August 6, 2019 — Washington, D.C. — Headlines about the recent tragedies due to gun violence are becoming much too prevalent in America. Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH serve as painful reminders of the impact of gun violence in our communities.
“We’re growing tired of the trend of mass shootings across the country .” says the Honorable Gilda Cobb-Hunter, South Carolina State Representative and President of NBCSL. “It is not enough to offer our thoughts and prayers to those affected. More needs to be done at all levels of leadership to address this issue, and we at NBCSL challenge our leaders to act immediately” she states.
The most recent mass shootings—including a mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California, on July 28, in which three people were killed, including two children, and 13 others injured; a mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart and shopping center on August 3, where 22 people were killed and more than two dozen were injured; and just 15 hours later on August 4, at least nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a downtown bar in Dayton, Ohio, with at least 27 other people injured.
“In today’s environment where the internet and social media serve as platforms for the hateful rhetoric that targets communities of color and immigrants, we continue to see a rise in incidents apparently fueled by White Supremacists attitudes” says President Cobb-Hunter. “NBCSL and its membership, which represents 700 state legislators, demand policies be created and implemented to address the systemic issues underlying gun violence, by leaders at all levels—from the White House to the US Congress, and through the various state legislatures.”
NBCSL has ratified various resolutions in the recent past that can assist leaders with developing public policy to address the nation’s gun violence problem. “We stand committed to continue to promote strong meaningful policies that will greatly assist in eliminating gun violence.” As part of its efforts to propose policies through meaningful dialogue, NBCSL will convene a town hall at its annual legislative conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL. For more information go to www.nbcsl.org.