477 days, 521 mass shootings, zero action
The Las Vegas massacre has triggered a debate on the controversial gun control legislation in the US which has recorded one gun-related incident a day so far this year.
Nearly 12,000 people have been killed in gun violence as 273 mass shootings have occurred so far in the US in 2017, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a not-forprofit corporation that tracks gun-related violence in America.
On an average, more than 90 Americans lose their lives to gun violence every day, a daily toll of heartbreak and tragedy in communities across the US.
At least 59 people were killed and over 500 injured on Sunday night when a gunman opened fire during a music concert in Las Vegas, the deadliest in modern US history.
Experts believe that the incident, which US President Donald Trump termed as an "act of pure evil", is unlikely to bridge the bitter differences between the pro-and anti-gun control law lobbies in the country. Trump, who ran his campaign against any gun control laws, did not mention it in his two remarks yesterday even as he said it was "a very very sad" day for him.
Responding to questions, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said yesterday that it was a day for reflection and mourning and not to discuss political issues.
But senior Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi shot off a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan over creation of a Standing Committee on gun violence and passage of a common-sense legislation on gun control.
“Congress has a moral duty to address this horrific and heartbreaking epidemic. Charged with the solemn duty to protect and defend the American people, we must respond to these tragedies with courage, unity and decisive action,” Congresswoman Pelosi said in the letter. The Congress, she said, must pass the bipartisan King-Thompson legislation to strengthen the life-saving background checks that keep guns out of the wrong hands. "But this is only a first step," she added.
Introduced in 2015, the King-Thompson bill seeks to expand the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet or in classified ads while providing reasonable exceptions for family and friend transfers.
“I urge you to create a Select Committee on Gun Violence to study and report back common-sense legislation to help end this crisis. The bipartisan committee would make recommendations to prevent unspeakable tragedies such as the mass shooting in Las Vegas and to restore confidence in the safety of our communities,” Pelosi said.
Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also made a passionate plea for common-sense gun control law, saying gun violence is a public health crisis that has claimed thousands of innocent lives and the Congress must do everything it can to address it. In her speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives yesterday, Jayapal said the American people were tired of being outraged, sending thoughts and prayers, seeing men, women and children die "because the gun lobby does put profit over people".
“That is not what our founders intended by the 'right to bear arms',” the first-time lawmaker from Washington State said, as she joined several of her Congressional colleagues calling for changes in gun control laws. “With rights come responsibilities: the responsibility to stop gun sales loopholes, to enact protections that make sure our children and those with severe mental illnesses don't have access to guns, to address funding for mental health, and to oppose any efforts to make it easier to purchase silencers,” Jayapal said.
The first ever IndianAmerican women elected to the House of Representatives said 87 per cent of gun owners and 74 per cent of non-resident aliens (NRA) members support those common-sense solutions like criminal background checks. Congresswoman Kathy Castor said, “Certainly, we can come together to pass commonsense safety requirements such as background checks.”