Will you sit with us?

Back in New York, I will tell my constituents I was there. Years from now, I will tell my grandchildren I was there. I’ll tell them I sat next to civil-rights hero John Lewis and more than 170 other House Democrats, all of us exhausted but determined, as we educated the nation on civil disobedience, fighting for a cause in which we believed. By the time I recount this story, hopefully we will have achieved what we set out to do—to make this nation safer by keeping guns out of irresponsible and dangerous hands.

One of the worst kept secrets in America is that we have an unhealthy obsession with guns. With over 33,000 Americans dying every year because of a gun[1], we suffer far more gun deaths than any other developed nation. In fact, a 2016 study in the American Journal of Medicine found that Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed nations.[2]Why is that exactly?

{mosads}It’s because leadership in the NRA and House Republican caucus have colluded to prevent Congress from passing commonsense gun violence prevention laws. 

They shriek that any gun safety law violates their Second Amendment Right. Yet, other Amendments have limits—e.g. an individual cannot yell “BOMB!” in a crowded theatre, which effectively limits his or her freedom of speech—so why is the Second Amendment any different? Furthermore, the Supreme Court held in District of Columbia v Heller that there could be both restrictions on the type of weapons and who has access to them[3]. 

An example of a prudent restriction on the type of weapons: the assault weapons ban, which outlawed guns like the one used in Orlando to murder innocent Americans. When in the wrong hands, assault weapons, or ‘weapons of mass destruction,’ can prove deadly and they have no place in our streets, neighborhoods, and cities. 

An example of a sensible restriction on who has access to guns: the one called for in the sit-in which would prevent suspected terrorists on the “No-Fly” list, like the Orlando shooter, from purchasing a weapon. If someone is found to be potentially too dangerous to board a plane, should they really be able to purchase a gun? House Republicans claim that blocking suspected terrorists from purchasing a gun overlooks their right to due process. Yet, the bipartisan Senate bill that received majority support allays this concern, by providing an appeals process to those prevented from buying a gun. If these people were wrongly on the list and posed no threat, they could then have their name removed from it and could then purchase a gun. We could put similar protections in the House-led bipartisan bill that was initially introduced by a Republican. A part of our sit-in effort, this bill is one of many opportunities for our parties to work together. 

To be sure, these proposals can only be effective if we expand background checks. A criminal can’t buy a gun at Wal-Mart but they can just as easily go to a gunshow or online marketplace and buy one without any background check whatsoever. It’s simple- everyone who wants to buy a firearm should undergo a background check. 

To be fair, while leadership of the Republican Party and the NRA oppose preventing terrorists from buying guns or expanding background checks, their membership supports such efforts. According to a CNN poll taken this week, 9 out of 10 Republicans favor preventing suspected terrorists from buying weapons. Also, 72% of NRA Members and a full 87% of Republicans support background checks on all firearm purchases[4]^,[5].  

So what is preventing legislation from being passed? As Members of Congress, don’t we owe it to the American people to heed the calls of the overwhelming majority of them? Shouldn’t we at the very least take votes on measures to prevent gun violence? If these bills are imperfect, don’t we retain the right to amend and improve them? Why don’t we let our constituents know where it is we stand on this issue?

The only way we’ll accomplish passage of gun safety laws is through you—the reader, the everyday American. It has to originate with a movement that galvanizes the public and compels it to hold their elected officials accountable for preventing progress. Just as it isn’t enough for Members of Congress to only send out thoughts and prayers after a tragedy, it isn’t enough for citizens to only change their Facebook profile pictures. Rise up, sit in, speak out, and contact your Congressman or Congresswoman.

So years from now when your kids and grandkids ask, you can tell them you were there, that you fought alongside President Obama, civil-rights legend John Lewis, and so many others—you’ll be proud that you played an instrumental role in ending the gun violence epidemic in America.  

[1]http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm

[2] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-u-s-gun-deaths-compare-to-other-countries/

[3]https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZS.html

[4] https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/17054452/PPP-GunOwnersPollResults-11.17.15.pdf

[5] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbsnyt-poll-gop-voters-have-deep-concerns-about-government/