Is it time to freak out…?
Gun violence is a crisis in the country, and freaking out right now would be totally understandable. One in 5 adults in the United States have been personally threatened by a gun. Guns are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. These statistics are startling and heartbreaking.
Feeling hopeless? I have felt that way, too. But there are some recent, small slivers of daylight. In Tennessee, where lawmakers have been weakening gun safety laws for years, The Covenant School shooting and ensuing backlash has finally sparked action.
Earlier this week, the governor of Tennessee quietly signed an executive order to strengthen background checks for purchasing guns and called on lawmakers to pass a “red flag” law. It is not nearly enough, but it is a step forward in a state where gun safety legislation had been moving in the wrong direction.
So, yes, let’s continue to freak out about the fact that there have been more mass shootings than days in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. But don’t ignore those small signs of progress, either.
Keep an eye on: States stockpiling abortion pills
If a conservative Texas judge with zero medical training has his way, the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, a key component of the abortion pill, will be suspended and women nationwide will have no access to it.
While the Supreme Court did temporarily block the ruling, it could still go into effect in the near future. And because of the competing ruling from a judge in Washington, this will all be decided by the Supreme Court at some point anyway.
These developments aren’t a surprise, given that the most extreme wings of the anti-abortion movement would like to ban birth control.
Liberal states aren’t wasting time. The governors of Washington, California, Massachusetts and New York quickly announced plans to stockpile mifepristone following that Texas judge’s ruling.
Gov. Gavin Newsom in California has…
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