In the last two weeks and wherever I go, the issue of gun violence has been raised. It’s a serious problem in our country. We have to be honest with ourselves as a Democratic Party as well as with the members of the communities we visit.
For a few, some types of firearms are simply more important than children.
That’s just a reality that has been pounded into them by organizations supporting gun manufacturers and not the Second Amendment.
And, I’m a supporter of all of our rights not special interests.
To the majority of Americans, universal background checks should have been made law at least a decade ago. Yet, nothing meaningful can pass Congress.
To the majority of Americans, allowing assault-type rifles to be purchased by teenagers doesn’t make sense. Yet, nothing can even pass the Florida legislature where 17 just lost their lives in a school shooting. The shooter obtained his firearms legally even after threatening to shoot up the school repeatedly.
Before that, 49 people lost their lives in Florida in the Pulse nightclub shooting by someone who had threatened to shoot up a school in 2007. Also, red flags were raised when he pursued a career in law enforcement. Yet, he was still able to legally purchase a semi-automatic rifle.
People love their firearms. And, they have a right to own firearms.
Do they have a right to own any type of firearm?
That should be an open debate.
Some types of weaponry should have higher classifications, require more training and background checks, and have some sort of liability insurance attached to ownership.
There is even new 3D print technology that is able to reproduce the parts of some of these firearms. People can purchase many of these firearms without any registration and without any background check. Does that make any sense?
However, the majority of Americans may agree on what should have been done for years, they just don’t stand up and speak out about these issues in public and on social media. I get it. It’s not easy. The gun manufacturing lobby has done an amazing job using not for profit status to push propaganda that many have bought wholesale and perpetuate everywhere boastfully and loudly.
That doesn’t mean we sit down and shut up.
There’s little Congress can do if they don’t hear from each of you. I’m not talking about party affiliation. I’m talking about Americans.
Call your local elected officials.
Show up at county board meetings and city council meetings.
Demand action.
What are the chances that Congress is going to get its act together on guns when so many are in the pockets of the gun manufacturing lobby?
Start locally. Call your federal and state representatives.
Change starts with each of us.
That’s why I’m running for U.S. Congress. To be the change I wasn’t seeing in Washington, D.C. and the change each of us deserves. Representation is for the People and by the People.
Your voices matter. It’s about time your voices are heard.
Thank you for writing this. I will make sure I support both by my time and finances to support who ever runs against you. Another politicians who blames guns and not society. Do you support the abortion right of women who kill millions and the planned parenthood skum!?? I would say yes.
I do not blame guns. I also don’t accept excuses nor use hot button issues to raise money as too many politicians do. As far as the rights of women, it sounds like you don’t like the government telling you what to do, and that’s what you’re advocating here. The ‘pro-life’ movement has eliminated pre-natal care and healthcare choices for women throughout rural America, leading to increased unwanted pregnancies and increased infant mortality rates. That’s exactly opposite of the label “pro-life.” Also, Republicans have used Christians as tools for long enough. As a Democrat, I will stand with families and children, supporting their access to healthcare and prevention. It’s about time someone showed our People what representation is supposed to look like.
You say the “pro-life” movement has eliminated pre-natal care and healthcare choices for women here in east-central Illinois. Please be specific and give details. I’m 42 years old and have lived in Sullivan my entire life. I have two children and had no idea pre-natal care was limited. If we truly want to show compassion and care for those who are vulnerable we will fight hard for pro-life laws such as they have in Mississippi. Let’s protect the unborn at all costs. Abortion is MURDER and those who provide abortions are murderers and those politicians who help provide abortion “rights” and clinics are just as guilty before God and will stand in judgement one day for their wicked acts.
All one has to do is look to Indiana for what pro-life policies do for pre-natal and maternal care. The maternal mortality rate in Indiana is 41.4. That’s twice the national average. They eliminated women’s clinics based on pro-life policies.
No mention of mental issues? How about using the database we have at our governments disposal. 10s of million people are on full disability for mental illness. If your mental illness is severe enough that you can’t hold a job, no gun…add those people to the NICS database to deny access to a firearm.
The recent school shootings are a national disgrace but it is not going to be fixed by new gun laws Chicago has strongest laws in nation, enforce laws we have Illinois we have background checks we have to call State Police to verify buyer has FOID card when we sell gun privately. The school shooting that we have had lately have not been from outsiders coming into school but students them selves. Most of them have been bullied and made to feel worthless and hopeless same reason teen suicide rates are high kids are made to feel death is only way out and media has made shooting up schools seem like a way to be vindicated. Most of these kids cannot legally by guns last week 14 yr old built bomb, depriving law abiding citizens of their legal rights granted in constitution is wrong. You can see where it is becoming a frenzy to tear this country apart, and splitting country apart. Now a business that refuses to bake a cake for religious reasons gets sue but a bank Citi Corp can tell its customers they cannot sell certain rifles or magazines is wrong and our nation is endangered of coming apart Look at FBI stats gun crimes have been on down ward drop until schools and parents stop allowing and teaching kids to be victims and let kids be bullied to point of not wanting to live killings in schools will continue wheter it be with guns knifes like happen in Utah school last year where 27 got stabbed we will have this problem, I am a USAF veteran 100% disabled partly because of Viet Nam a parent ofa daughter who is a victim of home invastion where she was shot twice and beat thank god she survide am very pro gun asking you to not forget what the writers of our Constitution