Real change will only come from all of us

The silence is deafening from our open-carry-gun-law-advocating governor after the latest killing of elementary school children.

Our legislators are cowards, beholden to special interests and mostly do-nothings, even if they’re intelligent enough to recognize the horrible situation we are in due to the misreading of the Second Amendment.

What can we do? Vote out of office people like Sen. Marco Rubio and all others firmly on the side of the NRA and gun manufacturers who generously support their re-election. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., whose fear of abolishing the filibuster makes it difficult to pass responsible laws, should join the Republican Party or retire and tend to his coal interests.

This requires action from the ground up, because neither Congress nor the politicized Supreme Court will help the people. When you have Justice Clarence Thomas bemoaning the fact that the people don’t trust the court, it shows a complete lack of self-reflection since he’s one reason why the court has a sullied reputation.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett can give all the speeches she wants saying the court is not political, but actions are what count and their decisions show a marked political bent. So we can’t trust at least two branches of our government: Congress and the Supreme

Court.

I’ll hold off on the executive branch, but I’m not hopeful. It sure is disappointing that the U.S. is in this position right now but it is up to us, the people, to effect a change for the better.

Emogene Keffer, Plantation

Editor’s Note: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ only public statement on the Texas killings was to order all state flags to be flown at half-staff through sunset Saturday in response to a presidential proclamation.