Congress must act against gun violence
In 2018 alone, we have witnessed 23 school shootings where a student or teacher was injured or killed. That averages out to about one school shooting per week. When it comes to how American children and citizens are exposed to gun violence, school shootings are just the tip of the iceberg — we can add over 6,000 gun-related deaths, and almost double that amount of gun-related injuries. These numbers, and others like them, prove beyond any doubt that our country is in the midst of a gun violence epidemic.
The Republican leadership in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, hamstrung by the powerful gun lobby, have sat idly-by as this gun violence epidemic has gripped our communities. Democrats, on the other hand, have been busy introducing and supporting common sense gunreform legislation. I am a co-sponsor of over 40 pieces of legislation that would go far in curbing this epidemic. Unfortunately, these bills continue to languish in the House solely due to Republican inaction.
After each mass shooting, my colleagues stand on the floor of the House, call for a moment of silence and provide their thoughts and prayers. The time for thoughts and prayers are over. To date, we have held 23 moments of silence with not one sensible gun measure brought to the floor for consideration.
I recently visited with a thirdgrade class at the U.B. Kinsey/Plainview Elementary school in West Palm Beach. These bright young students asked insightful yet heartbreaking questions, questions no child should ever have to ask. They asked me why people needed to own assault rifles, they asked how we were going to keep them safe at school, and they even gave their opinions on whether their teachers should be armed in the classroom – they said “no.” These children do not want members of Congress to continue with their moments of silence, they want members of Congress to take action, and do so without delay.
All of us need to work to end the gun violence epidemic so that present and future generations can live in peace. We need to work to pass common sense gun legislation at the federal, state and local level. Unfortunately, that is next to impossible in Florida, because elected officials in Tallahassee passed a preemption law, prohibiting local government officials from implementing sensible gun laws in our own towns and cities. This is unacceptable and that is why I sent a letter to the Florida Legislature, advising them to prioritize overturning the preemption law, not only because it places a stranglehold on communities that care about ending gun violence, but because it may very well be unconstitutional.
Florida has faced two of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history, and the country lives in fear of the next late-breaking news alert telling us of yet another mass shooting. This madness must stop, but won’t until Republican obstructionists stop doing the bidding of the powerful gun lobby, and join the rest of us at the table so we can finally pass legislation that will make our nation safer.