Heart of LA Democratic Club Statement on Mass Shootings in Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton
I could not have said this better myself, straight from my inbox into this blog post below from the Heart of LA Democratic Club of which I am a proud member.
HEART OF LA DEMOCRATIC CLUB STATEMENT ON MASS SHOOTINGS IN GILROY, EL PASO AND DAYTON
August 5, 2019
The Heart of LA Democratic Club reflects with anger and sadness on three mass shootings across the country in less than one week. We grieve for the victims and with the families and friends of loved ones who were brutally murdered listening to music at the family-friendly Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California; during back-to-school shopping in El Paso, Texas; and while enjoying a summer evening in Dayton, Ohio. We send strength of body, mind and spirit to the injured, that they may recover quickly.
We have been through this before, and out of respect for the dead and injured, rather than abstain from politics, we again double down and affirm our commitment to supporting comprehensive gun violence prevention measures. We further call out the anti-immigrant, white supremacist and toxic masculinity that motivated the violence for what it is – a destructive force that prevents us from living up to our full potential.
We lay blame for this culture of violence at the feet of the current President who models this behavior with his aggression and self-entitlement during his many political rallies and through his mean-spirited tweets. We also lay blame on State legislators, especially the Republicans in the Mitch McConnell-led Senate who refuse to reinstate the assault weapons ban and pass other responsible gun legislation such as universal background checks.
We will not sit back as we wait for the next senseless mass murder. We will continue to hold our representatives accountable. As we did after the Parkland mass murders just a little over 18 months ago, Virginia Beach three months ago, Aurora six months ago, Thousand Oaks nine months ago, Tree of Life Synagogue 10 months ago, and Santa Fe High School 15 months ago, and in the memory of the mass murders in Las Vegas, the Pulse Nightclub and Sandy Hook Elementary, we will continue in our mission to root out politicians who continue to value guns over human lives, who are backed by the gun lobby and NRA's poisonous, dark money.
Please join us NOW and DEMAND ACTION TODAY. Demand that Mitch McConnell reconvene the Senate and pass emergency gun measures such as:
H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 in February. This bill would prohibit most person-to-person firearm transfers unless a background check can be conducted, aiming to close a potential loophole allowing the transfer of firearms without a background check at gun shows or between individuals.
Mitch McConnell’s Senate has not taken any action on the bill since the House passed it. INSIST THAT HE BRINGS IT TO A SENATE VOTE.
H.R. 1112 Bipartisan Background Checks Act
This bill would extend to at least 10 days the amount of time firearms dealers must wait for a response from the background check system before the sale can proceed. Currently, they can make the sale if they haven’t received a response in three days. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1112 in February 2019. Mitch McConnell’s Senate has not taken any action on the bill since the House passed it. INSIST THAT HE BRINGS IT TO A SENATE VOTE.
Assault weapons bans
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 lapsed in 2004. This legislation, among other provisions, banned the manufacture and sale to civilians of assault-style weapons and certain "large-capacity" ammunition magazines for guns. Mitch McConnell’s Senate has not taken any action on the bill since the House passed it. INSIST THAT HE BRINGS IT TO A SENATE VOTE.
Red Flag Laws
A red flag law is a gun violence prevention law that permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves. Currently, ten states have such laws. We insist that this law becomes a federal law.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Call your Congressperson: https://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep
Call your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
Find your State Representative: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
Call Mitch McConnell! https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/officelocations
Links to selected advocacy groups:
Women Against Gun Violence www.wagv.org
Giffords (Gabby Gifford's group): https://giffords.org/
Moms Demand Action: https://momsdemandaction.org/
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence: https://www.csgv.org/
Everytown for Gun Safety: https://everytown.org/
Brady Campaign: https://www.bradycampaign.org/
Newtown Action Alliance: http://alliance.newtownaction.org/
Here's more: https://blog.greatnonprofits.org/9-organizations-making-progress-towards-gun-control/
Did you know that there had already been over 33,193 incidents of gun violence in 2019? http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
Every dues paying member is essential to Heart of LA's influence in LA County and beyond.
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