Political implications of another school shooting
Perspective
1. Gun-owners are more likely to vote Republican than ever before. Source: Social Science Quarterly, quoted in Newsweek.
2. Americans with less education are more likely to vote Republican; Americans with more education are more likely to vote Democratic. Source: Pew Research Center.
3. Republicans consistently vote against gun control/gun safety measures, and consistently vote to reduce education funding. Both of these political positions increase their voter base. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans believe higher education is hurting America. Sources: The New York Times; Pew Research Center.
4. I do not believe that Republicans advocate violence in any form, especially not school shootings.
5. Nevertheless, the shooting at Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida, advances the Republican agenda, because it activates gun-rights supporters (who get energized by the inevitable calls for gun control) and fulfills the narrative that education is dangerous.
It is self-evident that a society with fewer weapons and more education is a better society. It is also evident that a society with more weapons and less education is more likely to vote Republican.
Isn’t it time we call out the cynical bargain that has been struck? By keeping weapons at-large and education minimized, Republicans hold onto power.
Image: NBC News interrupted regular programming to carry live coverage.
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