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The day after the deadly mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, CNN caught up with Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who seemed eager to shut down any further conversation about trying to prevent gun violence.
“Let’s not get into politics, alright? Let’s not get into emotion, because emotion feels good, but emotion doesn’t solve problems.”
If the idea is that unproductive emotions such as panic and hysteria don’t lead to worthwhile policy outcomes, I’d be inclined to agree. But if the public and its elected representatives are shocked by avoidable massacres, and want to take steps to prevent future bloodshed, that’s not just a mindless, emotional reaction, it’s a constructive desire to protect people from harm.
“Emotion doesn’t solve problems”? Perhaps not, but indifference doesn’t solve problems, either.
“Emotion feels good”? Not always, it doesn’t. When people grieve in the wake of mass murders, including the deaths of children, it doesn’t feel “good” at all. What feels far better is when people elected to serve the public’s interests take steps to prevent avoidable catastrophes.
When the GOP congressman was asked whether Americans need assault rifles, he responded, “Need is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t question why you need a blue suit, but you got one.”
And if formal wear and AR-15s had anything in common, that comparison might make sense. What’s more, if blue suits were responsible for the slaughter of many innocent Americans, I’d like to think Congress would take an interest in the matter.
Finally, CNN’s Manu Raju asked Donalds about limiting consumer access to weapons such as the AR-15. “If you’re gonna talk about the AR-15, you’re talking politics now,” the Republican responded.
First, asking about a specific firearm, used in multiple massacres, is a substantive, policy-focused question. It’s not as if the reporter asked him to weigh in on electoral trivia or the latest poll. To ask about potentially life-saving reforms related to a public health hazard is to talk governance.
Second, I’m not altogether sure what Donalds means when he uses the word “politics” to dismiss the issue. He is, after all, a politician. He ran a political campaign. He was elected to a political office. He serves alongside 434 other politicians who collectively participate in political processes.
If the Florida Republican doesn’t want to use the political process to solve problems, perhaps he’s in the wrong line of work?