Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. I wish I wasn’t writing to you in the wake of the Buffalo, Uvalde, and now Tulsa shootings, each occurring before we had time to grieve the last, but unfortunately that’s our reality – and why National Gun Violence Awareness Day is so important.
Every day in America, 30 people are killed by someone using a gun, and that number jumps to over 100 when you factor in suicides and accidental deaths. In addition, this year in the United States we have already experienced over 200 mass shootings, which is more than days in 2022. These aren't just statistics, these are lives – and we must never forget the human toll gun violence takes. One of the central reasons I ran for Congress in Michigan's 11th District was to change our gun laws and keep dangerous weapons out of our communities. That's why I wrote to each and every one of my colleagues on my very first day in office asking them to join me in passing gun safety legislation. Since then, I have cosponsored and voted for every single piece of legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. This includes the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021, which passed the House in March of last year but remain stalled in the Senate, despite 81% of Americans wanting universal background checks. However, I am encouraged by the bipartisan talks that are currently happening in the Senate, being led by Senator Murphy. In response to the horrific shooting in Buffalo, NY, I joined Reps. Crow, Porter, and Jeffries in introducing the Accountability for Online Firearms Marketplaces Act. I was proud to join my colleagues in this long-overdue legislation that would no longer give online firearms marketplaces blanket immunity and prevent dangerous people from evading background checks. To every parent, student, and teacher afraid of gun violence in their schools, every person scared of being targeted due to the color of their skin, or every person worried about congregating in their place of worship, know that I am fighting for you. We are in a break glass moment and can't just continue to do the same thing and expect different results. I remain committed to thinking bold and innovating solutions to end this epidemic in America. I know that a future without gun violence is possible, and I pray that my colleagues on the other side will join me in this fight.
Original source can be found here.
