Today, I went to deliver all of the Daily Kos petition signatures and comments calling on Congress to enact legislation that will prevent gun violence. I joined Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Deputy Political Director, and fellow Cincinnatian, at Mitch McConnell’s Northern Kentucky field office, along with local activists from the area.
The event was powerful because of the energy of the attendees and the emotion of reading the names of those 59 humans who senselessly died in the terrorist attack in Las Vegas on Sunday night. Since the attack on Sunday night, Daily Kos, CREDO, MoveON.org, Avaaz, CT Against Gun Violence, and MomsRising have collected over 1 million petitions signatures and letters to Congress calling for gun legislation to stop the gun violence epidemic that grips this country and kills an average of over 90 people per day.
Every time there’s a terrorist shooting in America, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan lead the conservative pack in immediately telling those of us who dream of a safer world that it’s too soon to act on this latest tragedy. That’s exactly backward: It’s too late—too late every day for the victims of gun violence. Still, Republicans offer the same hollow sentiments and unwillingness to implement even the most basic measures of gun safety laws, while every day dozens of people die from gun violence in this country.
Our elected leaders must act now, and it starts with a head-on challenge to the slick cabal of gun industry shills known as the NRA. Americans don't just overwhelmingly want gun safety laws--we need them to live safely and without fear when we send our children to school, enter public spaces, or places of worship. It's time for Republicans to put the wellbeing of Americans ahead of the demands of the gun lobby.
Over 5000 signatures and comments from Kentucky were delivered, including comments from veterans, ex-military, nurses, doctors, family members of and people who have been affected by gun violence. There were many gun owners who left comments in support of control and decried the NRA and its monied influence over Politicians.
McConnell needs to put his NRA allegiance aside and do what's right for the public good.
“Thoughts and prayers will not do anything to protect Americans from gun violence, but Republicans in Congress could if they weren’t afraid of the NRA,”said CREDO Political Director Murshed Zaheed.“It is long past time for Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to take immediate action to ban weapons of war, including assault weapons and large capacity magazines, which have no place in the hands of private citizens,” Zaheed continued, adding, “anything less will make it clear that congressional Republicans care more about pleasing the NRA than keeping Americans safe.”
A similar event happened today in Colorado, at Senator Gardner’s office. I’ll update with more later.