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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.
Sign the petition: Congress must eliminate the filibuster to protect us from gun violence!
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
Sign the petition: Congress should eliminate the filibuster to save lives!
Thanks for taking action,
Izzi and the team at Demand Progress
Sources:
1. CBS News, "More than 220 shot and killed in US gun violence over July 4 holiday weekend," July 5, 2022.
2. Washington Post, "Teens die amid spate of shootings over holiday weekend in District," July 5, 2022.
3. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, "On gun violence, the United States is an outlier," May 31, 2022.
4. New York Times, "Congress Passes Bipartisan Gun Legislation, Clearing It for Biden," June 24, 2022.
5. NBC, "Democrats call for more gun measures after July Fourth parade shooting," July 5, 2022.
6. Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Twitter, July 5, 2022.
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