, wildfires and increasing political polarization, is eliminating all four of its counselor positions and replacing them with social workers. In the fall, the district will have nine social workers and no counselors. (Jones, 5/31)
The Washington Post:
Schools Are Struggling To Meet Rising Mental Health Needs, Data Shows
A survey released Tuesday documents the toll the pandemic has taken on students’ mental health, with 7 in 10 public schools seeing a rise in the number of children seeking services. Even more, 76 percent, said faculty and staff members have expressed concerns about depression, anxiety and trauma in students since the start of the pandemic. (Meckler, 5/31)
Also —
Newsweek:
McConnell Says 'Biggest Decision' As Leader Was Blocking Merrick Garland
Mitch McConnell says blocking then-President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court in 2016 is his single greatest accomplishment during his 15 years leading Senate Republicans. McConnell made the remarks to supporters, The Washington Times reported Tuesday, reflecting on his tenure as Senate Republican leader. The Kentucky Republican's refusal to even consider Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, enraged Democrats and aided the court's rightward drift. McConnell made the remarks as Democrats are now looking to McConnell to help broker a deal on gun control. (Thomas, 5/31)