We Deserve Gun Violence Prevention Now

Unfortunately, gun violence and mass casualties have become increasingly common in the United States. Last week, Oxford High School’s students, teachers, and faculty were victims of a mass school shooting. Four students passed away, and seven others were seriously injured. The perpetrator was a 15-year-old student at Oxford High School. This news is absolutely devastating, and we feel for the victims’ families and survivors of the tragedy.

We either are someone or know someone who has experienced a school shooting threat, or worse, an actual active shooter lockdown or mass shooting. Therefore, it is imperative that our leaders act now, and more importantly, that we elect leaders who WILL choose to act.

80% of the weapons used in the last 20 years of shootings were from the perpetrator’s own household, and less than 30 states in the U.S have any laws regarding safely securing your weapon. In June, Michigan Senator Rosemary Bayer introduced legislation to hold adults accountable who don’t use precautions or safely secure their handguns. Crumbley, the perpetrator, had illegally taken the handgun his father had purchased days previously.

This bill would require parents to keep their guns locked away and inaccessible to minors, and if the minor did use the gun to kill or injure anyone, the parents would face time in prison. This seems like a fair suggestion to any reasonable person; however, Republicans have refused to hold a hearing on this bill or other gun violence prevention legislation. Responsible firearm ownership is critical, yet Republicans fail again at meeting in the middle to enact legislation that changes gun ownership at a minimum.

We deserve officials who believe in risk elimination, so we don’t have to continue living in fear of the next mass shooting and ensure our children can go to school and learn in peace. Rideshare2Vote not only mourns the victim of this shooting and countless other school shooting victims, but we also honor them by working tirelessly to elect officials who vote for legislation to change the gun laws and culture in America. We believe change must come, and the NRA-funded Republicans are the main issue standing in the way of gun reform.

Join us in our efforts to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in these 2022 Midterm elections. Enough is enough.

by Taryn Rayburn