Pamplin Media - Gun Violence Spurs Bonamici's New Call to Action

Op-Ed

By Suzanne Bonamici

Every time I hear about another mass shooting, I immediately want to call my kids. Even though they are grown now, I still want to hear their voices, know they are safe and be available to comfort them. I think about all of the mothers who have lost children to gun violence and I can't imagine how they feel.

In Oregon in 2014, nearly 500 people died from gun violence. Every one of these victims left behind grieving family members or friends who dearly wish they could pick up the phone and hear the voice of their loved one.

After the horrific mass shooting in Orlando, my office phones rang off the hook and my email inbox filled up with messages from people I represent, telling me that "something needs to be done."

What has Congress done in response to mass shootings? We've offered thoughts and prayers and held moments of silence -- often lasting less than a minute. For the victims in Orlando, that was less than a second for each of the people killed or injured that night.

We've had enough thoughts and prayers. We've had enough moments of silence. It is time for us to take meaningful action to prevent gun violence and protect our communities. The American people are looking to Congress and asking us to do something -- not next year, not next month, but now.

Dismayed that House leadership has not let us vote on gun violence prevention legislation, I joined civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis for the historic sit-in on the House floor. My colleagues and I stayed on the House for more than 24 hours, calling for an up-or-down vote on legislation that would reduce gun violence.

Many of the nearly 170 members who joined the sit-in told compelling stories about how gun violence has affected them or the district they represent. The representative from Newtown said that the children killed there when they were in first grade would be starting fifth grade had they lived. A colleague who survived domestic violence spoke about having a gun pointed at her head and not knowing whether she would live or die. And as we sat on the floor, some of my colleagues learned that in their home towns, on that very day, more lives had been cut short by gun violence.

Enough is enough. Congress could and should take action to save lives.

First, we should enact a national, universal background check system that eliminates loopholes for sales at gun shows and online. Oregon has a strong background check system, but that isn't true in all states. That means that people who shouldn't have guns -- like domestic abusers -- can cross state lines to buy a gun.

Next, we must repeal the 20-year old law preventing our public health institutions from researching gun violence so Congress can make evidence-based decisions about gun safety. If any other cause was killing about 91 people every day, our nation's researchers would study it and report their findings to Congress.

After Orlando, I thought about the moms of the victims, the moms who called their children to find out if they were safe. I can't imagine what they felt when the phone rang, and rang and rang -- but their child didn't answer.

Congress has been called to action. We owe it to the American people to answer that call.

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