Hi,
Seven people were killed and dozens more were injured in the mass shooting
at the Highland Park, Illinois Fourth of July parade. But that mass
shooting was just the most publicized tragedy. In total, at least 220
people lost their lives to gun violence and around 570 others were wounded
during the 4th of July weekend.^1
Beyond mass shootings like the one we saw in Illinois, we're seeing
smaller-scale shootings near constantly. These incidents add up: the five
shootings in DC on the eve of July 4 wounded nineteen people and took five
lives.^2
Gun violence has become an everyday occurrence in the US, which by far
tops the chart among large, wealthy countries for the number of
gun-related homicides.^3 It's time to stop it. Congress must end the
filibuster to pass the gun control measures our country desperately
needs.
[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Congress must eliminate the filibuster to protect us
from gun violence!
[ [link removed] ]ADD YOUR NAME
Even after the Fourth of July massacre, Republicans and corporate
Democrats are touting the gun reform package Congress recently passed. But
that legislation didn't go nearly far enough. Compromises with Republicans
led to key gun control protections being stripped out — including a ban on
the sale of high-capacity magazines and raising the purchasing age for
assault weapons.^4
It took the unspeakable tragedies in Uvalde, TX and Buffalo, NY for the
Senate to finally take action on gun reform legislation. While these
changes are certainly welcome, they don't cut to the core of the issue.
It's time for Democrats in the Senate to eliminate the filibuster so they
can come back to the table and pass substantive gun reform actually
addressing access to assault weapons, such as the one used in the Highland
Park shooting.
Democratic leaders called for another round of gun legislation immediately
after the massacre. But if they're serious about saving lives, that'll
mean ending the filibuster.^5
This is literally a life or death situation: the longer Congress waits to
end the filibuster, the more lives will be lost to shootings in schools,
grocery stores, and homes. As Rep. Pramila Jayapal recently said, "This is
a uniquely American problem — and the way we end it is clear."^6
[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Congress should eliminate the filibuster to save
lives!
Thanks for taking action,
Izzi and the team at Demand Progress
[ [link removed] ]DONATE
Sources:
1. CBS News, "More than 220 shot and killed in US gun violence over July 4
holiday weekend," [ [link removed] ]July 5, 2022.
2. Washington Post, "Teens die amid spate of shootings over holiday
weekend in District," [ [link removed] ]July 5, 2022.
3. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, "On gun violence, the
United States is an outlier," [ [link removed] ]May 31, 2022.
4. New York Times, "Congress Passes Bipartisan Gun Legislation, Clearing
It for Biden," [ [link removed] ]June 24, 2022.
5. NBC, "Democrats call for more gun measures after July Fourth parade
shooting," [ [link removed] ]July 5, 2022.
6. Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Twitter, [ [link removed] ]July 5, 2022.
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