Following the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats lost little time in pointing the finger at the Republicans. As if on cue, many renewed calls for tighter gun control – and even in some cases for the abolition of the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms.
The shooting, which saw the deaths of 19 children, even became the subject of a political stunt when on Wednesday former Texas Congressman and failed Senate and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke stormed a press conference held by the state’s governor and assorted lawmakers.
“Gov. Abbott, I have to say something,” said O'Rourke. “The time to stop the next shooting is right now and you are doing nothing.”
“You said this is not predictable. This is totally predictable,” said O’Rourke, who has remained a fervent advocate for gun control, once promising to remove all firearms from every law-abiding gun-owner in the United States.
Once, at a Democratic primary debate in 2019 during his failed bid for the presidency, O’Rourke said: “Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”
Republican lawmakers immediately condemned O’Rourke for his unannounced outburst at the press conference, with Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin using the strongest language.
“I can’t believe that you’re a sick son of a b***h that would come to a deal like this to make a political issue,” said the mayor, whose remarks were echoed by others at the conference.
“You're out of line and an embarrassment,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
"Sit down," said Sen. Ted Cruz.
O’Rourke, who was ushered out of the event by police officers, continued to shout at the lawmakers. “This is on you, until you choose to do something different. This will continue to happen. Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state or they will continue to be killed, just like they were killed in Uvalde yesterday.”
“{Abbott} said he was going to do something. He did nothing. In fact, the only thing he did was make it easier to carry a gun in public,” said O’Rourke, unrelenting in his politicization of the tragedy.
While O’Rourke was immediately slammed on social media for “dancing on the graves of children” not even 24 hours dead, his remarks were not out of line with the attitudes of Democrats in general. Moments after reports of the shooting surfaced on Twitter, many liberal gun-control activists took to social media to call for the criminalization of firearms, pinning the tragedy on conservatives for their advocacy of gun ownership.
Former President Barack Obama, after an initial Twitter thread of Uvalde condolences, chose to remind his audience that George Floyd died two years ago.
“In the aftermath of his murder, a new generation of activists rose up to channel their anguish into organized action, launching a movement to raise awareness of systemic racism and the need for criminal justice and police reform,” Obama wrote.
The former president used the conversation to praise social justice activists and promote his own NGO.
“As we grieve the children of Uvalde today, we should take time to recognize that two years have passed since the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer. His killing stays with us all to this day, especially those who loved him,” wrote Obama. “Inspired by these young leaders, @MBK_Alliance launched a Reimagining Policing Pledge for mayors and cities ready to take action. If you’re wondering how you can help make things a little better today, here are some ways to get involved.”
The immediate politicization of the Texas shooting is in line with other tragedies that have occurred across the United States – and even the world – in recent years. Any tragedy, near or far, is an opportunity to posture.
“Never let a good crisis go to waste” has long been the modus operandi of the Democratic party, whether spoken or unspoken. True to the motto, they have seized upon every mass shooting to demand the criminalization and seizure of legal firearms. New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul is using the Buffalo massacre, which left 10 dead, to enact a package of executive orders and gun control bills to further restrict legal firearms in the state.
Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer used the Buffalo shooting as an opportunity to demand action against Fox News host Tucker Carlson, blaming him for promoting the so-called ‘Great Replacement Theory’ espoused by the shooter, who identified as a white supremacist. Similarly, President Joe Biden used the tragedy to attack conservative politicians, whom he blamed for the act of “racially motivated violent extremism” – all while calling for so-called “weapons of war” to be banned.
When in 2021 eight people were murdered, six of whom were women of Asian descent, at various massage spas in Atlanta, Democrats were quick to start a campaign to “Stop Asian Hate.” The movement, which gained traction with the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) manufactured demographic, was short-lived after several high-profile videos showcasing violence targeting Asian committed by people of non-white descent flooded social media amid the rise in violence in American cities.
It simply didn’t fit the narrative, and so it was quickly forgotten. The same can be said of the recent mass shooting at a Laguna Woods, California church, in which a Chinese-born immigrant opened fire on Taiwanese congregants. Despite happening a day after the Buffalo shooting, it received only a fraction of the attention. The shooter, who was not a white supremacist, didn’t check the right boxes.
Both victims and perpetrators must meet certain criteria for liberals to seize on an issue
This much is evident with the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, which Democrats and their allies in the liberal media have pounced upon to vilify not only Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Russians in general – even going so far as to turn it into a domestic issue by calling Ukraine an extension of liberal democracy.
Contrast the liberals’ support for Ukraine against Russia to their support for the Yazidis and Christians in Syria, or the Christians in the Central African Republic – both of which continue to be subjected to untold levels of violence by Islamist militants.
Despite all of their pretensions to virtue, liberals are keen to ignore any victims who do not fit their narrative and worldview. Some people just don't belong to the right demographic.
This mentality of “us versus them” has turned Republicans and conservatives in general into whipping boys, who receive direct blame for the deaths of children – all while victims the world over are turned into nothing more than pawns in a political game.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.