Beatty Statement on the Shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon
Beatty Statement on the Shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon
Calls for sensible gun control reform
COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) released the following statement in the aftermath of the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon:
"My heart is again heavy as I extend my thoughts and prayers to the victims, their families and loved ones of the tragic shooting in Roseburg. I join President Obama in his comments last night asking us, 'Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?' In a nation that accomplishes the most difficult things, surely we should be able to do something to make our nation safer.
"Just hours before the Umpqua Community College shooting, I joined 146 bipartisan Members of Congress in sending Speaker Boehner a letter urging him to act on gun violence. Our letter said it yesterday and I'll say it again today -it is time for Congress to act.
"As recently as four months ago I was in Charleston, South Carolina at the memorial service of the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney, pastor of the Emanuel African American Methodist Episcopal Church, praying for the Charleston Nine victims and their families. After every mass shooting we repeat the same routine, and nothing changes. It's time for congress and the people of this nation to do its job to keep us safe."
The full text of the letter to Speaker Boehner is below.
October 1, 2015
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 2015
Dear Speaker Boehner,
Gun violence affects every District and every community in America. We were all shocked and saddened by the senseless deaths of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy and have vowed that we would not let this happen again. Sadly, since then, America has been witness to at least 53 mass shootings[1]. Every day in this country, more than thirty people die as a result of gun violence.[2] This does not even address the individual victims of domestic violence or other vicious crimes that destroy families and communities.
Our children should be safe in schools. People should be allowed to worship without threat of violence. Walking the neighborhoods of our cities should not be a high-risk activity. It is long past time that Congress addresses this national epidemic. We must ensure that guns do not make it into the hands of criminals, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill. We can do this without infringing on Constitutionally guaranteed rights.
We call on you to bring to the Floor legislation that can protect innocent lives while safeguarding the rights of law abiding gun owners. No legislation will stop every tragedy, but passing commonsense gun laws will at least stop some. It is the least we can do to honor the memory of those we've lost to gun violence and prevent that list from growing.
Sincerely,