Twenty-six dead in Newtown, 49 dead in Orlando, 58 dead in Las Vegas, and now 26 dead in Sutherland Springs.
The city may change, the death toll may differ, and the victims may vary, but in most mass killings in the U.S. there is one constant: the use of firearms to rapidly kill large groups of people.On November 5, 2017, Devin Patrick Kelley walked into First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and opened fire, killing 26 people and injuring at least 20 others. Federal law prohibits the sale of firearms to certain individuals, including spousal abusers, so it is unclear how Kelley obtained the assault rifle he used in the shooting as he had previously been convicted of assaulting his now ex-wife and breaking his infant stepson's skull.
What is clear is that enough is enough. We cannot sit idly by as another senseless tragedy takes dozens of lives and tears apart another community. We need common sense gun safety laws now.Our current federal laws around gun control are extremely flawed. While licensed dealers are required to perform background checks before selling firearms, non-licensed dealers are not subject to this requirement. We must eliminate this loophole and others like it that put guns in the hands of those already deemed unfit to have them.
Furthermore, we must implement mandatory waiting periods between the time of sale of a gun and when it is actually acquired by the purchaser, as
research shows that waiting periods reduce anger-driven gun violence and gun-related suicides.
It's time for Congress to stop offering thoughts and prayers in the wake of mass shootings and start fighting for laws that actually protect American lives.
Please sign this petition demanding that Congress pass legislation requiring mandatory background checks for all firearms sales and a waiting period before buyers can obtain their guns.