Let’s face it . . . we live in a country that cares more about its guns than its children; where the right to life includes a fetus, but not our schoolchildren; where the Second Amendment has taken on a religious fervor; and where unstable young men have easy access to weapons of war. Guns are now the No. 1 cause of death among children and yet we do nothing.
Republican senators claim mental health is the issue, yet they do nothing to provide money for mental health services. They claim that expansion of background checks would infringe on fundamental freedoms and reject commonsense solutions favored by a huge majority of Americans, including minimum age limits, red flag laws and domestic violence prohibitions. Banning assault-type weapons is anathema to them, but is there really a reason for anyone, especially an 18-year-old, to have such a weapon? For the 10-year period our ban was in place, it was highly effective at reducing mass murders. If New Zealand could quickly ban these weapons after one terrible mass shooting, why can’t we?
Laws requiring safe storage of guns would prevent child deaths and keep those guns from criminals. President Biden recently approved ATF restrictions on ghost guns to get untraceable weapons off the streets, and crack down on those who sell and manufacture them, but of course, Gun Owners of America quickly vowed to oppose the new rules. We must do something to prevent this carnage. Please vote for candidates who share our concerns.
Carol Cure
Durango
