National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Gun Shootings and Violence in America May 25, 2022 NCBW is a 40-year-old advocacy organization comprised of activist women in sixty-two (62) chapters in twenty-six (26) states and the District of Columbia. We actively work to make a reality "that one day Black Women and Girls will live in a world where socio-economic inequity does not exist." NCBW Members are enraged by the increasing number of Mass shootings. It has only been two weeks since the shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., which took the lives of ten (10) people, yet here we are again with another school massacre. Nineteen (19) children and two (2) teachers were slain in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022, OUR FUTURE OUR CHILDREN. Prayers and tears will not bring these children back, children whose futures were abruptly cut short. We are failing our children and citizens! Twenty-seven (27) school shootings have taken place in 2022 alone – all with injuries or deaths. Yet we continue to allow those in power to hold this country hostage. Fifty (50) Republican Senators refuse to vote on H.R. 8, which is a background check rule that passed the House in March 2021. The bill aims to close loopholes in gun purchases, requiring a background check for all gun sales. Currently, federal law does not require unlicensed gun sellers who operate online or at gun shows to conduct background checks prior to the purchase of arms. Twenty-two percent of Americans reported that they purchased their most recent gun without any background check, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. We are past discussing what we know is wrong with the GUN laws in America. The time for change is long overdue. The 2020 census reports that there are 258.3 million adults in America, and it is reported that 90% or 232.47 million are in favor of new gun legislation. The Senators referenced in this statement continue to pontificate on how invested they are in “improving” this country for our children. However, their actions speak volumes about their priorities. The Second Amendment to the Constitution passed in 1789 provides "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." It is time for a compromise to revamp laws placed in practice over two hundred and thirty-three (233) years ago. “You can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results.” It is time for us to mobilize and strategize to make real change, to take these weapons of war out of the hands of civilians. We must make our voices heard, be it local, state, or national. We must recognize our power and use it. We cannot allow fifty senators to be the barrier to sensible gun laws. Please call your State Representatives, voice your opinion, and ask that they vote for H.R. 8., it is a beginning. I appeal to you to utilize your “Voting Rights” to elect legislators that are not afraid of change for gun laws applicable to 2022 and not 1789. We must have the courage to do what is right for the citizens of the United States of America. Sincerely, Elizabeth A. Jones Elizabeth A. Jones, National President National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. 1718 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 970 Atlanta, Georgia 30309 404-390-3982 Fax: 404-390-3827
Commentaires