When it comes to gun violence — and specifically, mass shootings — we have become used to a certain pattern of behavior from the other side of the political aisle.
For those on the Left, each mass shooting event is but further evidence of a deep-rooted problem within American society. These terrible occurrences are condemned not as individual instances, but as part of a greater problem. A problem which simply must be solved, at any cost.
Democrats rush to capitalize on this understandable desire for action by immediately promising to act. The problem, however, is that while not all actions are equal or effective, every action promoted by the Democrats is politically advantageous for the Left.
In response to the mass shooting attack in Boulder, Colorado, the reaction from Democrats was no different. “I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future,” President Biden said.
“This is not — it should not be — a partisan issue. This is an American issue,” Biden continued. “It will save lives, American lives. We have to act.”
The nature of these demands for action was further demonstrated by other Democrats, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren who used the fight against gun violence to justify a goal she’s been pushing for all along: ending the filibuster.
“Week after week, month after month, year after year – the gun violence doesn’t end. And things won’t get better until Democrats get rid of the filibuster and finally pass gun safety legislation that a huge majority of Americans support. What are we waiting for – another tragedy?” the Massachusetts Senator tweeted.
Week after week, month after month, year after year – the gun violence doesn't end. And things won't get better until Democrats get rid of the filibuster and finally pass gun safety legislation that a huge majority of Americans support. What are we waiting for – another tragedy?
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 23, 2021
Ignoring the obvious cynicism rooted in the demands of politicians like Sen. Warren — for whom every crisis is an opportunity to achieve unrelated political aims — there is a colossal flaw in the logic of the Left in their response to such events: they assume that their suggestions would be effective.
Part of this is hindered by the propensity of the Left to rush to politically-advantageous conclusions. For example, the shooting in Atlanta was assumed to be an anti-Asian attack despite evidence to the contrary. In the same way, the Left routinely undermine their own gun control arguments by arguing in favor of policies without knowing important — and sometimes pivotal — information.
Another part of this, however, is rooted in the idealistic and virtue-signaling nature of Democrats. For the Left, legislation is the ultimate victory which can be achieved on the road to societal change. This makes legislation the goal, not the change they claim to be working toward.
This distinction is crucial when we consider that there is no real evidence that the various gun control policies being promoted in the immediate aftermath of the latest mass shooting would be effective in preventing further attacks. For example, simply “banning” so-called assault weapons won’t make these weapons — which have already flooded the market — suddenly unavailable to those who really want them. Meanwhile, it will make it harder for those who rely on these weapons for self-defense to legally acquire them.
At the highest level, the conservative argument against the forms of gun control promoted by the Left is correctly built upon the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. “Shall not be infringed” means what it means, after all. However, for those who don’t value the constitutional argument against legislative gun control, it’s important to resist the emotional urge to simply “act” after witnessing tragedy, and understand that quick action is rarely a guarantee of success.
Especially when the Democrats use every and any real or manufactured tragedy to promote the same set of policies. It’s not about solving the problem, it’s about using the problem.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @ighaworth.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.