Over the weekend, the U.S. experienced its deadliest wave of mass shootings in over two years in 10 separate events across the country, including: Arkansas, Virginia, Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Florida.
Don't be surprised if you missed it though, as there were few national headlines about these tragedies. Because, the horrifying reality is that gun violence is all too common in the U.S., and tragedies like the 10 mass shootings over the weekend have become so normalized in modern American life that we barely flinch when these stories are reported.
You know what, John? This isn't normal. In the U.S., the firearm death rate per 100,000 people in 2016 was nearly four times that of Switzerland, five times that of Canada, over 10 times that of Australia and 35 times that of the United Kingdom.
What do these countries all have in common? To put it simply, common-sense gun policies
Tragedies like the ones over the weekend are not a foregone conclusion. There are practical, common-sense steps that Congress can take right now to save lives and prevent future tragedies.
"Thoughts and prayers" are not remotely close to a sufficient response to mass death. We cannot continue to put our collective head in the sand and pretend like there's nothing we can do, that this level of violence is somehow just "the way things are."
But – despite one of the lowest approval ratings and diminishing influence of the NRA in Congress – the sad truth remains that the gun lobby, and far right-wing think tanks like ALEC have an unprecedented amount of power over Republican members of Congress that prevents any real meaningful action on even the most basic gun legislation.
We must do better – lives depend on it. It's clear, Republicans have no interest in giving up their gun lobby money, even if it means stopping gun violence and saving lives.
That's why it's so urgent to keep and expand our majorities in the House and Senate. There are several Democratic-backed bills in the House that would close gun show loopholes and create universal background checks, preventing people like Dylann Roof from ever obtaining any firearms.
Republicans simply aren't going to get it done. They are too beholden to the gun lobby. We can do the right thing here, but we must protect our majorities in the House and Senate.
I really hope one day I can stop writing emails like this one. Until that day comes, I will keep pushing and keep fighting for a world where not a single person is senselessly killed in these awful tragedies.
Thank you,
Christy
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