This is an opinion cartoon.
Why is America the only nation that is persistently ravaged by rampant mass shootings?
Because of the oh-so easy access to guns. It’s easier to buy guns than it is to buy sinus medicine in this country. AR-15 style weapons, the gun of choice for mass shooters like the Georgia kid, should be banned – as they were for 10 years. During the Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994-2004, gun violence remained an issue, but mass shootings went down significantly. After the ban timed out in 2004, mass shootings escalated with a vengeance. And here we are.
There are a number of things to blame for out-of-control gun violence. We should work to find solutions for all contributors. But the root problem in America is easy access to guns. The answer from the NRA/GOP is always more guns.
The tragedy in Georgia is especially maddening. The 14-year-old kid begged for help for his mental issues. Instead, his dad gave him an AR-15 for Christmas.
The majority of Americans favor better gun laws, including universal background checks and a federal ban on semiautomatic assault weapons and bump stocks.
From Mike Cason’s AL.com story:
Every year, Democrats in the Alabama Legislature propose bills they say will help reduce gun violence, and 2025 will be no exception, with four already in the pipeline and a fifth being pushed by a sheriff.
See also: Montgomery requires photo IDs for carrying concealed guns on person or in vehicles
“This young man, little boy in Georgia, was equipped by his father,” said Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham. “He equipped this young man to go out and be a killer.”
Givan has pre-filed a bill, HB13, that would make it a felony to sell or give an assault-style weapon to a person under 18. It would also be a felony for a person under 18 to possess an assault-style weapon.
Other bills pre-filed for next year would ban devices that help semi-automatic firearms fire more like automatic guns – bump stocks and Glock switches.
- Givan’s bill carries a definition of “assault weapon” that covers many semi-automatic rifles and handguns.
- HB23 by Rep. Kenyatte Hassell, D-Montgomery, would require a person to have a permit to carry an assault-style weapon on their person or in their vehicle.
- Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said she is working with Republican lawmakers for a bill intended to help keep guns off school campuses.
- Although no bill has been pre-filed, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch has said he is gathering information to see if there can be an effort to change the permitless carry law to require youths under age 21 to purchase a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Shout out to my friend Ferrell Anders for inspiring this “Fact of death” toon.
Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe
JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @jdcrowe@al.com.
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