Causes.com
| 5.8.23
Far Right Gunman Kills 8 in Texas Mall
Tell your representatives they must take action on gun violence NOW.
What's the story?
- A gunman opened fire at a mall in Allen, Texas, outside of Dallas on Saturday, killing at least eight people and injuring seven.
- Authorities reported the police killed the attacker on site. Brian E. Harvey, the chief of police in Allen, said the gunman, 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, acted alone. Investigators are looking into the shooter's potential links to the far right.
- Garcia wore a clothing patch with the letters "RWDS," which federal authorities say stands for "Right Wing Death Squad." The phrase is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacists.
- He used an AR-15-style rifle, which GOP House members proposed designating as the National Rifle of America. The bill, introduced in February, wants to acknowledge the place of the AR-15 in American life and make it a national symbol.
- The victims of the Allen shooting are aged five to 61. Three are in critical condition, and four are in stable condition.
- This was the second-deadliest shooting of the year, following the Monterey Park, CA, massacre, which killed 11.
Recent deadly shootings
- This year has brought a string of deadly mass shootings, with Saturday's clocking in at number 199. Since then, there have been five mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Last week had an exceptionally high count.
- On April 28 in Cleveland, Texas, Francisco Oropeza killed five people in his neighbor's home after they asked him to stop firing his gun in his front yard. Authorities said Oropeza's actions were "almost execution-style."
- On May 1, a registered sex offender shot and killed six people, including his wife and three of her children, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- On May 3, a gunman opened fire in a medical office building in Atlanta, Georgia, killing one and injuring four.
Take a stand
- Unlike most media sites, Causes is an action-taking platform. We are built to take a stand, and we're urging you to stand with us.
- Access the latest information on guns in America using our Gun Violence Tracker here.
- Lastly, tell your representatives they must take action on gun violence NOW.
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: Twitter/ @crimewithbobby)
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Calling on ALL TEXANS and the rest of our country who profess to be PROLIFE, gun violence laws are imperative to SUPOPRT LIFE.
Interesting many GOP claim to be Pro life...
All congress members who receive NRA fundsshould be voted out.
We're not going to listen to any more excuses and lies about "mental health" from the Guns Over People party.
They did this when they decided to quietly allow the mentally ill to buy guns, and now they're acting like they don't know anything about it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/02/15/republicans-in-congress-just-made-it-easier-for-mentally-ill-people-to-get-guns/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/president-trump-made-it-easier-mentally-ill-get-guns-when-n1039301
https://www.npr.org/2017/02/02/513126985/house-votes-to-overturn-obama-rule-restricting-gun-sales-to-mentally-ill
At least I have YOUR attention, Reps. cornyn, crenshaw and cruz! Right Wing Christians? When was the last time you pulled out your Bible AND ACTUALLY READ IT!
I'm agnostic, but was interested to find out that ...
the Bible actually references your infamous ...
" ... Thoughts and Prayers ..."
statements with the following verses from the Bible (pretty much any version you pick), from James 2:17 ...
"So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Read the rest below you Fake Evangelicals! Get off your assesses a legislate!
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202%3A14-24&version=ESV
Mass Murder du jour by yet another white supremacist wearing combat tactical gear (guess all those shoppers are dangerous especially the children), carrying an assault rifle with multiple rounds of ammo, in a permitless open carry state, which has taken over all the news programming for hours like some sort of weird reality TV show that airs a few times a week featuring a new mass murder regularly.
Sadly I live in a Republican owned state where our senators and Representatives will only listen to their "puppet masters" with all the "big bucks". Arse kissers one and all including our egotisticle governor. They only do what they are told instead of actually working for the people. Our people vote for certain changes only to be shot down by the state legislature so they can retain their power.
Common sense will eventually rule the day when the Universe has had enough or the people band together and vote these "nay sayers" out of office. Trouble is that over 54% of the voters here are "Independent" voters with 7% Libertarian. The remainder are closely divided with a Republican majority. Independents are not allowed to vote in primaries because the legislature refuses to obey the voice of the people who strongly voted in favor of "open elections" a good decade ago. And that is not the only issue they have a tendency to ignore. Thank the "powers that be" I can still voice my opinion until they get frightened enough to "do me in" and prevent me from voting.
🖕😖😤🤬😡🤢👎💔❤️🔥❤️🩹💘⁉️ Not enough 'bad/mad/sad' emojis to even come close to represent how pissed, upset, angry, mad and frustrated I am with ALL MY Texas state and national Reps! At a minimum, they should all be castrated, particularly' Dead Dick' abbortt, paxton, and the rest of my local old, white, bigoted, pro-birth, 'Sleepy' dickless wonders or soon to be ones.
Another right-wing extremist able to easily get and use weapons of mass destruction like the AR-15.
The Guns Over People party will surely make excuses and lie to the American people about the causes of this horrific massacre while the Texan governor encourages more gun purchases and access.
This has to stop. The GOP is killing people every day and someone needs to stop them.
At the rate we're going gun violence will kill more people than COVID and yet we see the damn Republicans doing nothing. They all have the blood of these gun victims on their hands.
Get the rapid fire guns off the streets!
My wife and I are mountain folk and we both have fully vetted carry permits and own 2 registered semi-auto hand guns & 1 non-assault semi-auto rifle and we support a 2nd Amendment. But we also realize that, as written the 2nd amendmment is soulfully outdated and needs revision to reflect todays societal, technological and national defense realities.
The 2nd amendment was adopted based on our nation's threats, assets, resources and technology in 1791. Guns in 1791 muskets could only fire 1 short range, inaccurate round per minute. The US population was only 4 million so every able-bodied citizen needed a gun because our nation needed "well regulated armed militias" to preserve and protect our newly won freedoms.
