For decades, increased gun violence "has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and profound grief" for millions of Americans.
Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States. Schools, malls, and places of worship have become battlegrounds for active shooters. Last year, a poll showed that
the majority of Americans said that they or a member of their family has been affected by gun violence.And still, politicians have bent to lobbyists and extremists who think unregulated guns are more important than reducing death, injuries, and trauma.
But recently, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy officially declared gun violence a public health crisis. This
advisory is a huge step forward as it paves the way for funded research, data collection, and risk reduction.
Dr. Murthy also called for new, strong gun control measures. Sign the petition to support the U.S. Surgeon General's call for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines!Doctors and experts have been pleading with politicians for years: treat guns like you would any other product that has the potential to be lethal, like cars, and regulate them accordingly. But powerful lobbying groups and the politicians that they hold in their pocket have been fighting gun regulation, making hollow claims about freedom and the Second Amendment, which was written before the invention of some of the most deadly, unnecessary gun technology we have today.
Assault weapons and large-capacity magazines have absolutely no place in civilian life. These tools were invented for mass, rapid killing in war settings.
Assault weapons that fire hundreds of rounds per minute and huge magazines that house that ammunition only make it possible for people to carry out absolutely devastating attacks on their fellow civilians. A ban on these tools is long, long overdue.
The U.S. Surgeon General's declaration is a heartening one -- in the midst of so much tragedy, finally our top officials are waking up to what they can do to protect us. By defining and naming something as a public health crisis, systems can be set into motion to address it.
We cannot rest until we see everything in politicians' power done to protect us, our children, and our families from gun violence.Sign the petition now if you support the U.S. Surgeon General's calls for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilians!