The Texas massacre: Republicans reaffirm their refusal to limit arms purchases in the United States

The calculus behind Republican strong opposition to any new gun regulation, even in the face of the unthinkable school massacre in Texas on Tuesday, it’s pretty simple for Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.

Asked Wednesday what the reaction of voters in his country would be if he supported any form of gun control, the Republican had a straightforward answer: He would lose his seat. “Most will fire me out of the office.”

His response helps explain why Republicans oppose measures such as general background checks for gun buyers, despite widespread public support that could reach up to 90%.

The fact is that the 90% number most likely includes Republicans who are open to the new law but are not asking for it or punishing a legislator for not endorsing it. But 10% oppose reflects deep feelings of the Republican Party, a base that decides on primaries and is jealous of gun rights.

Most Republicans in the Senate represents deeply conservative states where the ownership of a gun is regarded as a sacred privilege enshrined in the Constitution, a privilege that should not be violated no matter how much blood has been shed in the country’s classrooms and school hallways.

“We don’t want to take away the rights of law -abiding citizens,” Sen. said. John Barrasso of Wyoming, explaining why members of his party they have no interest in imposing regulations about buying weapons, even after the latest massacre.

Gun control politics has always been rife, and Democrats have avoided the issue for decades after the House lost in 1994, which many blamed for passing a gun ban on assault.

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But as Republican voters have become more conservative, Republican lawmakers have spoke against any notion that restricts buying guns is an antidote to mass shootings. They say such restrictions are unconstitutional.

Party lawmakers understand that they will receive little political reward for participating in pushing laws that place those limits. But they know in reality that they will be defeateds, and are likely to face losing their seat, if they vote stricter laws.

The political threat to the matter was presented this week at a hotly debated Republican Senate primary in Alabama. Mike Durant, an Army helicopter pilot, was reprimanded by his opponents for a speech 11 years ago in which he seemed to suggest that disarming an urban population was a step toward reducing crime.

“Mike Durant: Dangerous Mistakes with Guns”, read an announcement from his critics. The politician said his comments were related to the civil war in Somalia, where he was a helicopter pilot in the famous Black Hawk Down incident, and was deceived and taken out of context. But the damage was done.

Wednesday’s scene on Capitol Hill was painfully familiar, as Republican lawmakers were chasing journalists and insisting on whether they could support something, whatever, to prevent continued gun violence in the U.S..

Most of the participants said that they became open to discussionthat they were happy to examine what was on the table and that perhaps, perhaps, some agreement could be reached.

Democrats say they’ve seen it all before and know how it ends: that nothing. “They’re going to persuade the issue, hope Congress adjourns and within 10 days the furor will die down again,” Sen. said. Edward J. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

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Other Democrats said they saw nothing from their Republican colleagues who suggested a change in sentiment, especially in the upcoming midterm elections. “They are upset, they have problems, but they are not willing to change their situationsaid Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware.

While they oppose the law, Republicans don’t want to look indifferent after the hunt. Many expressed support for new mental health programsthis to the “reinforcement” of schools in the country as an alternative to action against weapons.

Si Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, sought agreement in the Senate Wednesday on a bill that creates a kind of clearinghouse for best practices for school safety. “There’s no partisan about this bill,” said Johnson, a strong advocate for gun rights. “It’s just a good idea that could save lives.”

But for Democrats, Johnson’s idea is far from an adequate legislative response to what happened this week in Texas, or earlier this month in Buffalo, or in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.

“Johnson’s bill is by no means an adequate solution,” Sen. said. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and Majority Leader.

Although the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been hit recently by scandal and financial turmoil, Democrats say the organization still holding tight to the republics through your contributions and financial support, which strengthens the party’s resistance to any new gun law.

Despite the hunt in Texas, top Republicans are expected to appear this weekend at the group’s convention in Houston. “It’s hard to deny one person, in groups, that is the primary provider of campaign fundsand that’s where they stopped, ”Markey said.

But Cramer defended himself by arguing that “it is a fundamental right for law -abiding citizens to protect themselves with guns,” said the senator, who has an “A” rating from the NRA. “It’s fundamental. It’s really like that. It’s constitutional.”

New York Times