| Dear Friend, The year is not even eight weeks old and there have already been 73 mass shootings in America, killing 106 people and injuring nearly 300 more. Nine of them have been in California, including the tragedies in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park.(1) Our state has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation -- how do we still experience a mass shooting an average of every eight days?(2) California’s gun laws just aren’t enough, as we border the states with some of the weakest legislation. We need federal action.
It seems like we barely process one mass shooting before another occurs. Monterey Park. Half Moon Bay. Lakeland, Florida. Michigan State. And don’t get me wrong, California’s gun laws have helped us stay safer than we might otherwise have. Californians are 25% less likely to die in a mass shooting than most other states.(3) It’s just not enough. Congress’s refusal to act, along with the Supreme Court’s overzealous interpretation of the Second Amendment, has allowed the nation to be flooded with assault weapons used to commit mass murder. Friend, this moment is different. The nation has just experienced the second-highest number of mass shootings in a year, and a record number of people -- two out of three, across party lines -- are unhappy with the ineffectiveness of current gun legislation.(4) But the NRA and gun manufacturers are still powerful, and if we waste any time, the moment will pass, and Congress will duck action yet again. California can be a leader in the nation for gun safety legislation by speaking in one voice to pass the assault weapons band that was just introduced in the Senate. We are rallying grassroots pressure and sponsoring actions with our partners to pass real gun safety legislation in Congress. Will you donate to help keep the spotlight on gun safety? Thanks for your critical support. –Irene, along with Angela, Annie, Isidra, Lindsay, Mai, Mai, and Scottie (the Courage team)
PS: Courage California is fighting for equity and justice across the state and country. Will you become a monthly donor and help sustain our work? Donations go to support all of Courage California's work for a more progressive California and country. Follow us now on Facebook or Twitter! Footnotes:  |
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