More than 43,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2023, and in case you were wondering, yes, gun deaths are a uniquely American problem.
The U.S. gun homicide rate is 26 times higher than that of the next-highest rate among high-income nations.
Firearm fatalities are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States.
And we do nothing about it.
Abigail Spanberger, who represents Virginia’s Seventh District in the U.S. House, is among 122 House Democrats trying, almost certainly without any hope for actual positive action, to get Republicans to work with them on measures to fight this epidemic of gun violence deaths.
“As members who advocate for action on gun violence prevention, we know that it is impossible to set aside a week that isn’t marked by a mass shooting, or a single day that wasn’t touched by preventable gun violence tragedies,” the group wrote in a letter to House Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“It is unfathomable that House Republican leadership has thus far refused to take any action to address the gun violence epidemic, which is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers,” the Democrats said in the letter.
The letter was accompanied by a 2024 calendar marking the one-year anniversary of every mass shooting that took place in the United States in 2023 — on which more than 50 days mark the one-year anniversary of four or more mass shootings.
Yes, that’s political gamesmanship, but the point is made.
“While there is bipartisan agreement that mental health is a serious public safety issue in our country, the gun homicide rate in the United States is 26 times that of other wealthy nations. It is not credible to address the gun violence epidemic without working to prevent people who are a danger to themselves or others from accessing firearms. We again ask you to work with Democrats on any policies to end the gun violence epidemic,” the letter concluded.
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Chris Graham
