Springfield Republican: In gun debate, Sen. Markey asks America to follow Massachusetts
By The Republican Editorials
Senator Edward Markey says Massachusetts gun laws are a model for other states. He may be right.
The “Making America Safe and Secure Act,” appropriately abbreviated to “MASS Act” because it would empower the Department of Justice to hand out $100 million in grants over the next five years to states that model gun laws on on those in the Bay State.
Markey’s proposal flies in the face of conventional wisdom that much of the country views Massachusetts as a far-left enclave that’s out of step with the national mood. His response is that the Bay State’s tough laws are working where looser regulations elsewhere are not.
At the heart of the proposal is the state’s 2014 reform by which law enforcement authorities can suspend, revoke or deny gun licenses. The gun lobby and its allies oppose these regulations as Second Amendment violations, but Markey’s response is that Massachusetts has the lowest gun death rate in the United States.
The tighter laws in Massachusetts are working, but whether America wants to follow suit is another story. When Republican Mitt Romney ran for president, he downplayed his term as Massachusetts governor as much as possible.
For instance, Romney rarely brought up the state’s progressive health insurance policy, presumably because he knew so many Americans were opposed to President Obama’s national Affordable Care Act. Any measure promoted by Massachusetts liberals faces a tough sell in the South, Midwest and West.
Thirty states voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. The red complexion of America’s political map, reflected by Republican control of every level of government, make it unlikely that Markey’s call will be heeded.
In normal times, a gun-law recommendation from Massachusetts would be a recipe for rejection by other, more conservative parts of the country. But school shootings have galvanized support for tighter restrictions.
The nation is at a crossroads on gun control, and if there is any chance for a Massachusetts liberal to hold an audience, it may be now. If Markey’s proposal is attacked by the gun lobby and rebuffed by conservatives, he’ll be accused of grandstanding, but giving more power to police might resonate in some areas where citizens want law enforcement to operate in a more favorable climate.
Would the nation go along with taking its cue from the arguably most liberal state in America? Not likely, but times are changing in the gun debate. Even if other states don’t go as far as the Bay State has done, they might be more inclined to listen.
