Our schools, neighborhoods, and churches should be safe public spaces — not battlefields. The consensus is clear: 97% of Americans agree there should be a background check for every single gun purchase in this country. And in Georgia, 78% approve of raising the minimum age from 18 to 21 to purchase an assault weapon. Yet even with shooting after shooting, “thoughts and prayers” are all we get from the good old boys.
“Thoughts and prayers,” while every day over 100 people are killed by a gun in this country. The victims are our friends, our family members, our classmates. “Thoughts and prayers,” while the firearm homicide rate in the US continues to be 25 times that of comparable countries, and our firearm suicide rate continues to be 10 times higher. “Thoughts and prayers,” while women, who are 21 times more likely to be shot to death than women in other high income countries, continue to be murdered, often at the hands of an intimate partner.
Twenty-one children and teenagers are shot every day. We said this above and we’ll say it again: schools are the cornerstones of our communities and we should treat them as such. Yet Columbine happened and nothing changed. Newtown happened and nothing changed. Parkland happened and still no major legislation to address gun violence has been brought to a vote on the floor of the United States Senate. The good old boys’ position couldn’t be any clearer: we are bought and paid for by the NRA and we will not protect your children.
Georgia Can’t Wait Solution: Vote their butts out. Then pass gun violence legislation that expands background checks and eliminates the gun show loophole. Pass gun violence legislation that prevents the mentally ill or those convicted of domestic violence from being able to purchase guns. Pass gun violence legislation that raises the minimum age for buying an assault weapon from 18 to 21. Pass gun violence legislation that states unequivocally that schools are the cornerstones of our communities and we will treat them as such.
Georgia. Can’t. Wait.