The Republican surrender to gun violence

What their response to mass shootings has in common with their response to COVID-19

An elephant.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

Perhaps the surest — and sickest — sign that, after more than a year of the pandemic, things are getting back to "normal" in the U.S. has been not only the return of mass shootings, but also the Republican refusal to do anything about them.

After two gun massacres in Atlanta and Boulder in just one week left 18 people, including a police officer, dead, President Biden has asked Congress to pass stricter gun laws, including an assault weapons ban and tighter background check requirements. "This is not and should not be a partisan issue," Biden told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "It is an American issue. We have to act."

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Neil J. Young

Neil J. Young is a historian and the author of We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics. He writes frequently on American politics, culture, and religion for publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, Vox, and Politico. He co-hosts the history podcast Past Present.