There’s Little Wiggle Room On Gun Control For Democratic Candidates — Even Ones Who Were Formerly Opposed
For the party, the issue has become one like same-sex marriage and abortion rights where there's very little gray area. Democrats have coalesced around a gun-control message, and candidates are falling in line.
The Wall Street Journal:
The Democratic Party’s New Litmus Test: Gun Control
During her 2010 U.S. House campaign, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona highlighted her “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. She opposed gun-control measures and regaled constituents in her largely rural district with stories of hunting with her father. In 2018, Ms. Kirkpatrick is running to return to the House espousing a gun-control platform that is among the country’s most aggressive. She is for universal background checks and a ban on guns described as assault weapons. She disavows her longstanding position as a “proud gun owner,” saying she gave away the hunting rifles inherited from her father. “I do not have any guns in my home,” she says. (Epstein, 8/9)
Meanwhile, Parkland students are still navigating the psychological aftereffects of the mass shooting —
The Washington Post:
Surviving Parkland: A Teen’s Road To Recovery After A Mass School Shooting
Marie Laman carefully removes a black bow tie from its box and slips it around her son’s neck. It’s his first bow tie, for his first formal dance. A moment for a mother to savor. “I don’t want to do this,” Kyle says. He is slumped on his bed, tugging at the sleeves of his dress shirt. “This is so stupid.” Marie, still struggling with the tie’s clasp, doesn’t respond. Suddenly, Kyle shoves her away. “You’re choking me,” he says. “Stop. Stop!” (Kaplan, 8/9)
