Halloween time should not be scary like this! TAKE ACTION

Dear Friend,

Today is Halloween, and it’s a scary time in our nation in the worst possible way.

Over this past Halloween weekend, a series of mass shootings across the country has left at least 11 people dead and 76 others injured[1] - and last week, headlines were captured by the tragedy in Lewiston, Maine, where a military-style assault weapon was used to shoot to death at least 18 people and wounding many more in the worst mass shooting this year.[2]

This is not okay. We are not okay.

We are heartsick for the many victims, families, and communities impacted by this latest rash of gun violence, and we are furious at our elected leaders who are utterly failing to take serious action in curbing our national gun violence epidemic.

Sign on to MomsRising’s message to Congress demanding comprehensive gun policy reform, starting with a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines!

The number of mass shootings terrorizing communities every year has been rising rapidly, from 273 in 2014 to 647 in 2020, more than doubling in less than a decade,[3] and military-style assault weapons with high capacity magazines are the firearms of choice for mass shooters.[4] It is notable that when we had an assault ban law in place there were markedly fewer gun violence fatalities.[5] In the face of such horrific gun violence that can devastate families and communities for generations, no one should be glorifying guns. Could there be any more obvious evidence of gun glorification than assault weapons allowed for civilian use, with Republican lawmakers even wearing AR pins on their lapels?[6] The ARs need to come off the lapels and out of our communities.

America’s moms do not want to raise our kids and live our lives with this kind of violence always looming. There are mass shootings every day in this country.[7] Carnage is everywhere. Guns are now the leading cause of death of children and youth.[8] This is unacceptable. We should not have to live with this terror. The “freedom” to carry a military-style assault weapon into a bowling alley, restaurant, school, movie theater – or Halloween party – does not count more than the freedom to live in our communities without fear of losing our children and our lives to high-capacity weapons.

Tell Congress that we need comprehensive gun policy reform now, starting with a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines!

The chills of Halloween – and on every other day of the year – should never be this terrifying and deadly.

*Please forward this email to everyone you know who is concerned about gun violence, and ask them to sign too. The more of us who take action and speak out, the faster we can move gun safety policy forward and save lives.

As our kids and communities turn out tonight for trick-or-treating and other celebrations, we wish everyone a fun and safe Halloween.

Together, we will never stop fighting for the safety of our families and communities.

– Gloria, Jessica, Kristin, Donna, Monifa, Xochitl, and the whole MomsRising.org & MamásConPoder Team

References:
[1] “Multiple mass shootings over Halloween weekend leave 11 dead and scores injured,” NPR.com, Oct. 29, 2023.
[2] “Maine shooting suspect found dead in cargo trailer, motive still a mystery,” Reuters, Oct. 29, 2023.
[3] Gun Violence Archives: PAST SUMMARY LEDGERS
[4] “How the AR-15 Rifle Became America's Most Dangerous Weapon,” Time magazine, May 10, 2023.
[5] “The U.S. Once Had A Ban On Assault Weapons — Why Did It Expire?” NPR, Aug. 13, 2019.
[6] “Why Some Members of Congress Are Wearing AR-15 Assault Rifle Pins,” Time, Feb. 7, 2023.
[7] “United States Tops 400 Mass Shootings in 2023,” CNN.com, May 24, 2023.
[8] “Firearms are the Leading Cause of Death for Children in the United States But Rank No Higher Than Fifth in Other Industrialized Nations,” KFF, Jul. 18, 2023.

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