WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2019 The Boston Globe The Nation A
MASSSHOOTINGS
BySheryl Gay Stolberg
NEWYORKTIMES
WASHINGTON — Congres-
sionalRepublicans,underpres-
sureto respondto the week-
end’s massacres, appearto be
coalescingaroundlegislation to
help law enforcement take
guns fromthosewho pose an
imminent danger — a measure
that, if signedinto law, would
be the most significant gun
safety legislation in 20 years.
“Redflag” laws suchas this
mightnot be as momentous—
or controversial — as the now-
expiredassaultweaponsban or
the instant background check
system, both of which wereen-
acted in 1994as part of Presi-
dentBill Clinton’s sprawling
crime bill. But they may be po-
litically feasible.
WithPresident Trumpen-
dorsingthe idea, a number of
Republicans — including Sena-
tor John Thune of South Dako-
ta, the number two Republican
— are embracingthe concept.
Thunetold his hometown
newspaper, The Argus Leader,
that he was “confident Con-
gresswill be able to find com-
mongroundon the so-called
red flag issue.”
Senator Lindsey Graham,
Republican of South Carolina,
has already proposed federal
grantsto states to help them
enact red flag laws, also known
as “extremerisk protection or-
ders.” And the Senate Republi-
can leader, Mitch McConnell,
has asked three committeechairmen to “reflect on the sub-
jects the president raised” and
hold bipartisan talks of “poten-
tial solutions.”
Seventeen states, including
Massachusetts, and the District
of Columbia already have red
flag laws. But the pushfor them
onCapitolHillstopsshortof
the legislation mandating uni-
versal background checks that
Democrats and gun control ad-
vocates — as well as a handful
of Republicans— have been
clamoring for. Already, Demo-
crats are warning that Republi-
cans will use Graham’s propos-
al to skirt the larger issue.
“Rightnow I can sense from
my conversationswith Republi-
can colleagues that they are re-
ally grapplingand struggling—
scrambling may be too stronga
word — but they are really
searching for some steps that
are meaningful,” Democratic
Senator Richard Blumenthalof
Connecticut, who is partnering
withGrahamon the red flag
bill, said Tuesday. “And there’s
nothingmorestronglysupport-
ed by the Americanpeoplethan
backgroundchecks.”
Blumenthaland other Dem-
ocrats are demanding that Mc-
Connellbringthe Senate back
fromits August recessto pass
two House bills to expand back-
ground checks to Internet and
gun show purchases,and to al-
low the FBI moretime to inves-
tigate a would-be gun buyer
flagged by the current back-
groundchecksystem.
“The measures that have
beenpassed by the House are
absolutely necessary,” Blumen-
thal said.“A red flag statute isby no meansenough.”
Gun violence has been one
of the most divisive and intrac-
tableissuesin Washington, and
even gun control advocates
concededthat getting the
House bill throughthe Senate
wouldbe a heavy lift.
Senator Patrick J. Toomey,
Republican of Pennsylvania,
said Monday that he was reviv-
ing his background checksbill,
whichfell to a filibuster in
2013,and that he intended to
pressMcConnell to bringit up
if Republicanswereconvinced
they had the votes.
“I think we need Manchin-
Toomey,” Toomey said, refer-
ringto Senator Joe Manchin
III, Democrat of West Virginia,
his cosponsor. “I thinkit’s over-
due. This is a common-sense,
verybroadlysupportedmea-
surethat would fullyrespect
the rights of law-abiding citi-
zens, fully respect the Second
Amendment.”
The evidencefor whether
red flag laws workis inconclu-
sive, accordingto a study by the
RAND Corp. But emergingevi-
dence suggests temporary re-
moval laws can have a measur-
able effect on suicidedeaths.
Research in Connecticut and
Indianahas found that the en-
forcement of the laws saved
lives — about one fewer suicide
for every 10 to 20 casesof gun
removals. Suicides represent
aroundtwo-thirdsof all gun
deaths in the United States.
Jeffrey Swanson, a professor
of psychiatry at Duke Universi-
ty, who studiedthe laws in both
states, said they could make a
difference,even if they did notprevent massshootings.
An analysis by gun control
organization Everytown for
Gun Safety of massshootings—
whichit definesas thosein
which four or more people, not
includingthe gunman, are
killed — between 2009 and
2017 foundthat roughly half of
the gunmen exhibitedwarning
signsbefore the killings.
Everytown advocates also
pointto the 2018massshoot-
ing at Marjory StonemanDoug-
las High Schoolin Parkland,
Fla., where the gunmanexhib-
ited suchtroublingbehavior,
according to one neighbor, that
his motherwouldon occasion
call police. After the massacre
of 17 students and staff mem-
bers, Florida joineda number
of other states in passingred
flag laws.
Gun control advocates are
extremely enthusiastic about
the possibility that Graham’s
measurecouldbecomelaw. The
legislation is still beingdrafted,
and advocates have not taken a
position on it. But Monday,
John Feinblatt, president of Ev-
erytown for Gun Safety, cited
red flag laws as one of his two
top priorities,along with back-
groundchecklegislation.
