Voting Blue Is Not the Be-All-End-All of Ending Gun Violence in America

Young activists at a gun violence protest rejecting the “thoughts and prayers” sentiment and reminding lawmakers they are eligible to vote. Photo by Phil Roeder.

Following a mass shooting in America, the resounding sentiment from Republicans is to keep victims and their families in Americans’ thoughts and prayers. While Democratic leaders repeatedly push back, claiming effective policy and legislation are the sole means of preventing mass shootings, the Democratic party as a whole is not doing enough to ensure Americans are protected from gun violence. Democrats have steered clear of directly criticizing the NRA since 1994 when then-NRA president James Carville helped elect Bill Clinton as a political consultant. While President Clinton was able to push for a ban on assault weapons but as a result compromised 54 Democratic seats in the House and eight in the Senate during that year’s midterm elections. However, among those who lost their seats, the majority had actually opposed the ban on assault rifles. Thus, is it likely that these congressional leaders lost support because of their affiliation with the Democratic party, not for supporting gun control. Democrats are increasingly more likely to prioritize donor-friendly politics and elections and to retract from the discourse surrounding gun control in fear of losing campaign donations. The true fight for gun control is not led by Democratic politicians and party leaders, rather it is championed by activists and students affected directly by gun violence in America. These grassroots organizations, such as March for Our Lives,  are working without the financial support of Congress and forcing Democratic leaders to take accountability for their lack of action.

President Biden has the authority to issue an executive order to pass a federal prohibition on assault weapons while the debate over gun control comes to a stalemate in the House and Senate. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has addressed questions regarding whether Biden will step in with an executive order only if Congress were unable to come to an agreement on gun control. Psaki has stated that President Biden is not waiting for anything to fail, indicating that he might make a decision before Congress is finished deliberating. But the Senate is currently evenly split, and President Biden has taken no steps to show he will attempt to push for gun control. While Biden has announced a pledge to make “common-sense steps” to end gun violence, his current promotion of gun control policy falls short of many of his campaign trail promises, such as the banning of the importation of assault weapons, a voluntary gun buyback program, and funding for the FBI and the Justice Department to better enforce gun control laws and track down firearms. Even with his lessened commitment to gun control, Biden would have to secure every Democrat’s vote, as well as that of ten Republicans, in order to get any gun violence prevention bill passed. Passing any gun control bill is difficult because of how divisive the issue has become. But under President Biden, who continues to drag his feet when it comes to pushing for gun control policies or upholding his initial campaign promises, it will be even more challenging for the Democratic party to get any gun control bills passed.

Centrist Democratic Senator Joe Manchin opposed the passing of two House bills promoting effective gun control in March of 2021, demonstrating a divide over how to handle the prevention of gun control, despite it being a hot-button issue for Democratic voters. Instead, Senator Joe Manchin and his centrist counterpart Pat Toomey are advocating for a much narrower approach to gun control: a bill entitled, “Gun Sense,” which would only require commercial gun transactions to undergo a background check. Other Democratic leaders, like Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), argue that the bill fails to adequately define “commercial gun transactions'” and does not address private gun sales between friends and family. Different approaches to gun control legislation within the Democratic party make it increasingly less likely that any gun control bills will be passed at all. Democrats cannot ensure all members of their own party will vote to pass a gun control bill and recognize their dependence on a significant number of Republicans to also vote in favor. The splintering of members of the Democratic party regarding support for gun control policy suggests those in favor won’t be able to pass gun violence prevention laws any time soon, particularly in light of Biden’s inaction on gun control campaign promises. 

Voting for Democratic leaders is not a guarantee that gun control bills will be written, supported, and passed because of immense hesitancy and division within the party. Yet, activists and grassroots organizations are generating American support for gun violence prevention and can be the solution for Democratic inaction. When Democratic leaders fail to prioritize gun control, activists and organizers step in to advocate for policy and encourage Americans to become educated in how gun control policy can protect themselves and others from gun violence. 

Organizations such as The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence translate research into policy proposals, conducting analysis on gun issues such as domestic assault with the use of a firearm, suicide by firearm, the power of the NRA, and more. CSGV recognizes the legislative gridlock that has suppressed the promotion of gun violence legislation at the federal level and works primarily at the local and state level to enact gun control. March for Our Lives, an organization created after the 2018 Parkland shooting, is speaking up as this year’s midterms approach, calling on Congress to develop a senior staff position at the White House dedicated to preventing gun violence, pass the universal background checks bill, create a comprehensive plan to combat gun violence, and invest in community-based violence intervention. On the four-year anniversary of their march in D.C., activists and leaders from the organization placed body bags outside of the Capitol spelling out “thoughts and prayers” to symbolize how ineffective the common sentiment following mass shootings is. 

Both March for Our Lives and The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence have robust volunteer programs and have successfully worked to create bills such as the Gun Violence Restraining Order (now known as an Extreme Risk Protection Order), which permits law enforcement and family members to take firearms from the possession of a loved one who is at risk of hurting themselves or others. The passage of the bill certainly illustrates the Democratic party’s ability to push for legislation to reduce gun violence despite their hesitation and lack of prioritization of gun control. But it was the efforts of the grassroots organizations—their collaboration with scientific experts to develop policy that Democratic leaders can then bring to Congress and their advocacy for the passage of the bill—which demonstrate the impactful work organizations and activists engage in that encourages Democrats to prioritize gun control and pass legislation developed by activists and organizations.  Due to the diligence of young activists and grassroots organizations that have spoken out, there has been some progression towards banning bump stock weapons, weapons that were used to kill 58 and injure 500 individuals in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. A survey from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed that 73% of respondents were in favor of the potential ban. Due to a recognition of bump stocks as illegal machine guns and a recognition that Americans are widely in support,, the government has now committed to banning bump stock weapons. Both CSGV and March for Our Lives embrace a belief that gun violence should be a rarity, not a norm, in America, a sentiment that does not appear to be shared by Democratic leaders as they repeatedly fail to push for sensible gun violence legislation to protect constituents.

Division within the Democratic party over the enactment of gun control is a key issue for voters as the midterm elections approach. President Biden repeatedly fails to take proper action to prevent gun violence in America, despite his power to issue an executive order that can protect constituents. When voters head to the polls, voting for a Democratic candidate is not a promise that the representative or senator will advocate for the passage of gun control legislation. When considering solutions to the endless heartbreaking gun violence tragedies in this country, examining the work of activists and grassroots organizations demonstrates how research and advocacy can be translated into effective policy. To end gun violence in this country once and for all, the answer lies not just in voting blue, but rather in giving money to and volunteering for activist groups that are advocating for policy change and garnering the support of Americans. As humans with a vested interest in minimizing gun violence, we can do more than simply voting for Democratic leaders and hoping they will deliver on their promises to promote gun control. 

Involvement in organizations like March for Our Lives and The Coalition to End Gun Violence can show how many Americans are in favor of effective gun control policy and put pressure on politicians to create and enact gun violence prevention legislation. For instance, gun control organizations have led protests with hundreds of thousands of attendees during critical political periods, like election years, demonstrating a strong constituent desire for control and pressuring leaders in Washington to act. These grassroots organizations advocate for changes within American democracy in and of itself and encourage the government to support the interests of the people, rather than powerful corporations and lobbyists. Grassroots organizations are comprised of activists, students, and parents, not politicians simply desiring to get reelected. Activists and organizers are uniquely situated to shift public opinion on gun control by encouraging fellow Americans to step up and lobby for gun control bills that can save lives.

Lauren Winkleblack is a junior at Barnard College studying human rights and literature.