YEAH, THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. SO WE’RE ABOUT 30 SECONDS AWAY. OKAY. PERFECT.
>> IN THE AFTERMATH OF WHAT
HAPPENED IN UVALDE. THERE IS A
POLITICAL REALITY AND A
POLITICAL FRUSTRATION FOR SO
MANY THAT TYPICALLY PLAYS OUT
AFTER TRAGIC MASS SHOOTINGS
SUCH AS THE ONE THAT HAS
AFFECTED SOUTH TEXAS TO BREAK
SOME OF THE DOWN. WE WANT TO
BRING IN JOHN TAYLOR WHO IS A
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY
PROFESSOR, CHAIR OF THE
POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
AT UTSA. JOHN, WE’RE ALWAYS
GLAD THAT YOU’RE HERE WITH US
AND AND ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME
INSIGHT. WE WANT TO START,
THOUGH, WITH SOME OF YOUR OWN
THOUGHTS THAT YOU SHARED IN AN
OP-ED IN THE SAN ANTONIO
EXPRESS NEWS REALLY
HIGHLIGHTING WHAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TO SOCIAL
MEDIA TO TO TALK ABOUT THE THE
REALITY THAT THERE IS ALMOST A
CYCLE THAT IS PREDICTABLE IN
THE AFTERMATH OF OF THE
SHOOTINGS. EXPLAIN SOME OF YOUR
THOUGHTS THERE.
>> HOW IT’S A FRUSTRATING
CYCLE. THAT’S THE PROBLEM IS
THAT I DON’T MEAN TO SOUND SO
CYNICAL BUT ALMOST WASH
RINSE, REPEAT WHERE, YOU KNOW
THIS THIS INCIDENT OCCURS EVENT
OCCURS. EVERYBODY’S UPSET.
AND THEN WE RIGHTLY ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE VICTIMS
AND THE FAMILIES. THOSE
IMPACTED IMMEDIATELY. AND SO WE
YOU KNOW, WE END UP GATHERING
TOGETHER WITH THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS WITH ITS JEWELS.
AND THEN WE START TALKING ABOUT
POLICY AND WE CERTAINLY ARE
ARGUMENTS ABOUT POLICY AND ALL
OF A SUDDEN WE END UP WITH
ESSENTIALLY FORMER GRIDLOCK
BECAUSE WE CAN’T DECIDE EXACTLY
HOW WE’RE GOING TO MOVE
FORWARD. AND THEN ONCE WE DO
MOVE FORWARD, IT’S REALLY NOT
MOVING FORWARD UNTIL THE NEXT
INCIDENT OCCURS. AND WE DO IT
ALL OVER AGAIN.
AND THAT’S WHAT IS FRUSTRATING.
I THINK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
NOT NECESSARILY IN THE RIGHT OR
LEFT FOR EVERY SPECTRUM WHERE
WE WANT TO SEE SOME SORT OF
POLICY CHANGE, SOME SORT OF
ACTION AND THEY’RE GOING FOR IT
IS OF SUGGESTIONS. EVERYTHING
FROM FROM LIMITS OF LIMITATIONS
ON AGES, 4 FOR PURCHASING.
AR FIFTEENS TOO ISSUES RELATED
TO BACKGROUND CHECKS, RED FLAG,
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM RIGHT NOW. AND SO,
YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HOPE THAT
SOMETHING MIGHT BE ACCOMPLISHED
THIS TIME. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE
THOUGHT THE SAME THING AFTER
SANDY HOOK, AT LEAST THE ACTUAL
WHICH WE SAW IN EL PASO WAS
SELF-TAUGHT IN SANTA FE.
SO IT IS FRUSTRATING CYCLE.
AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THE THE
HEARING YESTERDAY, HIGHLY
EMOTIONAL YET PARENTS TALKING.
YOU HAD KIDS THAT WERE IN THOSE
CLASSROOMS.
>> AT LEAST ONE CHILD THAT
TALKED.
TONY GONZALES SAYS THE STATE IS
SHE’S MADE THE HOUSE
REPRESENTATIVE, THE U.S. HOUSE
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THAT
DISTRICT NOT TOO LONG AGO.