“The president spoke this
morning,” Feinblatt said, short-
ly after Trumpmade his Mon-
day remarks, “andif we’re to
take him at his word,what he
shouldbe doingtoday is calling
Mitch McConnell and getting a
public pledge from him that he
will call the Senate back imme-
diately and take up a bipartisan
background check and red flag
legislation.”‘Red flag’ gun control bills gain favorGOP may follow17 states’ leadWASHINGTONPOST
WASHINGTON— President
Trump is preparing to visit Day-
ton,Ohio, and El Paso on
Wednesday, appearancesthat
will not be universally wel-
comed as the two cities grieve
after weekend massshootings
that left 31 deadand many in-
juredand rattled.
White House counselor Kel-
lyanneConway confirmed
Trump’s plans, saying he ‘‘has
wanted to go there sincehe
learned of thesetragedies.’’
Conway suggested Trump’s
itinerary wouldbe similarto
thosefor other visits following
massshootings and natural di-
sasters, trips that have included
meetings withthose affected
and with law enforcement offi-
cials and first responders.
Several Democratic officials
have urged Trumpnot to visit
El Paso, a city of about683,
with a largely Latino popula-
tion,after Saturday’s anti-im-
migrant attack at a Walmart Su-
percenter, whichleft 22 dead.
And on Tuesday afternoon,
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a
Democrat, encouraged people
unhappy with Trump’s upcom-
ing visitto the city of about
140,000 to protest.
‘‘I thinkpeopleshouldstand
up and say they’re not happy if
they’re not happy he’s coming,’’
Whaley told reporters.
The gunman in Dayton
killed nine people early Sunday.
El Paso officialsare still in-
vestigating but believe the al-
leged gunmanposted a mani-
festo onlinethat echoed
Trump’s rhetoric on immi-
grants,describing his attack as
‘‘a response to the Hispanic in-
vasionofTexas.’’
‘‘This president, who helped
create the hatredthat made
Saturday’s tragedy possible,
shouldnot cometo El Paso,’’
former Democratic congress-
man Beto O’Rourke of Texas
tweeted Monday. ‘‘We do not
needmoredivision.We needto
heal.He has no placehere.’’
The wordsof O’Rourke, a
presidential candidate, echoed
thoseof Representative Veroni-
ca Escobar, Democrat of Texas,
whose district includes the Wal-
mart targeted in the massacre.
On Monday, she urged the
president and his team‘‘to con-
sider the fact that his words
and his actions have played a
role in this.’’
‘‘From my perspective, he is
not welcome here,’’ Escobar
said on MSNBC’s ‘‘Morning
Joe.’’ ‘‘He should not come here
while we are in mourning.’’
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, a
Republican, said Monday that
he’d welcome Trump in an offi-
cial capacity and ask him ‘‘to
support our efforts withany
and all federal resources that
are available.’’ But Margo cau-
tioned Trumpagainst invoking
his previous rhetoric to talk
aboutthe bordercity. ‘‘I will
continueto challenge any
harmful and inaccurate state-
ments madeabout El Paso,’’
Margo said.‘‘We will not allow
anyone to portray El Paso in a
way that is not consistent with
our history and values.’’
Adolpho Telles, chairman of
the El Paso County Republican
Party, said Tuesday that he wel-
comes Trump’s visit. ‘‘Clearly it
is going to helpwithpeople
healing, and this is a timeof
healing,’’ Telles said on CNN. He
accused Democrats of ‘‘making
this a political event for their
benefit.’’
In Dayton, Whaley said she
isn’t sure Trump’s visit will be
helpful. ‘‘Look, I have no sense
of what’s in President Trump’s
mindat all, right?’’she said. ‘‘I
can only hopethat as president
of the United States he’s coming
here because he wants to add
value to our community, and he
recognizes that that’s what our
community needs.’’
‘‘He’s the presidentof the
United States. He does his cal-
endar. I do mine.’’
She also criticizedTrump’s
remarks on Monday about the
shootings, saying‘‘his com-
ments weren’t very helpful to
the issuesaround guns” and
adding that ‘‘I think they fell re-
ally short. He mentioned gun
issueslike one time. I don’t
know if he knowswhat he be-
lieves, frankly.’’
Vice President Mike Pence
spoke aboutthe attacks Tues-
day at the AllianceDefending
Freedom conference;he said he
sharesthe president’s belief
‘‘hate has no place in America.’’Don’t visit shooting
sites, Trump is told
MARKRALSTON/AFP/GETTYIMAGESWalmart employeespaidtheirrespects onTuesday at a
makeshift memorialfortheshootingvictimsin El Paso.
ATRUSTEDNAMESINCE
g 50 Ye ar Full ReplacementValueWarranty
g AwardedSelectShingleMasterCertification
EarnedbyOnly1%oftheNation’s Roofers
g UnlimitedOptions!ColorsandStyles
forEveryHome!
SA
VE
20
%N
OW
!
FREEEstimates g FinancingAvailable
Just likesummer –this offer won’tlast long! Call now!
844 - 753 - LONG
LongRoofing.com
FREE Estimates! Paymentsas low as $99/Month!
Licensed,Bonded,Insured MAHICReg. #187510/RIHIC Reg. #
Expires9/15/19.Validinitialvisitonly.Min. purchaserequired.Cannotbecombinedwithotheroffers.OACthruGreensky.Not validonRestorationDivisionpurchases.