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Week in Review: May 21-25, 2018

WEEK IN REVIEW May 21 – May 25, 2018

 WEEKLY HIGHLIGHT 

 How Many More? 

A new documentary released by Giffords,   “How Many More?”  explores the stories of three kids from Parkland and Chicago and how gun violence has impacted their lives. Their experiences make plain the toll that living through a shooting takes – particularly on America’s children and their determination to do something to stop it from happening to others like them.

Ke’Shon Newman, Olivia Wesch and Kayla Schaefer all detail their experiences with gun violence, and follows them to the March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C.

 The Washington Post’s Katie Zezima interviewed the teens about the documentary.  

“A lot of people don’t really realize that kids my age have to go through so much and we worry, most people worry every day, about what’s going to happen,” Wesch said in an interview. “For somebody so young to have to worry about it… isn’t right.”

Along with the documentary, Giffords also revealed a new online resource page that includes a link to register to vote along with other sections that describe how the gun violence crisis has impacted America’s children and what we can do about it.

To learn more, visit  VoteThemOut.com. 

 LEADING THE NEWS 

Top Hits

 These are the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting | CNN | Amir Vera 

The 10 victims slain in the Santa Fe High School shooting were not done with life. Far from it. As with other school massacres, the students had much more to learn and accomplish, the teachers more to impart to their young charges. There was a newly minted 17-year-old ready to celebrate with friends the following day, a daredevil who was up for any thrill and a Pakistani exchange student who was building bridges between her host and native countries when her father was disabused of the notion that her life would be safe in America. All the victims have been identified, according to a statement from First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Petroff in Galveston County. Thirteen others were injured.

 Texas shooting survivors seek purpose in shadow of Parkland | Associated Press | Claire Galofaro 

She had seen the memorials on television, the familiar white crosses erected after each massacre, and now there were 10 of them lined up on her high school’s lawn. Kyleigh Elgin was part of a new set of young victims, like many before her, who left flowers and letters and searched for ways that their tragedy might be different, that it might end the grim routine of school shootings. “Our community is really small, but we’re like one big family, and I genuinely feel like we can make a difference,” said Elgin, a sophomore who ran for her life last week when a gunman blasted his way into a classroom and killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School near Houston.

 Can Parents Be Charged for Failing to Keep Their Guns Locked Up? | New York Times | Adeel Hassan 

The authorities in Texas were quick to identify the owner of the pistol and shotgun used to kill 10 people at Santa Fe High School on Friday — they had been bought legally by the suspect’s father, the police said. Less clear was how the suspected gunman, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, came to possess the weapons, raising questions about whether anyone else could be held responsible for the massacre. Texas is one of 14 states with a “negligent storage law,” which can make gun-owning parents criminally liable for crimes committed with their firearms by their children.

 Oliver North, incoming NRA chief, blames school shootings on ‘culture of violence’ | Washington Post | Frances Stead Sellers and Michael Scherer 

Two days after a 17-year-old opened fire in his Texas high school, killing at least 10, incoming National Rifle Association president Oliver North said students “shouldn’t have to be afraid” to go to school and blamed the problem on “youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence” in which many young boys have “been on Ritalin” since early childhood. “They’ve been drugged in many cases,” he said.

 Mark Kelly: Trump Rolled Over For NRA, Did Nothing About Guns After Parkland | HuffPost | Mary Papenfuss 

Former astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of shooting survivor and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), accused President Donald Trump Friday of capitulating to the National Rifle Association after the Parkland school shooting and doing nothing for America’s children. After a shooter killed 10 people Friday in Santa Fe, Texas, the president “talked about how it’s been going on too long,” Kelly told Anderson Cooper on CNN.

