(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
The U.S. has surpassed 400 mass shootings in 2023. Enough is enough [1]
['Daily Kos Staff']
Date: 2023-08-05
Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens. In fact, the United States has surpassed 400 mass shootings in 2023, on pace for a record-breaking year of gun violence with an average of nearly two mass shootings a day.
This is devastating news. This is an epidemic that we can and must prevent. And I think we can gather from these surging numbers that thoughts and prayers are never enough. Assault weapons are commonplace in mass shootings. These weapons of war don't belong in civilian hands. We need action from Congress because prohibiting assault weapons can prevent mass shooting injuries and deaths.
Sign the petition: Ban assault weapons
This year is on pace to be the deadliest year in American history, already topping the number of mass shootings reported at this point in 2022. Banning assault weapons saves lives. The 1994 federal assault weapons ban reduced the risk of a person in the U.S. dying from a mass shooting by 70%. Both the number of deaths and the number of annual incidents decreased significantly.
Congress failed to extend the assault weapons ban beyond 2004. A 2021 study found that had the federal assault weapons ban remained in effect from 2005 through 2019, it would have prevented 30 mass shootings where an assault weapon was obtained legally, resulting in the deaths of 339 people.
Assault weapons, like those once restricted by the ban, were used in most of the horrific, random massacres that define the tragedy of mass shootings, including at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012, the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, and Uvalde, Texas, in 2022. With easy access to military-style semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, too many individuals have filled our schools, malls, concerts, movie theaters, places of worship, stores, highways, parades, and other public spaces with terror, devastation, and terrible loss.
The deadliest mass shootings have been perpetrated with military-style rifles. Too many Americans are being senselessly gunned down in public spaces in towns and cities across the nation. Americans deserve a strong response from the federal government. In order to save lives and stop the carnage, Congress must enact a federal assault weapons ban.
Sign the petition to Congress: Pass legislation to immediately ban assault weapons.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/5/2184987/-The-U-S-has-surpassed-400-mass-shootings-in-2023-Enough-is-enough
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
