U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
Disagreements are inevitable in the political realm, especially in a state such as Louisiana where a slight majority of registered voters are Democrats and our state and congressional leaders are overwhelmingly Republican.
Constituents whose party affiliation doesn’t align with the officeholder who represents them hope any differences on critical issues are at least acknowledged, even if the official eventually takes a conflicting stance. Recognizing what’s important to the electorate goes a long way, especially when leaders can offer sound reasoning for a contrasting viewpoint.
What’s disappointing, however, is when a leader’s actions are so out of touch that it gives the impression they aren’t aware of a problem or, worse yet, don’t care.
That happened last week when U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Baton Rouge, issued a news release congratulating himself on being named to the National Shooting Sports Foundation Dean’s List. The NSSF distinction “recognizes lawmakers who have gone above and beyond the A+ rating to protect Second Amendment rights.” He was one of eight members of Congress to earn top marks for a 100% record of voting in favor of gun rights legislation.
The foundation is a fundraising arm of the Firearm Industry Trade Association, and its political action committee has donated overwhelmingly to support GOP members of Congress. So it’s not surprising the group finds favor with Cassidy, who’s benefited greatly from National Rifle Association contributions during his time in office. Former NRA president Wayne LaPierre’s questionable personal spending has hindered the NRA’s lobbying capacity, allowing the NSSF to take the gun rights helm. The foundation spent more than $5.4 million on federal lobbying last year, NBC News reported.
Every other Republican member of the Louisiana delegation received between an A- and A+. The lone Democrat, Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans, earned an F from the foundation.
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What makes Cassidy’s self-promotion fall flat is that it comes in the midst of a troublesome spate of school-related gun incidents in Louisiana. His announcement is outright tone deaf when combined with the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s choice of an academic analogy to rate members of Congress on their gun-friendly voting records.
As of Sept. 19, there had been 50 school shootings across America since January, with 24 people killed and at least 66 others injured, according Gun Violence Archive figures CNN crosschecked and reported.
A day before Cassidy shared news of his pat on the back from the shooting foundation, a Loranger High student was arrested for possessing a gun on school property.
The day after the senator made the NSSF Dean’s List, South Louisiana Community College and the Early College Academy, a pre-K through 12th-grade school on its Lafayette campus, were placed on lockdown after a student with a concealed handgun was discovered on school grounds. Police arrested a 26-year-old SLCC student for violating gun-free zone laws.
These were far from isolated incidents:
Police responded to a juvenile with a gunshot wound at the DeRidder High School band practice field and later arrested an 18-year-old from Texas.
In Lafayette, a 19-year-old was arrested for allegedly trying to bring a handgun into a high school football game.
A Live Oak Junior High student was taken into custody after Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputies reportedly found her in possession of a gun.
Police in New Orleans are still looking for the man who flashed a handgun while threatening a Delgado Community College student on campus. A student told WWL-TV they were barricaded inside a classroom until campus authorities secured the scene.
A 23-year-old man reportedly brought a gun onto the grounds of Bellaire High School in Baton Rouge and fired three shots into the ground. Police who arrested him said he claimed to be breaking up a fight.
A vehicle was hit by gunfire outside Independence Stadium in Shreveport during a high school football game. A KTBS-TV journalist was inside the car editing video when the shooting happened.
The list goes on, but we’ve decided to confine our review to incidents just from the past month. They don’t include a Sept. 14 shooting in Monroe that wounded six people. It’s among the 13 mass shooting incidents in Louisiana so far this year that have wounded 55 and killed 10 victims, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which counts any shooting with four or more victims as a mass casualty event.
The numbers also don’t include frequent threats that target school campuses:
A 14-year-old Simsboro High student was arrested after police said he made “threats to shoot up” the school, officials reported.
A Union Parish teacher was arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot third-grade students at the charter school where he worked. Police said he went so far as to say “some of the students would not survive.”
Police arrested a 17-year-old West Monroe High student who reportedly said “I’m going to shoot up the school,” according to a teacher.
A 13-year-old at Benton Middle School student was arrested for allegedly making online threats targeting his school
A 14-year-old student called 911 and threatened to “shoot up” Bunkie High School, authorities allege. The call was reportedly made from campus, leading to a lockdown.
Parents were alarmed after threats made on social media targeted Iowa High School in Calcasieu Parish. A 15-year-old girl was arrested in connection with the incident, but extra deputies were still sent to the campus the next day as a precaution.
A 19-year-old was arrested in Livingston Parish for alleged threats against an unspecified school. He was said to have “planned an attack,” according to authorities.
This list of school shooting threats in Louisiana is also limited to September incidents and is by no means conclusive. It only accounts for matters that law enforcement made public.
In a state with countless hunters and sport shooters who obey gun laws and follow safety protocols, it’s understandable that a Second Amendment advocate would earn praise. But Mr. Cassidy should repress his urge to crow as long as a sense of insecurity prevails over school campuses. We’d prefer the senator curb his enthusiasm and holster the gun industry glad-handing until our students and teachers no longer have to conduct trauma-inducing mass shooter drills.
Maybe his Dean’s List recognition from the deep-pocketed gun lobby would resonate more deeply if it weren’t drowned out by gunfire and an escalating body count.
Demand accountability.