This is the front page of WDBJ 7 (click here).
When the SBI of Virginia starts their investigation, they should consider including the FBI in gathering information. This is a hate crime.
All changes in public, private and government paradigms begins with the facts. The victims of the shootings in the USA need to form a coalition to lobby Washington for federal laws. They should hold regular conferences to move gun legislation forward. I would think computer programs can provide for the meetings of all the organizations attempting to achieve the same goal, namely, to end the gun violence and gun deaths in the USA.
The gun organizations can form this coalition and provide a stronger base to launch their initiative. A coalition can have a mission statement that binds them together. They don't have to travel more than once a year or quarterly.
If there are enough states that pass gun legislation to prevent this tragedy, a constitutional amendment can happen. It takes 26 states to pass a constitutional amendment. There is a super majority in the US House and Senate to write the amendment and place it for vote on state ballots.
I don't know why the NRA should not be part of a solution. It is the NRA that is always out front to point out mental health as a reason for the shootings. Certainly the NRA has a method to end such heinous killings.
If the NRA is convinced mental health is the only problem, then the NRA should come forward in any investigation to provide vital information about their findings and effective methods to end the deaths. If the NRA is convinced a mental health data base would end all these killings, then they should be instrumental in funding such a computer center.
The NRA and other gun organizations can be part of a coalition in a non-voting capacity. I would include everyone. I would include media representatives as well. The idea is to bring all the parties/stakeholders to a common meeting place to bring their facts and solutions. The coalition should be all inclusive delineated between voting and non-voting members. But, bringing everyone together should move a SOLUTION to common ground.
There should be no naysayers. No one knows the potential outcome from such an effort.
There is no reason why any organization should give up their identity or fund raising status. As a matter of fact, the coalition should remain without funding to maintain the integrity and clout of each member organization. Each organization can carry their own expenses.
There should be an effort, a sincere effort, by everyone to bring about an end to these killings. There should be no objection.
The new coalition should have an organizing committee of victim families that come from the organizations of which they belong. This is not a public organization, it is more or less a private task force to bring the best of all organizations to bear in lobbying Washington, DC. The organizing committee can send invitation to all parties to belong to the coalition. The victim's families have to be the center of the organization so it's mission doesn't get derailed from it's organizing purpose.
It is a volunteer organization and the members may already be financially compensated by the people they represent. ie: The NRA have a staff. That staff is already paid for their capacity. This is simply adding capacity by their involvement. And if one gun organization doesn't show interest then another one will. A majority of Americans want to see change in gun laws, it is time to bring down the walls and grow common ground to facilitate that change. All organizations should be willing and motivated to bring such an organization into existence to end the violence. There are no excuses. Ending danger in the USA also adds to tourism and economic security.
"In Kind" donations from businesses such as meeting places and/or computer software that facilitates meetings can be the mainstay of the new coalition. All that needs to happen is for family members to call each other and begin the ball rolling.
