Against all enemies, foreign and domestic

There have been 27 school shootings in America so far this year. In 2020 there were 612 shootings involving three or more people. In 2020 America experienced 45,222-gun deaths. The U.S. averages more than 20 shootings involving 10 or more people (mass shootings) a year. The victims are white, Black, Asian, Latino, Christian, Jew, Muslim, men, women and children. Who are these people? They are all of America, they are us.

There are varying polls, but by any measure more than 75% of Americans, including a large majority of gun owners, support universal background checks. More than a year ago the U.S. House passed two bills requiring universal background checks on all gun sales and sent them to the Senate. These bills have been held hostage for more than a year by 50 senators. They have not been voted down; 50 diehard senators won’t allow them to even come to a vote. Why? Cowardice! They want to avoid having to take a position. They don’t want to be on record as failing to do what they know is right. They are pandering for power.

The senators wrap themselves in the Second Amendment and play dumb, but what is being asked is not prohibited by the Second Amendment. In a landmark gun case, District of Columbia v Heller, Justice Scalia, one of the modern era’s most conservative justices, says gun enthusiasts are wrong when they claim that any limitation on firearms is unconstitutional. Government can place restrictions on firearms with the intent of protecting society. We need someone to become a leader. Here in Montana, we look to Sen. Steve Daines to join Sen. Jon Tester to at least bringing these bills, or some version of them, to a vote.

Sen. Daines has often expressed a deep belief in his Christian faith as the basis for his support of antiabortion legislation. I take Sen. Daines at his word. Though I disagree with his position, I respect his belief. But where is his belief in the sanctity of human life when confronted with the pandemic of gun killings? Is he stymied by the Second Amendment, or is it a simply safe excuse to avoid taking a position?

We have numerous laws affecting gun rights. A citizen cannot own a machine gun, a hand grenade, a bazooka, a rocket launcher. Makes sense, and only the most fringe element gun rights supporters would say otherwise. Politicians nationwide have spent much of the last year creating multiple registration requirements and processes making it more difficult to vote. Can we at least spend some time making it more difficult for an 18-year-old to buy an assault rifle? We can have common-sense laws, but we must have the courage to take the first step.

The senatorial oath requires the senator to protect us from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. The people perpetrating these horrendous killings are enemies of the American people. Some are mentally ill, some driven by hate and racial animosity, but whatever flavor, they are the enemies of American society.

The bills sitting in the Senate are not perfect. They may need to be amended, altered and compromised on, but at least they should be discussed. All senators need to take a position rather than just avoiding the issue. These dead and wounded Americans should not be ignored.

When the terrorists struck in New York, President Bush rightfully gave the world a choice. He said that we will confront this evil and there is no sitting on the sidelines. You are either with us or against us. One senator can break this deadlock. Sen. Daines, are you with the American people or against us?

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Steve Barrett is a retired attorney living in Bozeman. He is the former chair of the Montana Board of Regents.