Gun Violence
There are some days when I wish I didn’t see the things I saw at Sandy Hook Firehouse on December 14, 2012. I walked away from that day pledging that I would do everything within my power to fight the scourge of gun violence, in our schools and in our cities, that has plagued America for far too long. Over the first months of my term in the Senate, I helped lead the fight for strong, anti-gun violence legislation. Though our bill failed due to a Republican-led filibuster, I continue to believe that the American people, who so strongly support mandatory criminal background checks, stricter limits on high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons, will have their voice heard in Congress soon. And as the parents of slain sons and daughters in Hartford, and New Haven, and Bridgeport have reminded me – it’s not just about the guns. There is a sense of hopelessness in our cities that allows young men to take life for granted, and an inability to understand how disputes can be resolved without violence. Combine those failings with a mental health system that leaves too many who badly need help outside treatment, and it’s no wonder we haven’t been able to make a substantial dent in gun violence.
The gun lobby may be powerful, but I will not rest until we pass comprehensive legislation to keep guns away from criminals, take military-style weapons off our streets, increase alternatives to violence, and fix our broken mental health system.
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