The U.S. 2022 population is 330+ million. Our nation's threats, assets, resources and technology have evolved far beyond anything our founding father's could have imagined. Our 2023 armed forces combined have over 1.5 million active duty soldiers so we no longer need armed militias and semi-automatic guns can now fire 2+ rounds per second.
The original premise for the right to bear arms has changed from needing well regulated armed militias for defense of our nation to defense of self, family, business and community from criminals, domestic and foreign terrorists and the mentally ill. But revolvers and shotguns can accomplish that. Congress has already passed legislation that restricts specific classes of people and weapons from the 2nd amendment. Felons can not buy, own or possess guns. Automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns are already prohibited from sale. AR- 15 type assault rifles were prohibited from 1994 to 2004 but are again permitted for sale and are the weapon of choice in nearly all mass shootings and the shooters nearly always buy them new withina 2 week period preceeding their attack.
I believe that accountability and at a minimum a ban on the sale and manufacture of AR-15 style assault rifles is the hard choice we need to make to reduce gun related violence over time. What's the downside of doing that? Nothing.
We need to combine and enhance existing databases, close vetting loopholes and establish guidelines for mentally ill reporting to enable timely comprehensive vetting. Weapons training or relevant equivalence, carry permits and gun registration need to be mandated for purchasing and owning semi-automatic guns as they are now for fully automatic guns.
I was horrified at the latest mass shooting. In the meantime, my Representaive, Mike Kelly of PA sent out an email this morning fear-mongering about the border. I do not CRAE abotu the border! What I CARE about is the fact that children in the USA are being gunned down by AR's because the GOP is bought and paid for by the NRA!!! Everything else is a distraction and the GOP thinks we are too stupid and too dense to realize it.
No place is safe. Not even our own homes. How to respond to even the simplest perceived slight: blow the person(s) away. What has become of us?
Steven Spainhouer is a BRAVE and brilliant man...Texas should be glad to have him and run him for office.
He was the Ex-military/ex-police man that turned out to BE the 1st person on the scene with experience to assist.
His description of the scene is burned into my mind (and the horror must wake him all the time).
Like me, he is a gun owner, AND ALSO SENSIBLE about red flag laws and passing off gun violence on JUST mental health. Texas cut massive funding for mental health but the turd Gov. Abbott drags out the "mental health" excuse every ocassion? Does the Gun Lobby/NRA give him $$$ everytime he spews crap like that?
Spainhouer in multiple interviews (except REFUSING to be on FOX) says that the Second Amendment and red flag laws/ban assault rifles, and other modest restrictions CAN co-exist.
Kentucly's GOP nutters ought to pay attention AND DO SOMETHING besides fill their wallets and recite "thoughts and prayers".
Massie (aka Mass-hole) is perhaps the worst in KY and some day soon (I hope) he will be gone... back into his garage with his armory and stars & bars like the terrorist he is.
Here's your "good guy"--brave enough to say what a lot of legit gun owners users say:
Racists, my way or no way MAGAS, haters and vigilantes are not mentally ill and thanks to right wing media they think they are helping their country. It's time for Republicans to face facts and realize guns kill. Assault weapon bans, background checks, waiting periods and denying violent abusers and criminals guns is just common sense. Legislators that fail to act are complicit and responsible for the gun violence problem in America. Save a life-vote for a Dem.
According to one witness (former military) who ran toward the area of the shooting to see if he could help, he saw a little girl who was obliterated by the bullets. It was if she had been cut open by the bullets. Another peson said he saw a person with no face left. Why are weapons like these on our streets!!!!! The manufacturer / developer of these weapons has stated that he developed them for WAR. Ban assault rifles!!
If I had a dollar for every time I told my lawmakers to take action on gun control laws, I'd be rich.
I live in New Mexico, which is an open carry, anyone can buy a gun state. It also happens to be a Blue state. People use the same BS arguments against gun control laws, but our governor, MIchelle Luhan Grisham, is in favor of them. We have had our share of mass shootings, but they are down from 2020.
I will not tolerate misuse of the 2nd amendment to support the NRA's and the ammunition industry's success in keeping guns and assault weapons available to all. I will not tolerate the "people are the problem, not guns" argument. And I especially call out those who are against abortion but advocate for guns and assault weapons being available to children.
And Dear God, please do not let me hear you say your "thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims" as you continue to refuse to pass responsible legislation to take assault weapons off the market and create stricter background checks with longer wait periods. Cuz I might shoot you (bad joke).
This is an indictment on everyone who is in a position of power in this country and have done absolutely nothing about it. I assure you I will. use my voice and my vote to make sure those of you who are now incumbents and have done nothing lose your coveted position while new leadership is voted in. Please don't use this as an excuse to ask for money.
The inconvenient truth for the GOP and red states !!!!!
CAUSES TELLS ME, THEN ASKS ME TO...:Far Right Gunman Kills 8 in Texas Mall Tell your representatives they must take action on gun violence NOW.
ME: Why bother? I'm sure my Rep, Doug Lamborn, stands with Texas: " Greg Abbott, the governor, said there would be no new effort to limit access to firearms in Texas." [NYT headline today] I'm also quite sure he believes that guns do not kill people only mental health issues do,ergo load up the mental facilities and fire forward with more guns. .
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/05/07/no-gun-control-after-allen-mall-mass-shooting-gov-abbott-tells-fox-news/
What proof is there that he was a "far right extremist?" I'm not trying to be difficult, but do want to know.