Dear Friend,
My heart goes out to all the Norwegian students who became the innocent victims of a madman’s rampage this weekend. Having survived a similar event, I can relate to what they went through and, like all of us here at the Brady Campaign, I mourn the horrific and senseless loss of these young lives.
Unfortunately, I was soon infuriated by the gun fanatics in America who immediately used this massacre to assert that strong gun laws, like Norway's, don’t work. Let’s remember:
Around 70 people were shot to death in Norway this weekend ... while on average 80 people in America are killed by guns EVERY SINGLE DAY!
Norway is describing the shooting as a "national disaster"... Yet within 48 hours of this massacre there had been at least four mass shootings here in the U.S. — in Texas, California, Florida, and Washington.
Norway’s neighbor, Finland, is already considering further strengthening its gun laws in order to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring there. This is a normal, rational reaction by a government that is willing to address an issue that threatens the lives of its citizens.
What are legislators in the U.S. doing? Nothing! It’s the same response our NRA-fearful Congress seems to give for any mass shooting in America. What are the common sense laws that we know will make an impact?
- Stopping the sale of assault clips and assault weapons;
- Requiring Brady background checks on all gun sales; and
- Strengthening law enforcement’s efforts to stop the illegal gun market.
But we cannot do this without your help. Please make a donation to the Brady Campaign today so that we can work to stop the daily national tragedy that is American gun violence. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Colin Goddard
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
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