Is It Time To Charge Members of Congress For Mass Shootings?

Image Credit, James DeMers

The American judicial system holds parents and guardians accountable for their children’s actions in various situations. If a minor commits a crime, parents may be questioned or even charged, especially if negligence is involved. However, when it comes to underage mass shootings, the conversation often stops short of holding only the parents and guardians criminally liable. But an even more glaring issue arises: why aren’t the members of Congress, the very people responsible for setting the rules, held accountable when their failure to pass meaningful gun laws contributes to these tragedies?

Parents are expected to be responsible for their children, yet lawmakers, who hold the power to prevent mass shootings by enacting stricter gun regulations, face no real consequences when gun violence erupts. If the legal system can charge parents for their children’s misdeeds, why aren’t members of Congress arrested, charged, and imprisoned when their inaction allows underage individuals to obtain deadly weapons?

These lawmakers set the rules, but they remain shielded from the consequences of their failure to act. Imagine a scenario where Congress members were held to the same standard as parents—where they could face criminal charges for not passing gun control measures that could have prevented a mass shooting by a minor. If they were at risk of incarceration for their inaction, would the U.S. gun violence crisis look different? Would tougher laws already be in place, protecting children and the public from preventable mass shootings?

The answer seems obvious. If Congress were legally vulnerable, gun regulations would almost certainly be stricter. Yet, there is no chance that Congress will ever vote to expose themselves to such consequences. They will not pass laws that could lead to their own arrest or imprisonment, no matter how dire the gun violence situation becomes.

This immunity creates a devastating cycle. Parents may be blamed and even charged for the actions of their children, but those who hold the most power to stop these tragedies—members of Congress—continue to escape accountability. If the tables were turned, and lawmakers could be charged for their failure to act, the landscape of gun violence in America might shift dramatically. The stakes would be higher, the urgency greater, and perhaps then, meaningful gun control measures would finally emerge.

But as long as Congress is immune from the consequences of their inaction, they will remain unwilling to enact the necessary reforms. The tragedy of underage mass shootings will continue, and the public will bear the consequences while lawmakers face none. It’s time for the system to change. If parents can be charged for their children’s actions, why shouldn’t Congress be held accountable for failing to prevent the next mass shooting?