Call a special session on this plague of gun violence

Once again, Gov. Greg Abbott is holding a series of round tables to discuss possible legislative fixes to prevent mass shootings in Texas. And once again, he is avoiding serious discussion about gun safety measures, even as Democratic lawmakers are asking for a special session on this point.

Abbott said the goal of upcoming round-table discussions in El Paso is to prevent future massacres by building on previous discussions following the May 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High

School that killed eight students and two teachers. That shooting occurred months after the Sutherland Springs massacre in which a gunman killed 26 people and wounded 20 others at First Baptist Church, just outside San Antonio.

“We need new and different strategies that go above and beyond what we did in the aftermath of dealing with shootings that took place at the school in Santa Fe,” Abbott said.

And later: “Our goal is to make sure we do everything we can to make sure a crime like this doesn’t happen again.”

Ideas include focusing on hate groups, identifying potential terrorists and racist speech, and potentially banning websites such as 8chan, where hate is so often spewed and the El Paso shooter posted his manifesto. It’s an idea that raises concerns about the government regulation of speech. But if Abbott is willing to consider these ideas, why is he so reluctant on gun safety measures?

Abbott is often at his best in times of crises as an earnest representative of all Texans. He was particularly strong in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and he was heartfelt following previous shootings. But his words about preventing future shootings are painfully familiar.

“The problem is that innocent people are being shot and that must be stopped,” he said in 2018. “We all want guns out of the hands of those who would try to murder our children. The question is, what are we, the leaders of Texas, going to do to prevent this from happening again?”

And yet, here we are. Again, governor.

This issue is bigger than the state of Texas and Abbott’s office. There are calls for Congress to return for a special session about expanded background checks and other measures. But on the question of some type of assault weapons ban, President Donald Trump has said there is no political appetite, even though a recent poll shows growing support for such a measure.

But state officials can do their part while also honoring the rights of gun owners under the Second Amendment. We get it. Guns are used for hunting, self-defense and sports. They are collectibles and inextricably bound to Texas history and culture. But as the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence has noted, the states with the highest rates of gun deaths have some of the weakest gun safety laws. We can, and must, do better.

Last legislative session, Abbott never did consider gun safety measures, throwing cold water on a so-called “red flag law” proposed by El Paso lawmakers. And once again he has demurred on this idea after the El Paso shooting.

“In this particular instance, there were no red flags about this particular shooter,” he said. “We want to identify ways that we would be able to root out this shooter.”

But the point isn’t to specifically stop the El Paso shooting — as much as we wish we could go back in time and do just that. The point is to prevent future shootings and reduce gun violence, in general. Texas has been rocked by three jarring massacres in less than two years. But let’s not lose sight of other “routine” tragedies: homicides, suicides, murdersuicides that often involve guns.

Texas also has led the nation in accidental shootings by kids this year — 22 shootings involving children using unsecured firearms by the end of July. That is tantamount to a mass shooting.

In the immediate aftermath of El Paso, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, no fan of red flag laws, either, criticized video games as inspiration for mass shootings, even though research has found no such correlation. And, of course, mental illness is also a familiar talking point, even though the vast majority of people living with mental illness are nonviolent.

If these round-table discussions lead to a better ability to quash the hatred that descended on El Paso, then they will have value. But if the goal, as Abbott has said, is “to also ensure that guns are not in the hands of deranged killers,” then how can gun safety legislation not be part of the state conversation?

A growing number of Texas Democrats have called for a special session to focus on gun violence. Abbott should honor the request. Letters may also be mailed to Letters, Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Length? The shorter the better – long enough to make your point. All letters are subject to editing for length and clarity.