Gabby Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly don't think Americans need assault weapons lying around their homes in order to protect themselves. On the two-year anniversary of the Arizona shooting, Giffords, who still has a long way to go in her recovery, and Kelly are launching their
Americans for Responsible Solutions initiative to help raise money to support
greater gun control efforts and take on the powerful gun lobby.
Recognizing that neither the Obama Administration or today's Congress is likely to take action even in the aftermath of the Newtown travesty, Giffords and Kelly have now taken the lead in opposing the NRA.
How many more school children will need to die before America wakes up and calls a halt to the carnage?
Credo asks us to sign their petition to ban assault weapons - it's a step in the right direction. I've signed it, how about you?
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"Immediately pass a ban on military-style semiautomatic assault weapons, and high-capacity ammunition magazines."
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Automatically add your name: |
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Dear Virginia,
The shock and trauma from the images and stories from Newtown are still very much with us, and it is impossible to put into
words the pain still being felt by families and friends of the victims.
Now is the time to demand action from legislators in Congress. In the
wake of the massacre of 20 first graders and six educators,
there is clear momentum for passing common sense gun control regulations
to ban the Sandy Hook mass murderer's weapon of
choice.
Two bills to be introduced in the Senate could ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Senator Dianne
Feinstein (D-CA) plans to introduce a new assault weapons bill,1 while Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has pledged
to re-introduce his bill to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.2
Since the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, even legislators
who received "A" ratings by the National Rifle Association
have shown interest in supporting restrictions on the military-style
weapons and high-capacity ammo magazines like the ones
used in the Newtown massacre.3
The gestures from these legislators are welcome signs, but we need more than sympathetic words. We need real leadership to
overcome the death-grip the NRA has on Congress and begin the vital work of addressing the senseless gun violence that threatens
our communities.
The federal assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, banned the sale
of guns like the AR-15 that was used in many high-profile
mass killings including the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting.4 And Lautenberg's bill banning high-capacity
ammunition magazines would have made it illegal for anyone to buy or own the type of ammunition magazine Adam Lanza used
in the attack Newtown attack.5
CREDO members worked to pass the federal assault weapons ban in 1994. And we fought to stop its expiration in 2004. We continue
to advocate for passing and enforcing sensible federal gun laws restricting ready access for civilians to assault weapons.
Massacres on the scale of the tragedy in Newtown happen in part because our federal gun laws make it easy for civilians to
obtain military-style firepower.
We're not so naïve as to think that sensible gun laws are all that's needed to stop the killings. There are many things that
need to change in American culture to stop the next Newtown-like massacre. But we do know one thing we should put at the
top of the list: keeping military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines out of the hands of civilians.
It's long past time to reinstate the federal ban on assault weapons, and institute a new ban on high-capacity magazines.
Thank you for speaking out against gun violence.
1.Sean Sullivan, " Feinstein will introduce assault
weapons ban in Senate." The Washington Post, 12/16/12.
2. Steve Strunsky, " Lautenberg renews bid to ban
high-capacity ammunition." The Star-Ledger, 12/17/12.
3. Josh Israel, " Meet The 10 Gun-Touting Lawmakers
Willing To Consider Gun Control In Aftermath Of Shooting." ThinkProgress, 12/18/12.
4. Zack Beauchamp, " Expired Assault Weapons Ban
Would Have Covered Rifle Used In Colorado Shooting." ThinkProgress, 07/20/12.
5. Steve Strunsky, " Lautenberg renews bid to ban
high-capacity ammunition." The Star-Ledger, 12/17/12.
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