HE VOTED DOWN BACKGROUND CHECKS
AND CLOSING SOME LOOPHOLES.
>> ARE YOU GETTING ANY
INCLUDING? BUT ANY MINDS WERE
CHANGED IN THAT. RAYBURN HOUSE
COMMITTEE MEETING YESTERDAY.
>> ONE WOULD HOPE AND I WILL
USE ANALOGY FOR RELIGION.
ONE WOULD HOPE WE WOULD SEE
THEM ASK US ROAD CONVERSIONS
FOR SOME. I DON’T THINK WE’RE
NECESSARILY GOING TO SEE THAT.
WE’LL SEE PEOPLE WHO WILL GIVE,
YOU KNOW, THEIR BEST EFFORT
STILL TALK ABOUT THINGS.
BUT THE MILL IN THE END,
THEY’LL BACK AWAY AND THE MOVE
BACK TO POSITIONS. THEY
VOICE THAT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT
MEANS THAT WE WILL LIKELY NOT
MOVE FOR A LITTLE HOUSE JUST
YESTERDAY. DID PASS PRETTY
STRONG LEGISLATION, WHICH I GOT
TO BE BLUNT IS GOING TO GO
NOWHERE IN THE U.S. SENATE.
>> AND IN TALK ABOUT THAT, THE
POLITICAL REALITY OF THIS AND
MAYBE EXPLAIN.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE
INFORMATION WE SAW IN THAT
TESTIMONY YESTERDAY BECAUSE WE
JUST SHOW DOCTOR GUERRERO, WHO
WAS THE PEDIATRICIAN IN UVALDE.
LEXI RUBIO’S PARENTS WHO HER
MOTHER JUST THE PLEA THAT SHE
WAS MAKING FOR CHANGE AND
TALKING TO OTHER PARENTS
LISTENING SAYING I CAN’T
IMAGINE THEIR PAIN UNTIL THE
NEXT PERSON DOES. I THINK THAT
STRUCK EVERY PARENT WHO HEARD
THAT LIKE YOU SAID, NO MATTER
THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATION.
SO ALL OF THIS INCREDIBLY
INFORMATIVE AND EMOTIONAL
TESTIMONY WAS GIVEN YESTERDAY.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT
INFORMATION? BUT I AGAIN, I
HATE TO BE CYNICAL, BUT AS A
POLITICAL SCIENTIST.
>> REALITIES ARE SUCH THAT
WE’RE FACING A VERY, VERY BAD
SITUATION FOR THE DEMOCRATS IN
TERMS OF MID TERM ELECTION,
WHICH MEANS THEY’RE GOING TO
TRY TO DO THINGS UP AS THEY DID
IN 1994 TO TRY TO TO ADDRESS
THE GUN ISSUE. REPUBLICANS ARE
GOING TO FACE REMIND THEIR
VOTERS. THEY RIGHT NOW ARE ON
THE UPSWING. THAT, YOU KNOW,
LOOK, WE SUPPORT GUN RIGHTS.
WE SUPPORT SECOND AMENDMENT
RIGHTS AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO
BUDGE. AND MOST OF THE STUFF.
SO ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, I HATE TO
SOUND SO CYNICAL, BUT
ULTIMATELY EVEN WITH THE WITH
THE HEART RENDERING AND JUST
ABSOLUTELY JUST DEVASTATING
TESTIMONY AS A DAD, MYSELF,
JUST GOT TO HEAR THIS. IT IS
DIFFICULT AS A POLITICAL
SCIENTIST TO SEE MANY STEPS
FORWARD, THE LEAST THIS TIME.
IT TOOK SO JOHN CORNYN, THE
TEXAS SENATOR IN A BIPARTISAN
EFFORT TO BRING SOMETHING TO
THE SENATE.
