On Tuesday night Senator Elizabeth Warren was shushed by Senator Mitch McConnell. She was told to be silent and told to sit down. Many of us were stunned and remain stunned today.
For gun violence prevention activists, being shushed is something that we have seen before … again and again.
- We have seen the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shushed by having funding cut for gun violence research.
- We have watched the parents whose children have been killed shushed by a Congress that has chosen to protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits instead of protecting the people they serve.
- We have seen our cries for action after each devastating mass shooting shushed by those who think “it’s not the right time” to talk about preventing gun violence.
Congress is now working to undermine the safety measures we count on by passing new legislation or by repealing existing regulations.
WE MUST NOT — AND WILL NOT — BE SHUSHED!
The Hearing Protection Act
Gunfire is an important safety feature of any firearm. From potential victims who seek to escape a mass shooting, to a hiker being alerted to the presence of a hunter in the woods, to law enforcement trying to pinpoint danger, the frightening sound of gunfire is one of the ways we keep safe from gun violence. But in a cynical ploy to increase sales and profits in a shrinking market, the gun lobby and their Congressional supporters have claimed that hunters and other sport shooters face hearing loss (even when ear plugs and muffs are available) so severe as to warrant the removal of regulations that restrict the purchase of silencers. This Act, which removes many of the regulations, supports gun manufacturers’ bottom line while sacrificing our and law enforcement’s safety.
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017
This dangerous legislation will force states like California with strong gun safety laws to allow residents with a concealed-carry permit issued in another state — where laws may be lax — to carry. This bill also includes a loophole for gun owners who can’t obtain a concealed-carry permit in their own state. Under this bill, “a California resident who cannot get a concealed-carry permit in California can easily get one from Utah, and then carry guns in California without ever setting foot in Utah, and not for some short duration like a tourist stay, but for the rest of his life and every day,” explained Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California – Los Angeles and a 2nd Amendment expert. “The real impact of [this] bill is not to protect interstate travelers. It’s to require states with restrictive concealed-carry policies to allow their own residents to carry guns.”
Safe Students Act
Gun-free schools may soon be a thing of the past in America. A group of Republican representatives have proposed the Safe Students Act in an effort to overturn gun ban policies on school grounds across the country. Even the new Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has suggested that guns in schools are necessary to protect children from grizzly bears! We know that more guns equal more danger and that our schools are no place for guns!
Here’s How You Can Help!
Make your voice heard! Do not allow yourself to be shushed! Please call your Senators and your Congressional Representatives and tell them NO to this attack on our safety!
Call your Senators today!
Call your Representatives today!
Need help with what to say to your Senator or Congressional Representative?
Hi, My name is XXX. I live in your district (or state) and am a supporter of gun laws that keep my family and community safe! Please,
- Vote NO to the Hearing Protection Act that will undermine our and our family’s ability to escape harm!
- Vote NO to the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act that will allow people to circumvent California’s strong and effective gun safety laws!
- Vote NO to the Safe Students Act which will endanger our children by allowing guns on campus!
After you’ve made your calls, please share this post with your family and friends!
Photo used under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) from Flickr user Craig Sunter’s photostream.