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A Message from Congresswoman Sherrill
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to you today to talk about an issue that’s weighed heavily on me recently: the prevalence of gun violence in our country. Over the Independence Day holiday week, 16 mass shootings occurred in states across America. Instead of enjoying fireworks and friendly gatherings, communities were torn apart by this violence. Freedom from the threat of gun violence must be pursued through comprehensive legislation.
I come to the issue from three perspectives: as a veteran, a lawmaker, and as a mom. And it’s the intersection of those three perspectives that drives my fight to end the gun violence epidemic tearing through New Jersey and our nation.
In the Navy, I qualified as an expert in a M16, a Colt .45 and a 9mm Beretta. It is because of that experience in the military handling these weapons that my fellow veterans and I in Congress fight so hard for stronger gun safety measures. Earlier this month, I joined a group of veterans from the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to discuss the need for change. You can listen to my remarks and watch the full press conference here.
As a legislator, I know that we can create real change in this country with proven policies that prevent gun violence. New Jersey has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation and we’ve seen the results. Gun violence went down 10% in New Jersey while it has gone up by 33% in the rest of the country.
However, our efforts have been continuously undermined by weak laws in neighboring states. Anti-public safety advocates have won cases in federal circuit courts that are allowing more guns in public places like zoos and beaches. And last month, House Republicans voted to increase access to arm braces, a deadly weapon accessory that makes mass shootings easier.
Strong federal gun safety measures are critical to ending the gun violence epidemic. I joined Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC to talk about how I’m working with my Democratic colleagues to enact common sense measures like assault weapons bans and universal background checks to end this unacceptable crisis. Listen to our conversation here.
 Click to watch
As a mom of four school aged kids, I often think to myself as they head off to school: god forbid, today is not the day I get the call every parent in America dreads. The threat of gun violence looms large in the lives of our children. It shouldn’t have to. Our children deserve to feel safe in schools and in their communities. They shouldn’t have to consider what the gun laws look like in a state before they decide where to apply to college. Our kids deserve better.
Time and time again, our nation has failed to enact comprehensive gun safety measures and we’ve seen horrible results. This is no way to live. The rates of gun violence across our nation are unacceptable, and my colleagues and I will continue to fight until we see better results going forward.
Take care,
Mikie Sherrill
Member of Congress
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