Under the Radar

 Sabika Sheikh’s Father Has A Blunt Message For Trump After The Santa Fe Shooting | Bustle | Jessicah Lahitou 

Abdul Aziz Sheikh — the father of one of eight student victims killed during the deadly school shooting in Texas — spoke out Tuesday to ensure another such tragedy does not occur. Sabika Sheikh’s father called on Trump to change gun laws to protect all students from gun violence…In an interview with NBC News, Sheikh said, “Nobody under 16 years can buy tobacco or alcohol, but he or she can buy guns. What is this?” Sheikh is correct for some areas — according to Giffords Law Center, the state of Vermont allows a person as young as 16 years old to purchase a handgun and carry it concealed, no permit required.

 House Democrats look to hire Parkland students to work on gun violence issues | NBC News | Alex Moe 

Student survivors of gun violence descended on Washington en masse earlier this year  during the massive March for Our Lives  on March 24. Now some lawmakers would like to bring them back for an entire summer. House Democrats are inviting students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — who survived a mass school shooting in February — to come intern in their offices, working on gun violence prevention.

 What Politicians Always Say After a Shooting vs. What They Could Actually Do | Teen Vogue | Ashley Belanger 

The National Rifle Association called it “the most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in 20 years”. Signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act stops victims of gun violence from suing gun manufacturers for the misuse of “firearms that operate as designed and intended.” That same year, 10 people were killed, including the gunman in Red Lake, Minnesota.

Data and Reports

Reuters/Ipsos:  Gun control support fades three months after Florida massacre | Reuters 

  • 69 percent of American adults supported strong or moderate regulations or restrictions for firearms, down from 75 percent in late March, when the first poll was conducted following the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Washington Post:  We asked every member of the House of Representatives about the Parkland gun policy agenda. Here’s what they said. 

  • Just 12 percent of the House Republican delegation — 29 out of 237 members — responded to repeated Post attempts, via multiple emails and phone calls, to seek comment on the issue. Most of those who did respond offered forceful statements of opposition to the proposals.
  • All told, 188 lawmakers, representing 44 percent of the 430 seats currently occupied, have responded to The Post’s request for comment.
  • More than three-quarters of the House Democratic delegation responded to Post inquiries, with nearly all of them affirming their support for the Parkland proposals in full.

 STATE UPDATES 

Pennsylvania:  Montco Republican’s Gun Bill Gains National Attention | Montgomeryville Patch | Justin Heinze 

A Republican state representative’s proposed gun legislation is gaining national attention and praise from both sides of the aisle. House Bill 2227, proposed by State Rep. Todd Stephens (R-151), would allow courts to issue something called an Extreme Risk Protective Order to prevent at-risk individuals from obtaining weapons. Supporters are hopeful the measure would allow law enforcement and families to assist individuals who might pose a threat to themselves and others – before a tragedy occurs.

Massachusetts:  Massachusetts Legislature Passes ‘Extreme Risk’ Gun Bill | New England Cable News | Staff and Wire Reports 

The legislation establishes Extreme Risk Protective Orders in Massachusetts, which allows family members and law enforcement to petition a judge to temporarily suspend a person’s access to firearms if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. H.4517 passed the Massachusetts House by a vote of 139-14 and now goes to Senate for consideration.

New York: Bill barring high-risk people from owning guns clears state Senate Judiciary Committee | New York Daily News | Glenn Blain 

Legislation that would make it easier to keep weapons from dangerous individuals cleared a major hurdle Tuesday but still faces an uphill battle to become law.

By a large, bipartisan vote, the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would give judges the power to issue “extreme-risk protection orders” that would block individuals deemed likely to harm themselves or others from possessing or purchasing guns.

Rhode Island:  Rhode Island Moves Forward On Gun Control Measures | RI NPR | John Bender 

In an overwhelming majority, the Rhode Island Senate passed two bills aimed at curbing gun violence in Rhode Island. One bill would allow for the court-ordered seizure of firearms from individuals deemed dangerous, also known as a red flag policy. The other bans modifications to guns, allowing them to shoot off bullets at a higher rate. Jennifer Boylan works with the nonprofit Moms Demand Action, and hopes the general assembly will move forward on other gun control measures.

 TOP SOCIAL MEDIA 

https://twitter.com/cameron_kasky/status/998597523228057601

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