If the United States Senate cannot summon the moral decency to at least ban the sale of assault weapons to people below 21 years of age, who are killing our children in ghoulish numbers, it will be a dereliction of duty that will increase the number of mass murders of our children, which history will condemn and huge numbers of voters will reject.
I dedicate this column to the children of America, who have a God-given right to live full lives, and not be murdered by killers with machine guns because a generation of political adults lacks the honor and decency to respect the views of a significant majority of Americans — and take the actions to save a generation of child victims from being mass murdered.
Before Audrey Hepburn became one of the great movie stars in history, she was a child growing up in Nazi-occupied Europe who personally experienced the horrors and crimes the Nazis committed against children. She gave a lifetime devotion to children who she passionately loved and supported throughout her life.
One of Hepburn’s greatest deeds was to become global ambassador for UNICEF. She journeyed to the most impoverished places in the world, to visit children who were near death’s door from starvation, disease and war. She held those children in her loving arms, hugged them, held their hands and vowed to be their voice to the people and powerful around the world.
In some of the truest words ever spoken, Hepburn said these children cannot speak for themselves, so we must speak for them. With these words, as best I can, I seek to speak for the wonderful children at Uvalde who desperately called 911, and the children at all schools in all communities who had their lives stolen by mass murderers, and for all victims of all ages who deserve a damn sight better than some senators appear prepared to offer.
If the Good Lord would grant me one wish, it would be that Hepburn and her children could visit with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to discuss current events in the Senate.
All members of the House and Senate, justices serving on the Supreme Court, officials in state government, and those working in the media should treat saving our children in danger of being mass murdered as a sacred generational duty.
President Biden, who played a significant role in passage of the assault weapons ban in 1994, set the high standard in his recent sweeping and excellent speech, some of which should be enacted by Congress today.
On matters of public affairs seeking to save the lives of the children, shouldn’t we all view these children as our own children? Shouldn’t we not only hear their pleas to live, but become their voice to preserve, protect and defend their lives?
With mass murders of children and adults rising after the end of the 1994 assault weapons ban, and destined to continue doing so after the Senate votes, would senators be proud, if they refuse to enact any limits on assault weapons, that their votes will lead to more mass murders of more children that they could have prevented?
This will be a major issue in the midterm elections that will benefit candidates who stand, along with a significant majority of voters, for the generational duty of saving our children — and their elders — from weapons of mass death!
Leading proposals to save the lives of the children and their elders are supported by two-thirds to 90 percent of all voters. Recently, 250 Texas Republicans, conservatives and gun enthusiasts signed a letter calling for significant action on guns, including raising the minimum age to buy assault weapons.
Leading billionaires and millionaires, alongside massive numbers of small donors, could well make extraordinary donations to candidates who yearn to save the children from mass murder weapons — and keep the American Dream alive for their children, our children, America’s children and God’s children!
Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the House of Representatives.