The Not-So-Secret Plan to Defeat "Vanilla ISIS"

By Karen Kay Remus 

How do we defeat the mass shooting terrorism that is rampant in the United States?

The first step is to ban assault weapons.  They were banned, from 1994 to 2004.  There is no valid reason for civilians to own them.

Since the ban expired, there have been over 32 mass shootings in the United States. This figure is from 2013.  Unfortunately, research on shooting deaths is limited, because the Centers for Disease Control, the agency that should be compiling and studying this data in order to help erradicate this deadly epidemic, is not. See: why the CDC is not researching gun violence

The point is, one mass shooting is too many, and the problem is escalating.

In response to last week's Florida school shooting, Trump has advocated "arming teachers."  Having taught at a high school, I can tell you that this is a very bad idea.  Anyone who has ever taught knows why this is true.  Not only would it lead to even more shooting deaths, but it would do nothing to stop massacres like the Las Vegas Concert Shooting or the Aurora Colorado Theater Shooting.  

The only way to end mass shooting terrorism is to heed the warning signs of potential shooters and keep guns out of their hands. We can accomplish this by banning assault weapons, by letting the CDC study and help eliminate this epidemic, and by passing sensible gun legislation.

Vanilla ISIS

Vanilla ISIS
by Karen Kay Remus (c) 2018

Two of Trump's 2016 campaign promises included:  a Mexican border wall to keep out "bad hombres" and a "secret plan to defeat ISIS."

However, as evidenced by the recent carnage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, there is an even more imminent and increasingly common terrorist threat than that posed by any "foreigner" or group thereof, and that is:  American-born, mentally unstable persons with assault weapons in combination with a United States senate that refuses to pass sensible gun legislation.

Let us start by calling mass-shooting on American soil, “terrorism,” because by definition, that is exactly what it is.  Defeating this form of terrorism requires neither a “wall” nor a “secret plan,” but simply, sensible gun legislation.

However, because the legislators with the power to end this crisis--namely, our POTUS and senate--are heavily supported by pro-gun interests, they have a (bullet-proof) vested interest in perpetuating it.  I submit to you that they are the terrorists.

Let us speak out, petition, and vote until justice and peace prevail!