This past holiday weekend there were 10 mass shootings that occurred throughout the US. These shootings happened following the horrific mass shooting in Brooklyn we witnessed last week that terrorized New Yorkers.
Since the start of 2022:
- 12,000 people have died from gun violence.
- There have been more than 100 mass shootings.
- More than 400 children have been killed by guns.
So many of those shootings could have been prevented if we had nationwide, common-sense gun laws. Politicians have repeated this rhetoric for years, but still no consequential action has been taken nationwide.
New York has the SAFE Act, which includes several gun laws that should be adopted nationwide. The chief provisions include:
- Universal background checks.
- Broader definition of what constitutes an assault rifle.
- Gun owners must keep their firearms in a safe when not in use.
Public safety ought to be every elected official's top priority. But too many members of Congress are in the pocket of the NRA and refuse to take action. Gun safety advocates are routinely outspent by tens of millions, which prevents leaders from advancing common-sense reforms. It's a vicious cycle that's resulted in record numbers of gun deaths.
My generation has grown up with gun violence and mass shootings that began with the massacre at Columbine High School. It should have ended there. But the problem has worsened. Tens of thousands of people die each year from gun violence. The current course does not work.
It's time we take Congress back from gun lobbyists and take our streets back from dangerous guns.
More to come,
Josh