>> WE KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA WHAT
THEY’RE HEADING TOWARDS THERE
ON A STATE LEVEL. THERE’S BEEN
A LOT OF CALLS FOR A SPECIAL
SESSION. INSTEAD, WE’RE GETTING
THESE SPECIAL COMMITTEES AND
WE’D LIKE TO REPORT ON EXACTLY
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THESE
COMMITTEES. BUT THE BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS, THEY’RE NOT
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE. WHAT DOES
THAT SAY ABOUT A STATE LEVEL
COMMITMENT TO DOING SOMETHING
IN THE WAKE OF WHAT HAPPENED
IN UVALDE. THE GOVERNOR WOULD
SAY, WELL SHOWING IT, BUT THEY
ARE WORK WAS EXACTLY THE
OPPOSITE.
>> WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT’S
GOING ON. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
AN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE IT
DEALS WITH BOTH PERSONNEL
ISSUES AND SENSE OF SECURITY
ISSUES AND SECURITY ISSUES
SHOULD NOT BE IN EXECUTIVE
SESSION. HOWEVER, PERSONNEL
ISSUES UNDER STATE LAW CAN BE.
AND SO THE RESULT IS THAT’S
BEING USED TO
KIND OF. SO SHE’LL BUT
DEFINITELY KIND OF AT LEAST
MINIMIZE THE PUBLIC’S ABILITY
TO HAVE INPUT OR IMPACT THIS
TIME. LET’S BE HONEST. A
SPECIAL COMMITTEE SESSION IS
NOT THE SAME THING AS A SPECIAL
SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE.
GOVERNOR HAS BEEN RETICENT FACT
IS PRETTY MUCH REFUSING TO CALL
A SPECIAL SESSION REGARDING
REGARDING GUNS AND GUN REFORM.
AND SO THE RESULT IS WHATEVER
THIS COMMITTEE DOES, YOU CAN
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS MUCH LIKE
WHAT THE TENANT GOVERNOR AND
THE SPEAKER ALREADY HAVE
CHARGES TO VARIOUS COMMITTEES.
BUT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT RESULT
IN LEGISLATION COME JANUARY.
SO TO BE CLEAR, WHAT CAN COME
OUT OF THIS SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE?
>> IS RECOMMENDATIONS. IT IS
NOT LEGISLATION THAT COULD
AFFECT ANY PORTION OF AN
UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
>> A GREAT COMPLETELY.
ABSOLUTELY. 100% CORRECT.
THE ONLY WAY THAT ANYTHING
COULD CHANGE IS IF T E AM DONOR
GOT THE BALL TO ISSUED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER.
>> WANT TO TALK ABOUT MOMENTUM
MOVING. WE TALK SO MUCH OF AN
EYE.
THE SUNDAY THE PRESIDENT WAS IN
UVALDE. I WAS AT THE TOWN
SQUARE PARK. THERE WERE A LOT
OF YOUNG 10 11 YEAR-OLDS
HOLDING UP SIGNS ASKING THAT
RULES BE CHANGED IN THEIR IN
THEIR WORDS, RULES BE CHANGED.
IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS MOMENTUM
FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE.
IT DOES FEEL LIKE THERE IS MORE
MOMENTUM THIS TIME.
THEN THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST
AND I’M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
IF JOHN, THAT’S BECAUSE
>> WE’RE SO CLOSE TO THIS
INCIDENT OR DO YOU THINK
THERE’S NO MOMENTUM THAT WE’RE
GOING TO GET SOME BIPARTISAN
AGREEMENT HERE? ONE WOULD THINK
THERE IS MOMENTUM JUST BECAUSE
WE’RE ALL SO CLOSE TO IT.
>> I ALSO KEEP LIKE MY
BACKGROUND. I-2 FRIENDS WHO
DIED IN OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING.
AND SO AFTER THAT, IT’S THE
SAME KIND OF THINK TERMS OF
FOCUS ON WHAT CAN WE DO TO
REFORM? WHAT CAN WE DO TO
ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT LED TO
DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND SOME
THINGS THAT HAPPENED? BUT NOT
IN THE SAME WAY AS WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT MASS SHOOTINGS.
WE SEEM TO HAVE THIS INABILITY
TO ADDRESS IT IN ANY MEANINGFUL
WAY. AND UNTIL THAT CHANGES,
WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO
WASH RINSE, REPEAT ON THESE
INCIDENTS.
AS FRUSTRATING AS THAT THIS
CONVERSATION HAS BEEN
INFORMATIVE. SO PROFESSOR JOHN