House Speaker Paul Ryan called it a stunt.

So did AM radio barker Rush Limbaugh.

And they’re both right.

But they both also miss the point.

When House Democrats staged a sit-in last week, it was indeed a stunt.

But every non-violent act of protest is a kind of stunt.

That’s true whether it’s a sit-in on the floor of the House or at a lunch counter in North Carolina, whether it’s a march on city hall or a march on Washington, whether it’s a group acting in defiance of authority or a single individual who refuses to move to the back of the bus.

And in every case, the purpose of the protest — or stunt as Ryan and Limbaugh would have it — is the same: To call attention to a problem or an injustice or a policy that can no longer be tolerated.

Why did House Democrats stage a sit-in last week?

Because at a time when America is awash in both guns and gun violence, a time when a majority of Americans believe that some sort of national debate on guns is long overdue, the Republican leadership refuses to discuss it.

Elected to Congress for the sole purpose of debating the issues facing the nation and finding a path forward, our lawmakers have instead given themselves an extended holiday vacation.

Was the sit-in on the House floor dignified? Not really. Was it a stunt? Sure.

But it was also a clarion call that it’s time for Republican leaders to get down to doing the job they were elected for.

Will it be easy to craft meaningful legislation that addresses gun safety while still assuring Second Amendment rights? Of course not.

But it will never happen unless there is dialogue and debate.

And it will never happen without giving those on any and all sides of the issue a chance to vote.

Last week’s stunt sent a message: Legislative failure of this enormity is intolerable.
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