Watching the testimony of survivors and relatives of the latest mass casualty shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, it was shameful to see the vacant expressions on the faces of so many Republicans. They are refusing to budge to prevent another tragedy. Instead, they cling to the same tired arguments that have kept them in power for far too long.
But, what if the victims were the sons, daughters or even grandchildren of these very same Republicans? Would they act with the same callous disregard for human life? Would they be so blasé about the suffering of those left behind if it were them?
Because they apparently lack any semblance of empathy, they are refusing to ban assault weapons. They will continue to allow people as young as 18 to purchase weapons of mass destruction. They will look the other way as innocent children are sacrificed to the Second Amendment.
When Brett Kavanaugh was threatened by an armed man who approached his home, Mitch McConnell demanded that Democrats take immediate action. He reacted with equal speed when the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg created an opening on the Supreme Court.
Yet, when it come to gun control, instead of urging his party members to take action, he selected a senator with ties to the gun lobby. He specifically chose someone who would toe the party line and refuse to compromise.
What if a gunman attacked the school McConnell’s grandkids were attending?
This is an unlikely scenario since being a high ranking member of Congress has made Moscow Mitch a millionaire many times over. As a result, it’s highly doubtful that members of his family would attend a public school, which has been the site of the major school shootings.
But what if…?
Being a good lawmaker means you should respect the will of those you were elected to represent. You should listen to your constituents and act accordingly. You should ignore the special interests who have their own selfish motives at heart.
But what about other Republicans? How would they react? A majority of them are able to send their offspring to exclusive private schools, so they don’t have to be faced with the struggles faced by the average public school student. It’s unlikely they would have to look down the barrel of a gun.
And don’t even ask about Ted Cruz. He threw his own daughters under the bus as he fled to the warmer climes of Cancun while his constituents were freezing to death, so it gives an indication how he’d react.
No one wants to think of having their own children bring in trouble. Most of us are able to empathize with those who lost loved ones in unspeakable tragedies.
Shouldn’t this be true of everyone? Shouldn’t Republicans be able to understand the grief felt by the families of these massacres? Shouldn’t they want to take immediate action to prevent the next horrific attack?
Apparently empathy is a quality they lack.
But, what if…?