Speak up for gun safety — call local lawmakers

New Mexico has the eighth-highest rate of gun deaths in the United States. Guns, not diseases, are now the leading cause of death among American children, and firearm death rates are at their highest level in almost three decades, according to research from Everytown for Gun Safety.

A handy gun can make a family quarrel, a spell of depression or a child’s curiosity more deadly. And deaths are just the obvious damage from guns. Think of all the families of those killed and the lasting emotional damage to those who have observed gun violence.

We, as Americans, have a right to bear arms. But do we really think it is more important we all have unlimited use of our guns or that we are safe from the havoc that full access to guns is causing. Maybe it’s time to voluntarily restrict some rights so that more of us can be safe from the violence that results from ready access to guns. Would restrictions reduce gun violence? Apparently, yes. California has the most gun restrictions in the country and also has one of the lowest death rates from guns, according to research from The Science of Gun Policy by RAND and other groups. Since the early 1990s, California has cut its gun death rate in half, data shows.

In New Mexico, our legislators are heeding their constituents’ calls to do something. They have proposed the following laws related to guns: House Bill 9 controls unlawful access by minors; House Bill 50 bans large capacity magazines for guns; Senate Bill 95 sets standards for school safety from guns; Senate Bill 114 bans concealed-carry in bars and restaurants, Senate Bill 252 prescribes law enforcement procedures related to use-offorce and Senate Bill 116 makes it a crime for any person under 21 years of age to purchase or possess an automatic or semiautomatic firearm or a firearm capable of accepting a large-capacity magazine. Not all of these will pass, of course. Some have been set aside already. But at least New Mexico lawmakers are hearing their constituents — and now we must speak up to make sure they know what voters want.

For the safety and emotional health of all of us, let’s contact our legislators (nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_My_ Legislator) to ask them to support measures to reduce gun violence in New Mexico.

Let’s make New Mexico a leader in gun violence prevention.

Nancy Varvil is a native of the Arkansas Ozarks and has lived in Santa Fe for five years.