The deaths of 26 people at the hands of a gunman in a Sutherland Springs, Texas, following on the heels of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, were tragic. But they were also predictable and preventable. After these tragedies, too many of our elected leaders offered their typical response: "My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families."
That's a nice sentiment, but it's far from enough. Legislators aren't just being passive. Rather than taking any concrete actions to prevent gun violence, state legislators are
actively doing all they can to make a terrible situation even worse by pushing the gun lobby's agenda no matter what.
Right now, a faction of extremists in Madison is pushing a permitless gun carry bill that would:
- allow almost anyone to carry hidden, loaded weapons in public, with no training, no permit, and no background check required
- Lower the concealed carry age to just 18 years old
- Force school districts to allow concealed carry on school grounds
These are measures that will not make us safer, but they will make the gun lobby happy. Instead of fighting to put more guns in the hands of more people with less oversight, our legislators should be pushing for laws that
save lives, like background checks on all gun sales, waiting periods for handgun sales, and prohibiting bump-fire devices.
Let's show them how many people believe we can do more to prevent gun violence. Add your name to join the movement for commonsense gun laws in Wisconsin.
