Last weekend, a 31 year old veteran shot and killed his seven children and a nephew.
They were all aged between one and twelve years old.
The mass shooting in Shreveport is the deadliest since January 2024, and once again raises important questions around gun ownership laws in the US. But instead of having those conversations, Speaker Mike Johnson offers his thoughts and prayers. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry offers to pay funeral expenses.
Excuse me?!
Putting aside just how insulting that gesture is to the victims’ family and friends, it no longer (nor ever did) feels acceptable to be reactive to a problem that is killing tens of thousands of Americans every year.
In 2024, nearly 50,000 people died of gun violence. And yet, while ICE are deporting and killing American citizens because they don’t like how they look, and Trump is killing innocent Iranian civilians to protect America from WMDs that don’t exist, there is an actual, measurable threat to life every single day because gun ownership laws are not being addressed.
This is Chris Marvin, an expert on gun suicide prevention and the veteran lead at Everytown for Gun Safety, the nation’s largest gun violence prevention organisation.
Also joining me to discuss this story and other headlines from the US, my guest co-host this week is Emma Long, an Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.
Catch the full episode right now on Apple, Spotify and all good hosting platforms.
Thanks for listening
Liam
The founders didn't expect that there would be this kind of slavish adherence to the Constitution. In fact, many of them thought it would be rewritten every generation. It hasn't been, and that's part of the the problem.
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The British Association for American Studies was founded in 1955. It exists to promote, support and encourage the study of the United States in the Universities, Colleges and Schools of the United Kingdom, and by independent scholars.
The association has a broad membership and encourages those from all those engaged in or connected with the study of the United States, to join and support the association’s work.
