HEART OF LA DEMOCRATIC CLUB STATEMENT ON THE MASS SHOOTINGS IN SANTA CLARITA, FRESNO and PLEASANTVILLE
The Heart of LA Democratic Club expresses our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and communities of Santa Clarita, Fresno, and New Jersey on their unimaginable loss of loved ones due to gun violence this week. We grieve for the Saugus high school students who started out their school day like any other school day only to have their lives tragically cut short. We grieve for the attendees of the Pleasantville football game who just wanted to enjoy a Friday night game. We grieve for the victims who gathered in a backyard for a football watch party. And we send strength to the injured, that they may recover quickly.
We will not sit back as we wait for the next senseless mass murder. We will continue to hold our representatives accountable. In the memory of the mass murder victims in Santa Clarita, Pleasantville, Fresno, Dayton, Gilroy, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Las Vegas, the Pulse Nightclub, Sandy Hook Elementary, and sadly, so many more, we will continue in our mission to root out politicians who continue to value guns over human lives, who are backed by the gun lobby and the NRA's poisonous, dark money.
The 2020 elections are less than a year away. We will continue to identify candidates in California and across the nation who are on the correct side of history, who will fight for common sense legislation that will help keep our families safe from people who are determined to use guns to inflict harm and murder. In the meantime:
Please join us NOW and DEMAND ACTION TODAY. Demand that Mitch McConnell reconvene the Senate and pass emergency gun measures such as: H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 The House of Representatives passed H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 in February. This bill would prohibit most person-to-person firearm transfers unless a background check can be conducted, aiming to close a potential loophole allowing the transfer of firearms without a background check at gun shows or between individuals. Mitch McConnell’s Senate has not taken any action on the bill since the House passed it. INSIST THAT HE BRING IT TO A SENATE VOTE. H.R. 1112 Bipartisan Background Checks Act This bill would extend to at least 10 days the amount of time firearms dealers must wait for a response from the background check system before the sale can proceed. Currently, they can make the sale if they haven’t received a response in three days. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1112 in February 2019. Mitch McConnell’s Senate has not taken any action on the bill since the House passed it. INSIST THAT HE BRING IT TO A SENATE VOTE. Assault weapons bans The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 lapsed in 2004. This legislation, among other provisions, banned the manufacture and sale to civilians of assault-style weapons and certain "large-capacity" ammunition magazines for guns. Mitch McConnell’s Senate has not taken any action on the bill since the House passed it. INSIST THAT HE BRING IT TO A SENATE VOTE. Red Flag Laws A red flag law is a gun violence prevention law that permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves. Currently, ten states including California have such laws. Congress must pass a federal Red Flag law.
About the Heart of LA Democratic Club Founded in March 2017 on the heels of the Presidential election, the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club was created in recognition of the growing awareness within the Democratic Party that women should be fully and equally represented in local, state, and national politics. The Heart of L.A. Democratic Club is open to all Democrats who subscribe to the club’s goals and purposes regardless of their gender identity. The mission of the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club is to help make the Democratic Party and its elected officials responsive to, and responsible for, the needs of all people, particularly, though not exclusively, women in our community. In addition to endorsing candidates and organizing for those candidates, the Heart of L.A. Democratic Club actively participates in issues advocacy, community outreach, and voter education. The Club’s monthly meetings feature guest speakers such as Democratic elected officials and candidates, and experts in policy areas of interest to women - including reproductive justice, homelessness, voter registration, immigration, criminal justice reform and more. For more information about The Heart of LA Democratic Club, visit: Website: HeartLADems.org. Facebook: Facebook.com/HeartLADems Twitter: @HeartLADems Instagram: @HeartLADems