www.bradyunited.org [www.bradyunited.org]
John,

Eighteen years ago this week, Congress failed America.
I remember it vividly. On September 13, 2004, I had just dropped my 6-year-old daughter off at school when the radio host announced that the federal assault weapons ban had expired. I screamed at the wheel. I cried.

For years, I’d fought to prevent this moment. The shootings at Columbine High School and the North Valley Jewish Community Center were still a present fear in many parent’s minds. We knew America had to change course before Columbine became the first of many preventable tragedies. As a new mom, I wanted my daughter to grow up without fear of being shot and killed while she was at school, the movies, or the mall. So, I Ied my local Million Mom March (now Brady) chapter and made it my personal mission to ensure Congress didn’t let the assault weapons ban expire.
John, I fought like hell. I rallied. I campaigned. I canvassed. I called my members of Congress — and then I hung up and called again. With my young daughter in tow, I even traveled all the way from Detroit to Washington, D.C., to protest at the U.S. Capitol, where I spoke to a crowd of thousands in my role as national spokesperson for the “Halt the Assault” rally. On the Capitol grounds that day 18 years ago, we begged Congress to renew the assault weapons ban. We warned them what would happen if they didn’t.
They didn’t listen. So, what happened next? Sandy Hook. Pulse. Parkland. Uvalde. Highland Park. Buffalo. Aurora. Poway. Vegas. Tree of Life. Odessa. Dayton.
The list of heinous attacks in which gunmen wielded military-grade assault rifles goes on and on. And it will keep growing until Congress bans these weapons of war, once and for all. We know an assault weapons ban saves lives. When the ban was in effect from 1994-2004, America saw a 37% decline in gun massacres and a 70% decline in assault weapons traced to crime. In the decade after the ban expired, America saw a 347% increase in gun massacre deaths. Today, 18 years after the assault weapons ban expired, mass shootings in America have tripled.
It pains me to think of all of the lives that could have been saved if we still had an assault weapons ban. But we aren’t powerless to stop these tragedies. Right now, legislation to ban assault weapons is sitting in the U.S. Senate. Please, contact your senators now. Urge them to do what they should have done 18 years ago. Urge them to ban these weapons of war and save lives. [[link removed]]
Thank you for never stopping fighting with me.
In solidarity,
[[link removed]] Shikha Hamilton
Vice President of Organizing
National Spokesperson for the 2004 “Halt the Assault” Rally
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
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Thursday, September 15, marked the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, which will continue until October 15. Gun violence disproportionately impacts Hispanic communities, but they have long been demanding action. Latino voters rank gun violence as a top issue [[link removed]] ahead of November's midterm elections, and the overwhelming majority [[link removed]] of Latino Americans want sensible solutions like universal background checks.
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Join the Rally to Ban Assault Weapons on Thursday, September 22
On September 22, Americans across the country will rally in Washington, D.C., to #PassTheBan on assault weapons. We’re proud to be an official partner of the rally. RSVP to join us there and hear from powerful speakers, including Brady President Kris Brown and Team ENOUGH Founding Member Aalayah Eastmond. [[link removed]]
Can’t attend? Send a tweet to show your support.
I’m joining @march_fourth & @bradybuzz in rallying senators to #PassTheBan because evidence shows the ’94 federal assault weapons ban was effective and saved lives. @bradybuzz helped pass the ’94 ban with then-Senator Joe Biden, and we must send it again to @POTUS's desk! [[link removed]]
TWEET THIS [[link removed]]
We Attended the White House’s “United We Stand” Summit
On Thursday, our Vice President of Policy Christian Heyne attended the White House’s “United We Stand” Summit [[link removed]] on solutions to hate-fueled violence. While hate and extremism exist in countries around the world, America’s unfettered access to firearms and weapons of war sets us apart in how exponentially more lethal that hatred becomes.
“Easy access to firearms makes hate lethal. …At this time of increased hate-fueled and often racist political violence, we applaud President Biden and Vice President Harris for reminding us that what unites us as Americans is greater than what divides us – and that violence has no place in a functioning democracy.” — Christian Heyne
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Brady Vice President of Policy Christian Heyne at the White House’s United We Stand Summit [[link removed]]
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🎧 Episode 202: A Look Back on the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban
[[link removed]] Congress allowed the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines to expire in 2004. Brady activists fought tirelessly to keep the ban in place — and they haven't stopped yet. We talk with two of those original activists, Shikha Hamilton and Donna Dees-Thomases.
LISTEN NOW >>> [[link removed]]
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Brady Calls for Attention to Missouri Gun Suicide Crisis on Inaugural Firearm Suicide Prevention Day [[link removed]] , Yahoo
Gun Violence Group Takes Aim at Ghost Guns [[link removed]] , The Courier
MD Gun Violence Prevention Groups Wage Campaigns To Reduce Gun Deaths [[link removed]] , Patch
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In a major victory this past week, Amalgamated Bank led the financial industry [[link removed]] in establishing a card categorization code to flag suspicious or illegal purchases of firearms and ammo [[link removed]] . A number of mass shooters — including the gunmen behind the shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas — could have been stopped if such a code had been in place.
We’re grateful for Amalgamated Bank’s leadership in this victory. We’ll be joining our partners Guns Downs America, Giffords, and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence in ensuring credit card companies swiftly implement this life-saving reform.
The @bradybuzz Gun Violence Prevention Hero of the week is @AmalgamatedBank for leading credit card companies in advancing a reform to flag suspicious or illegal purchases of firearms and ammo. This sensible reform will save lives. #EndGunViolence [[link removed]]
TWEET THIS [[link removed]]
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LEARN MORE [[link removed]]
Thank you for supporting Brady and our work to prevent gun violence and save lives. We rely heavily on the generosity of activists like you to fund our work to create a safer America. If you're in this fight, please join Brady today by making a gift.
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