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Misjudgements. Failure. Forgiveness. These aren’t words we often hear politicians use to describe their own actions. So, it was doubly astounding to hear Rep. Jared Golden’s remarks as he announced his reversal of his opposition to a federal assault weapons ban.
Because they are so unusual, they are worth quoting at length.
“Sometimes things happen that bring your worst nightmares to life. Yesterday, this is what happened in Lewiston,” Golden said at a press conference in Lewiston on Thursday evening. On Wednesday, 18 people were killed and 13 injured by a gunman. It was one of the most deadly mass shootings in America. The suspect was the subject of a massive manhunt that locked down Androscoggin County. “At a time like this, a leader is forced to grapple with things that are far greater than his or herself. Humility is called for as accountability is sought by the victims of a tragedy such as this one.”
“Out of fear of this dangerous world that we live in and my determination to protect my own daughter and wife in our home and in our community, because of a false confidence that our community was above this and that we could be in full control, among many other misjudgments, I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime,” he continued.
“The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by this sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine,” Golden said.
“For the good of my community, I will work with any colleague to get this done in the time that I have left in Congress. To the people of Lewiston, my constituents throughout the Second District, to the families who lost loved ones, and to those who have been harmed, I ask for forgiveness and support as I seek to put an end to these terrible shootings. In the days to come I will give everything I have to support this community’s recovery.”
Political debates, particularly around the issue of gun violence and gun rights, typically involve a lot of finger-pointing. So it is refreshing and meaningful for an elected official like Golden to take responsibility and commit to an action he had previously opposed. It is this type of introspection and adaptation that must prevent our elected officials from getting mired in the same stale arguments. This moment, and the repeated evidence from mass shooting after mass shooting, require reflection and action — from everyone.
Golden’s change of position could harm him politically. He is a Democrat who has won election and re-election in Maine’s more conservative 2nd Congressional District, which Republican Donald Trump won twice in his races for president.
Still, it is the right thing to do. As Mainers saw up close in recent days, gun violence takes a terrible toll. Restrictions on assault weapons, which were in place for 10 years beginning in 1994, reduced some gun crimes.
It shouldn’t take a tragedy in your hometown, people you know shouldn’t have to be killed or injured to realize that steps need to be taken to address the easy access to guns, especially assault weapons, which are especially lethal and frequently used in mass killings.
Appearing at the same press conference in Lewiston, Sen. Susan Collins was asked if she also supported a ban on assault weapons. She said she favored restrictions on “very high capacity magazines.” Such a move has been shown to help decrease mass shootings and is long overdue, but, like an assault weapons ban, it would face long odds in a Republican-controlled House and a Senate where the threat of a Republican-led filibuster can kill legislation. Collins has supported assault weapons bans in the past but opposed a recent proposal because she said it was too broad. She also supported a failed compromise on background checks a decade ago and led a bipartisan gun, mental health and school safety bill that passed last year.
Long odds are not a reason to move forward with legislation to address the many contributors to America’s gun violence epidemic. Passing and tightening red flag and yellow flag laws and increasing the availability and accessibility of mental health services are part of the solution. But, so too, are meaningful and enforceable restrictions on some firearms and ammunition.
