Before boarding a flight to Washington, D.C. Monday, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, made an emotional plea for an end to mass shootings like the one that took at least 50 lives at a gay nightclub in Orlando Sunday morning.
She expressed her grief and condolences for Orlando and its LGBT community, and before addressing the multiple factors that lead to such horrific events — caustic political dialogue, ease of access to deadly weapons, lack of resources invested in mental health — she lamented how common mass shootings have become in the United States.
“As I go back to Washington, D.C. tonight, it's likely that we'll have another moment of silence," she said at Stetson University College of Law's Tampa campus. "And I have to tell you that I'm pretty tired of having moments of silence without action and and without a plan to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening again. The Congress has to act. This is simply not reasonable anymore.”
One key action the Congress can take, she said, is to bring back an assault weapons ban that passed in 1994 only to be lifted a decade later against the wishes of then-President George W. Bush.
“We have got to have the debate in Congress and…renew the assault weapons ban," she said. "There is no reason that… if you're not in the military or in law enforcement, that you have the ability to walk into a gun store and buy a high-capacity machine gun.”
Castor said she is co-sponsoring a bill that would renew the ban, which only applies to guns like the semi-automatic rifle AR-15 (which has been used in several recent mass shootings, including Orlando and Sandy Hook). She is also co-sponsoring legislation that would bar people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing guns.
But stronger laws on high-powered automatic weapons are just a piece of the puzzle, she said, given that mass shootings are typically carried out by people who are mentally disturbed and have shown signs that they need treatment. Another bill in Congress would boost funding for mental health issues, but in states like Florida, where nearly a million are uninsured, there's also a great need for leadership at the state level.
“Really the most impactful thing we can do in the state of Florida for mental health services is to expand Medicaid. We still have about 900,000 Floridians who do not have access to the health care that they need because they work part time, they are about at the poverty level and they don't have access to healthcare.gov and the exchange.”
National politics also comes into play in changing the current environment. Many have reacted with outrage to the response of GOP front-runner Donald Trump to the shooting — a tweet that begins, “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism…” Critics suggested he was using a horrific mass murder as an excuse to "humble-brag,” and Castor said his words are further proof that he's not fit to be president.
“I think it will clarify things for voters. It's very clear to me that Donald Trump does not have the experience, the knowledge or the temperament to be the Commander-in-Chief. Folks are going to look for someone who does have the ability to work with other countries, our allies, has the experience to work with our military, counter-terrorism organizations. I've heard brass right here at MacDill Air Force Base who are very concerned with a Trump in the White House.”
The Orlando massacre, which targeted LGBT club-goers, took place at a key time for the community and its allies, especially in Florida. June is Pride Month, and later this month St. Pete Pride, which is the largest Pride parade and festival in the Southeast, is set to take place in the city's Grand Central District.
Castor happens to be the event's Honorary Grand Marshall this year. She said there will be extensive efforts to keep attendees safe and that the tragedy in Orlando will be front and center even as the event celebrates recent gains in LGBT equality.
“Local law enforcement will step up,” she said. “This is going to be an opportunity for our entire community, and everyone that loves the St. Pete Pride celebration, to come together and honor the victims, honor the Orlando community, and stand up for equality and human rights and love and peace.”
This article appears in Jun 9-16, 2016.