[Commentary] Ideas On How We Bring Gun Violence To A Halt
Constituents Offer Fresh Ways To Tackle Serious Problem
By Rep. Diana DeGette, Special to the GPHN
Recently I set up an email account – SensibleGunSafety@mail.house.gov – and asked constituents to send their innovative ideas to help bring gun violence to a halt. We’re looking for fresh ways to keep this conversation in the spotlight and pass sensible gun safety legislation in Washington, DC.
Many people wrote to me, and I’d like to thank each and every person who did. Your supportive comments, creative ideas and even contrasting views have helped shape my thinking about this issue. Please keep sending me your thoughts and suggestions.
In the meantime, let me share some excerpts from a few of the emails we’ve received:
“My answer is to remove all AR-15 semi-automatic rifles from circulation,” one person wrote. “To accomplish this, make the penalties for owning them and selling them harsh enough to stop the practice. Call in all these killing machines or make people pay a severe fine for owning them. … Track them like we do terrorists.”
I strongly support this approach. We must reinstate the ban on purchasing military-style assault weapons and ban high-capacity magazines that can be used to shoot scores of people in minutes.
Another person offered this comment: “I believe that guns should have at least the same regulations as driving a car: Having a license. If you violate the rules, you can get your license taken away or suspended. Everyone who owns a gun should be required to take a safety class and pass a test before purchasing that firearm.”
I completely agree. The argument by some that licensing is a first step toward taking away people’s guns has no merit – just look at how many cars are on the road, and nobody gets to drive one without a license.
And here’s an innovative idea: raising awareness via a “Millions of Grandmothers March” in local state capitols and Washington DC: “My friends and I are healthy 70-plus year-old grandmothers and nanas. We are very concerned for the safety of our children and grandchildren. … Let’s rally the women that dedicated their time and energy to raising the next generations.”
To that, I’d like to add that involving likely future grandmothers – people like me with grown children who don’t yet have kids of their own – would bring out even more people. We worry about the world that the next generation will inherit, too.
Finally, I’d like to share part of a letter from a constituent whose oldest brother and his friends were present during the Aurora Theater shooting.
“Luckily, they survived with very minor injuries,” the young constituent wrote. “Since I am only eleven years old, as long as I can remember, mass shootings are a very frequent occurrence in this country.
“I feel that the laws in the U.S. need to change to make this a safer place to live. … We want to be able to feel safe, grow up and pursue our dreams. I’m pretty sure some of the 49 people who lost their lives in the Orlando shooting [this summer] wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, or even president, but we will never know.”
What perspective. Of course, everyone should have the right to feel safe as they grow up, and to fulfill their dreams. How sad that so many people in this country live in fear at such a young age.
Once more, I want to thank everyone who has written to SensibleGunSafety@mail.house.gov. Keep sending your ideas for how to keep sensible gun safety in the national spotlight, and ways we can solve this serious problem.
Rep. Diana DeGette represents Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.