In the aftermath of the shooting, which has now surpassed Orlando as the most deadly mass shooting in modern history, lawmakers and elected officials posted heartfelt “thoughts and prayers” to social media.
While this is certainly a kind gesture, it ultimately rings hollow when you’ve also accepted substantial amounts of money from the National Rifle Association, a lobbying group whose sole agenda is to roadblock commonsense gun reform (like keeping guns away from the mentally ill, or mandatory background checks, or closing gun show loopholes).
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who received $9,900 from the NRA during the 2016 election cycle, is one of those lawmakers who tweeted his condolences Monday morning.
Why does this matter? Because this is the same NRA that just last June practically called for an all-out race war in a controversial Facebook ad aimed at arming NRA members against liberals and gun safety advocates.
As country singer Rosanne Cash said in a New York Times op-ed this morning, “There is no other way to say this: The NRA funds domestic terrorism.”
But Rubio isn’t alone.
President Donald Trump accepted more than $30 million from the NRA last year. Our own Florida Gov. Rick Scott received an A+ from the organization for Florida’s abhorrent gun laws. Also, both of them were keynote speakers at the last NRA conference in Atlanta.
Here in Florida, the NRA is everywhere. According to OpenSecrets, the organization spent at least $839,215 on Florida politicians in 2016.
If you’re wondering why it’s impossible to get anything done with gun reform, here’s a good place to start:
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This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2017.
