Saturday, December 14, 2019

Loopholes

“I don’t want to see their little smug faces about about how much they care about law enforcement when I’m burying a sergeant because they don’t want to piss off the NRA.” That's the voice of Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo speaking at the funeral of shooting victim Police Sargent Christopher Brewster. "They" in this invective are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Texas senators Ted Cruz and John Cronyn. “Make up your minds. Whose side are you on? Gun manufacturers, the gun lobby, or the children that are getting gunned down in this country every single day?”
Every single day
Acevedo is particularly angry that the Senate hasn’t renewed the federal Violence Against Women Act. A provision of the bill passed in the House would close the so-called boyfriend loophole. Federal law currently prohibits felons and domestic abusers living with their victims from buying guns, but abusive dating partners living elsewhere can still purchase firearms. Brewster was killed, allegedly by the armed, abusive boyfriend of a Houston woman, as he responded to a domestic violence call.
Loopholes. I cannot imagine that speaking to the family of gun violence victims gets any easier because of a loophole. "Well, we could have done something to stop your brother/son/daughter/wife/husband/aunt/uncle/boyfriend/girlfriend/acquaintance from shooting (name of victim), but there was this loophole that allowed this person to have a killing machine, so what do you suppose they did with it?" Shrug.
No trauma doc, first responder, law enforcement officer, clergy would ever think of doing such a thing. They are the ones left to make the call to tell the families and friends of those who won't be around for the office party/family gathering/bowling tournament/following day. 
Legislation is stalled, said Acevedo, “because the NRA doesn’t like the fact that we want to take firearms out of the hands of boyfriends that abuse their girlfriends.” He added: “You’re either here for women and children and our daughters and our sisters and our aunts, or you’re here for the NRA.”
The NRA is the National Rifle Association. The National Rifle Association that gave both Texas senators A plus ratings as well as substantial contributions to their campaigns. The NRA did not give any contributions to the victims' support groups in Houston. 
That would require some sort of loophole that we have yet to encounter. 

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