Each week during the 2024 Kansas legislative session, we will provide Johnson County lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
Below is a submission from Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher of Kansas Senate District 8, which currently covers part of Overland Park.
We had stopped near the west side of the stage area in front of Union Station for a few moments and contemplated waiting to see if some of the Chiefs players would be coming that direction.
We had seen a few other VIPS exiting the rally in that same area, so it appeared there was a good chance of potentially meeting Chiefs team members.
However, after having spent the past few hours Wednesday afternoon standing amongst the packed crowd, we decided we were ready to move on. Just a few minutes later gunfire erupted near the spot we had been standing. Looking back, that simple decision may have been a life-saving choice.
Just luck, I guess.
I actually felt pretty calm during Wednesday’s tragedy as none of our children had accompanied us. As my husband and I were being escorted by law enforcement from one spot to another at Union Station to elude the shooters — with officers rushing past us with military grade weapons — I kept thinking how glad I was that none of our kids were there.
Another lucky break.
I started to think how this was actually my family’s second brush with the direct effects of gun violence in less than two years.
In March of 2022, I found myself anxiously waiting outside Olathe East High School, where my son attended, due to an active shooting incident there. While a student and two staff members were injured, my son was down the hall and was able to avoid the incident.
What a stroke of luck.
On Wednesday, once the area was deemed secured and we were released, we were directed out of the building and saw images that are hard to shake: young children with tear-stained faces and some very young individuals being loaded onto stretchers and into ambulances.
This is the reality of life in America — a country where you only ever need half a flag pole. It’s a place where we’ve decided luck should play as great a role in keeping us safe as do common sense solutions.
In a country with nearly unfettered access to firearms, carnage and destruction are a frequent result. Our stats in this regard tell the story:
- The US gun homicide rate is 26 times higher than that of other high income countries
- Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the US
- So far this year, there have been more mass shootings than days
Kansas and Missouri rank 37th and 38th respectively in strength of gun safety policies and there were a number of legislators in attendance at the Wednesday rally.
So, what was the response of our state legislative leaders?
It appears there were no calls to action to reduce gun violence by leadership, which is GOP controlled in both states.
In fact, the very next day, the Kansas GOP supermajority appeared to double down on their desire to even further remove firearms restrictions by introducing HB 2803, which allows the state to opt out of following federal gun laws.
As a commentator mentioned Thursday, there is no other area where we similarly leave safety standards to chance. We have safeguards in place with our food supply. There are codes regarding the construction of buildings. We have rules pertaining to driving and flying. None of the safeguards are perfect, but they’re designed to minimize risk.
But with firearms, that all goes out the window. Logic or facts can’t seem to play a role when it comes to guns. Instead, we leave things to chance.
If you are ready to do something about the epidemic of gun violence in the U.S. versus leaving your fate and that of your loved ones to chance (and the deep-pocketed gun lobby), I encourage you to join Moms Demand Action, an organization fighting for common-sense gun safety measures.
Additionally, EVERY SINGLE KANSAS SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE ON THE BALLOT THIS FALL. If you want to have lawmakers in office who actually have the courage to act on behalf of the people, and not the gun lobby, show up for every election and support “Gun Sense Candidates.”
Otherwise, this cycle of death, carnage and trauma will continue. And, sadly, our luck might just run out.
