Stop Mass Shootings

December 14, 2017

Today is the fifth anniversary of the murder of twenty first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The only thing that has changed since then is that people are getting more used to it.

We are sick and tired of innocent people dying in mass shootings. But more than that, we are tired of people despairing over doing anything about it. We as a country haven’t done anything because most of us haven’t cared enough, or cared effectively enough.

Successful politicians are obsessively concerned with getting reelected. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will do whatever the majority wants. When trying to decide how to vote on an issue, a politician will worry a lot about the opinions of constituents who feel really strongly about it, because they’re the ones who might decide to vote against him as a result. That, in a nutshell, is why the pro-gun forces keep winning: because politicians keep calculating that opposing them carries more political risk than opposing the silent majority.

For members of the silent majority, the task is to break the silence. Elected politicians need to be reminded constantly, by phone and in person, that most voters care about reducing the carnage from mass killings. It’s only by making our voices heard, loudly, that we can hope to change things.

Our immediate goal is to outlaw what are commonly calleds "assault weapons," the AR15 and equivalents, the weapon of choice for mass killers. These weapons serve no legitimate defensive purpose. Not all recent mass killings have involved these weapons, but the deadliest ones have. It is true that these weapons account for a small fraction of total gun deaths, but we are not trying to deal with the total problem of gun deaths. Our goal is more modest: to stop mass killings.

We also support other measures that advance that goal. It is absurd that 90 percent of Americans support universal background checks, yet Congress is so afraid of the NRA that it can’t pass legislation. It’s time for them to be afraid of the voters.

This page is intended to serve as an information source and a meeting point for people who care about reducing the number and size of mass killings. Please comment if you want to participate, and share us with friends. Also, please Share and Follow our Facebook page.