Cooper Roberts, 8 year old victim of the July 4th Highland Park shooting, has a long haul ahead of him (35 seconds)

It has been what? around 50 days since the mass shooting by a teenager during a July 4th parade. By this time most of us have only vague recollections of that day. Despite the absolute horrendousness of the shooting, it barely stands out in a landscape littered with mass shootings.

After all, the even more horrendous Uvalde school shooting was just a little more than a month before the shooting in Highland Park. In between there were who knows how many mass shootings. Such shootings barely rate a blip on our national news reporting these days it is such a common occurrence.

As always, not everyone dies in such shootings. There are often many survivors. Some survivors may have lost loved ones. Two year old Aiden McCarthy lost both of his parents in the shooting. To say his life will never be the same is a huge understatement. It is almost impossible to imagine what his life will be like.

A report came out the other day on eight year old Cooper Roberts who was shot in the Highland Park massacre. Roberts’ family has decided that they will give regular updates on the boy’s condition. Let us say simply that he will have a long row to hoe: 

Before July Fourth, Cooper Roberts was almost always active and running around. He loved playing sports — including soccer, baseball and football — and riding his bike, his family has said.

Life has looked very different since the 8-year-old was shot in the Highland Park Fourth of July attack, and left paralyzed. Seven people were killed and dozens injured by the gunman who fired from a roof into the crowd.

“There are layers upon layers of cruelty with being shot by a sniper. Most people don’t witness the grueling aftermath of surviving these devastating wounds,” Cooper’s family said in a statement Tuesday updating his condition. “He’s an 8-year-old boy who feels hopeless, sad and angry as the reality of his life is setting in.”

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“He is on a constant IV drip of antibiotics to ward off infection, has swelling that obscures the full internal picture, and suffers stomach pain as his body relearns to process mainly liquid food. He remains on heavy painkillers,” the update said.

Cooper was recently cleared to begin eating some solid foods, his family said, but he feels “full and nauseous” after only a bite or two.”

It is so hard to believe that there are many people in this country that believe the suffering of Cooper Roberts and his family and friends is the price of freedom. It is so sad that elected officials such as Iowa’s radical Republican delegation simply claim there is nothing they can do.

That is little but self-serving malarkey. They get bribes from the gun manufacturers and then make up their stories to salve their consciences.

There are safety features that could be engineered into guns that would stop them from working in certain situations. There are laws that could be passed to stop guns from getting in the wrong hands. Laws could be passed that could limit range of guns and number of bullets in a gun.

To see such carnage happen that ruins lives and families while something could be done is unfathomable. It is impossible to believe that nothing can be done as the Grassley’s, Ernsts, Miller-Meeks, Hinsons, Feenstras and Nunns of the world tell us.

Democrats have a spine when it comes to guns. Do your bit to stop this incredible carnage. Vote for Democrats from city hall to Congress this fall.