Last month, Ed published an op-ed in the MetroWest Daily News. In case you missed it, it’s below for you to read.
In the op-ed, Ed asks a big question: How many more gun-related deaths do we need to suffer before Congress takes action?
Of course, the answer should be simple: Not one more. Not one more child shot. Not one more family left to grieve. Congress should take action right now. Thanks to pressure from the NRA, they’ve failed the American people on this issue. It’s past time that changed.
Tell Congress: Take action to reduce gun violence right now. Click here to add your name.
Ed has always fought for stronger gun safety measures. And he’ll continue to do so.
Please, take a minute to read his op-ed below, and thank you for standing with him today.
Team Markey
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MetroWest Daily News
Gun violence is preventable, not preordained
August 16, 2015
By Ed Markey, Guest Columnist
Congress has failed the American people on gun violence. Despite shootings in Lafayette, Chattanooga, Charleston, Newtown, Aurora and too many other cities across the country, Congress hasn’t passed any legislation to prevent future tragedies.
In Boston, Everett and Cambridge, five people shot to death overnight last Wednesday evening. Last month, a young innocent mother of three gets caught in the crossfire in Dorchester and loses her life. A record high shootings in Worcester in 2014.
Every member of Congress has received the letters and phone calls from concerned constituents: Not one more mass shooting. Not one more child shot. Not one more innocent life cut short prematurely by gun violence.
With each of these preventable tragedies, I ask myself: how many more gun-related deaths do we need to suffer before there is enough political will in Congress to ensure there is not one more.
Each year, more than 100,000 Americans are killed or injured by the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. During the first 204 days of 2015, one group reports there have been 204 mass shootings—one every single day. Sadly, most daily gun violence incidents are not covered by the media. But every community across the country has felt the toll. Our most vulnerable population, our children, suffer the most. In less than three years since the Sandy Hook shooting, there have been more than 125 school shootings. It doesn’t need to be this way.
But special interests like the National Rifle Association (NRA) don’t want Americans to understand this public health epidemic. Their stranglehold on some members of Congress means we are not researching the causes and strategies that would help effectively prevent gun violence. That’s why last month, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y) and I introduced legislation to dedicate $10 million in funding each year for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. When we introduced the legislation last year, the NRA called it “unethical”. What’s actually unethical is the NRA’s efforts to block this life-saving research.
We in Massachusetts know that commonsense gun control measures save lives. There are fewer deaths by guns in states with stronger gun control laws. Banning assault weapons and getting rid of high capacity magazines are important first steps. During the Clinton administration, I was successful in leading the effort that stopped more than 500,000 semiautomatic assault weapons from coming into our country from China. In the wake of these recent mass shootings, we need legislation that gets weapons meant for war off our streets.
Most gun violence in America is committed using handguns, making universal background checks urgently needed, including on sales at gun shows. I recently joined Senate colleagues in letters to firearm dealers calling on them to halt gun sales until background checks are completed, especially “default sales” if the background check is pending beyond 72 hours. The majority of Americans voters, including most gun owners, support stronger background checks prior to gun sales. Gun trafficking should be a federal crime, and we need to close loopholes that allow killers like the Lafayette and Charleston shooters to acquire guns who would otherwise not be able under existing laws. We need to improve federal data collection and sharing between state authorities so background checks work properly.
Many killings are carried out by criminals with illegal guns that are stolen from law-abiding citizens who purchased them legally. To prevent this, last month I introduced the Handgun Trigger Safety Act to improve gun safety by ensuring that only authorized users can operate handguns. By utilizing 21st century personalized “smart gun” technology, we can help reduce the number of accidental gun deaths by stopping children and others from using unsecured, unauthorized weapons.
And stronger gun control measures must be part of a package of interventions that includes early detection and treatment of mental health issues and substance abuse. This will help identify high-risk individuals and get them assistance before tragedies occur. Individuals, families, friends, health professionals, and law enforcement all have an important role to play in helping vulnerable individuals get the professional support they need.
The epidemic of gun violence in America is not preordained, it is preventable. It’s time to put real gun control measures on the books. It is time we end the stranglehold the NRA has on gun control policy in our country. Smart gun safety policies should not be about partisan politics; they should be about saving American lives, every day, in every way we can. I will not give up this fight. Failure to address this crisis is simply not an option.
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Sign Ed’s petition and tell Congress: Act to prevent gun violence today.
Sign Ed’s petition and tell Congress: Act to prevent gun violence today.
As a footnote, here's information about Congresswoman Maloney:
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y)
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