Like many of you, I have been continually disheartened by the never-ending cycle of gun violence across our country and the lack of action by our leaders in Congress to address this crisis. I don’t use the term “crisis” lightly. I use it purposefully because the rate of gun violence in this country has truly reached a crisis-level:
- Preschool children were killed by guns in greater numbers than police officers in the line of duty from 1999 through 2013 (with the exception of 2004);
- There have been at least 239 school shootings nationwide since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting;
- 96 people die from gun violence every single day, 7 of which are children and teens;
- 35,141 people die from gun violence every year, 2,737 of which are children and teens; and
- 1 out of 3 homes with kids have guns and nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with an unlocked, loaded gun.
These statistics are disturbing. We cannot continue to sit back and do nothing and wait for the next tragedy to occur.